Church Of St Mary

NY 56 SE BURTHOLME LANERCOST

31/50 Church of St Mary (previously listed as Lanercost Priory - The Nave)

1.4.57 I

Parish church, formerly nave of Lanercost Priory. Early C13 with C18 alterations. Calciferous and red sandstone from the nearby Roman Wall, graduated green slate roof. 8-bay nave and north aisle. Chamfered plinth, string courses, buttresses and dentilled moulded cornice. West entrance has pointed arch of 4 engaged columns and mouldings; arcade of engaged columns above with trefoil heads; large 3-light west window of pointed arches and engaged slender columns; flanking stepped buttresses; niche above with C13 carved stone figure of St Mary and flanking coats of arms of Sir Thomas Dacre. North aisle and clerestory lancet windows with hood moulds. South wall has blocked doorways to cloisters. East window was built in 1740 to separate ruined choir from the restored nave. Interior: north aisle arcade of pointed arches on octagonal columns. Clerestory arcades on clustered circular columns with pointed arches and dogtooth decoration. Barrel vaulted wooden ceiling was built in 1740 and repaired 1848-9. East window contains fragments of heraldic stained glass of 1559 for Sir Thomas Dacre from the nearby Dacre Hall. 2 Burne-Jones design stained glass windows in north aisle. Bronze plaque by Sir E. Boehm and Burne-Jones to Charles Howard, 1879. Serpentine and bronze plaques to members of the Howard family. Brass inscription from tomb of Sir Thomas Dacre. Blocked north entrance has remains of priory cross of 1214 (remains in grounds listed separately). Wooden bread cupboard with carved date 1707. C20 wooden steps to scriptorium. After the Dissolution the building was left in ruins until in 1739-40 the nave was reroofed as the parish church. See John R. H. Moorman, Lanercost Priory, 1983. Adjoining remains of the priory are listed separately.

Listing NGR: NY5558763726