Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

A major parish church standing on the east side of Higham Ferrers Market Square. Built between the 13th and mid-14th centuries, the church underwent restoration in the 17th and 19th centuries. It is constructed of squared, coursed limestone with bands of ironstone, and limestone ashlar, with lead roofs throughout.

The church comprises an aisled double nave, chancel, Lady Chapel, south porch and a substantial west tower. The architectural expression is characteristically Decorated Gothic, with pronounced tracery and moulded details across all elevations.

The south elevation of the chancel features a range of three 3-light windows with ogee heads and reticulated tracery, flanked by a 3-stage buttress (one incorporating a circular stone dial) and a trefoil-headed doorway set right of centre. The chancel is roofed with a shallow gable and carries a castellated ashlar parapet with corner pinnacles and two gargoyles.

The east elevation displays twin gables for the chancel and Lady Chapel. Two 5-light ogee-headed windows with reticulated tracery and niches above are separated by 3-stage buttresses. A 3-light window to the chancel has cluster shafts. This elevation also carries a castellated ashlar parapet with pinnacles.

The north elevation of the Lady Chapel comprises two 5-light windows: the left with intersecting tracery and cusping, the right with ogee head and reticulated tracery. Both have carved label stops. The roof mirrors the chancel with a shallow gable, castellated parapet, corner pinnacle and three gargoyles.

The south aisle spans five bays with a 4-window range: a 4-light window with reticulated tracery and roundel to the right, and three 3-light ogee-headed windows with reticulated tracery. 2-stage buttresses separate the windows. The aisle roof is a lean-to with castellated ashlar parapet, corner pinnacles and two gargoyles. A gabled south porch (now a vestry) occupies a bay left of centre, featuring a 3-light east window with panel tracery and a 2-light west window with Y-tracery, with 2-light returns flanking the doorway. The porch has double chamfered outer arch with circular responds and a castellated ashlar parapet.

The north aisle comprises four bays with three 3-light square-headed windows. A chamfered and moulded north doorway stands right of centre. The lean-to roof carries plain ashlar parapets. Windows include a 3-light east window with mouchettes, a 3-light west window with 4-centred head and panel tracery, and a 5-light nave window with intersecting tracery and cusping. A small 19th-century boiler house is attached to the east end of this aisle.

Both nave clerestories carry 2-light square-headed windows: the south clerestory has five lights, the north has four, some restored in the 19th century. Both have shallow gabled roofs with castellated ashlar parapets.

The west tower represents a particularly fine work of mid-13th-century design, comprising three stages with subdivision in the upper section. Set-back 6-stage angle buttresses flank the south-west corner; a similar plain buttress stands at the south-east; 2-stage gabled buttresses occupy the lower north-west corner. A 19th-century polygonal stair turret was added to the north-east corner.

The west door displays a roll-moulded outer arch with cluster shafts. Twin inner doors with segmental heads carry bands of carved figures around jambs and heads. Above them, the tympanum contains a 20th-century central figure of the Virgin Mary surrounded by six and four half-roundels depicting Biblical scenes. Between inner and outer doorways, return walls contain double blank arches with trefoil heads and shafts, supporting a rib vault with squared panel decoration above. Two trefoil-headed shallow niches flank the doorway to the left; a 2-light window above features carving of Our Lord in the apex with flanking pinnacles.

The north face of the lower stage shows a 2-light window with carving of a musician in the apex, flanked by single and double blind arcades with trefoil heads and shafts. The second stage contains a roundel clock face surrounded by quatrefoils and a 2-light north window. The upper bell-chamber stage has tall 2-light openings to each face with transoms and shafts, with fragments of carving flanking the west opening. A corbel table and open quatrefoil parapet support ribbed corner pinnacles with crockets.

An octagonal ashlar spire rises from behind the parapet, linked to the pinnacles by flying buttresses pierced with open quatrefoils. Three tiers of lucarnes carry 2-light openings; the lowest tier has transoms. Inscribed tablets appear in the south and west faces.

Architectural evidence suggests the tower and spire design was substantially changed during construction. The spire underwent partial reconstruction following a collapse in 1631.

Interior

A 4-bay nave features arcades of double chamfered and hollowed arches with quatrefoil piers to the south aisle, and double chamfered arches with octagonal piers between the two naves and between the nave and north aisle. There is no chancel arch. The tower arch has triple chamfered moulding with shafts. The arch between chancel and Lady Chapel displays fine moulded detailing with cluster shafts and pinnacles to the right, with a small 4-centred-headed doorway between them.

19th-century roof structures are visible, with parts repainted in the 20th century. The line of an earlier roof is visible above the tower arch.

Perpendicular screens remain to the chancel, Lady Chapel, between chancel and Lady Chapel, and to chapels at the aisle ends; all were restored in the 19th and 20th centuries. An early-20th-century rood loft by Sir Ninian Comper is installed.

The chancel contains twenty 14th and 15th-century stalls, all with misericords. Niches flank the chancel altar. Trefoil-headed piscinas stand to the right of the Lady Chapel and south aisle altars. Mid-14th-century floor tiles survive on the chancel steps.

19th and 20th-century stained glass fills the chancel east window, two south chancel windows, Lady Chapel east window, and two south aisle windows. The south chancel windows are by Kempe and Tower.

A 13th-century octagonal font carries cross and fleur-de-lys decoration.

Monuments

A chest tomb in the arch between chancel and Lady Chapel has four-panelled sides with shields. A fine reset brass upon it commemorates Lawrence St. Maur, died 1337, and features an ogee-headed surround with figures and pinnacles.

Other notable brasses include Archbishop Chichele's brother (died 1425) and his wife, with twin ogee-head surrounds, to the right of the Lady Chapel; Archbishop Chichele's father (died 1401) and a foliated cross, in the centre of the Lady Chapel; and William Thorpe, his wife and children (died 1504), alongside.

Three uninscribed brasses occupy the Lady Chapel: two of civilians, circa 1540, and Edith Chancellor, circa 1435 (headless).

Additional brasses commemorate Richard Alley, Warden of College, circa 1500, and a civilian, circa 1500, flanking the chancel altar; Henry Denton, died 1498, in the south aisle east bay; and Thomas Rudd, died 1656, in the north aisle east bay.

Two brass matrices remain in the nave.

Jeabell Foster, died 1796, is commemorated by a marble tablet with urn to the right of the chancel altar, alongside two 19th-century tablets.

The stalls in the chapel were most probably used by Chichele College.