Church Of St Mary

ST74SW 6/234 11.3.68

WITHAM FRIARY CP Church of St Mary, (previously listed as Priory Church of St Mary)

GV I

Parish Church. Circa 1200 in Transitional style altered 1828, rebuilt and extended 1875 by William White in Muscular Gothic. 3-bay nave and continuous one bay apsidal chancel, of local limestone rubble, supported on each side by 4 massive flying buttresses; combined pent roofed porch and vestry across West end; tall Western ashlar bellcote surmounting steeply pitched plain tile roof. Semi-circular headed windows to North and South sides of c1200 except that in West bay, all of 1875; blocked sanctus window on South side of chancel. Bulls eye West window of 3-light. Early English East window again of 1875. Plastered interior entered through Norman style doorway has stone vaulted roof of 4-bays springing from octagonal corbels, comprising chamfered transverse ribs and diagonal ribs intersecting at an apex forming a quadripartite pattern, Western 2-bays of the restoration. Nave contains Perpendicular upper and lower; entrances to rood; scraped octagonal font of c1450. Jacobean pulpit containing medieval work; royal arms of 1660 at West end. Chancel has double piscina with Carnaervon heads; reredos of 1875; Jacobean chair. Fragmentary medieval glass in North windows, that in South by Sir Ninian Comper.

Listing NGR: ST7440241103