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I Location

II General Description

St Mary's has a seven-bay aisled nave with arcades of c.1200, a 13thc. S chapel, and a 15thc. clerestorey. The chancel is 13thc. and the tower 14thc. with an octagonal ashlar spire. Construction is of roughly coursed stone. The nave has N and S doorways, the S giving access to a hexagonal meeting room, built in 1985 and extended in 1999, while the N, under a 14thc. porch, is an elaborate composition contemporary with the nave arcades.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) N nave doorway

Pointed, three orders with tympanum.

First order on half-shafts in the door jambs, with stiff-leaf capitals with roll neckings and chamfered imposts with free-standing dogtooth on the chamfer. These support a plain chamfered lintel with a plain tympanum. The second order has detached en-delit nook-shafts with annulets. Capitals and imposts as first order. In the arch, an angle roll, then on face and soffit a row of parallelogram lozenges, both inclined the same way, like directional chevron but lacking any chevrons. The third order supports are similar to those of the second order, but between and behind the nook-shafts of the second and third orders is another shaft with capital and annulet, and these three shafts on either side are linked together by their capitals and their annulets. In the arch of the third order is free-standing directional chevron, a single row covering face and soffit, folded over an angle roll. Outside this is a row of free-standing dogtooth on a chamfer, then at a distance, is a plain chamfered label.

Dimensions

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

c. Nave

(i) N arcade

Of seven bays. All piers are circular and of coursed ashlar with hollow-chamfered bases. The capitals are cross-shaped in plan, and their imposts are hollow chamfered with an angle roll between face and chamfer. Arches are pointed and of two orders, both with keeled angle rolls. There is a chamfered label with a groove on the face. Capitals are described below:

E respond: Multi-scallop (four per main face) with wedges between the scallops, and the shield emphasised by a nebuly groove. Chamfered necking. Looks modern or recut.

Pier 1: Multi-scallop (three per main face) with the scallops sheathed and keeled. Rolls in the inner angles of the cross-shaped capital. Chamfered necking.

Pier 2: Multi-scallop (four per main face) with wedges between the scallops. Chamfered necking.

Pier 3: Triple scallop, the central scallop wider and, on one face, its shield notched. Wedges between the scallops, which are slightly keeled, and a groove to emphasise the shield. Chamfered necking.

Pier 4: Basically four scallops per face with double wedges between, but the angle scallops are squared off. Chamfered necking.

Pier 5: Zig-zag scallops, two-three per face, the shields emphasised by a groove and keeled rolls between the scallops. Chamfered necking.

Pier 6: As pier 3, but without the groove on the shields. Chamfered necking. W respond: Double scallop with wedges between the scallops. Chamfered necking.

(ii) S arcade

Of seven bays and identical in form to the N, except for the individual capitals.

E respond: Quadruple scallop with wedges between the scallops. The main face is a replacement. Roll necking.

Pier 1: Triple scallop with triangular prisms between scallops and shields emphasised by a groove. Roll necking.

Pier 2: Quadruple scallop with wedges between the scallops. The W face is a replacement and has shields emphasised by a groove. Chamfered necking.

Pier 3: Quadruple scallop with wedges between the scallops. The W face has shields emphasised by a groove. Chamfered necking.

Pier 4: Triple scallop with wedges between the scallops. Chamfered necking.

Pier 5: Triple scallop with wedges between the scallops and shields emphasised by a groove. Chamfered necking.

Pier 6: As 5.

W respond: As E respond.

VII History

A church of St Mary existed in 1109, but the present building dates from the time of Bishop Eustace (1198–1220).

VIII Comments/Opinions

The N doorway and arcades belong to Bishop Eustace's campaign. Stylistically the S arcade comes first, then the N with its greater variety of scallop forms and finally the doorway with stiff-leaf and dogtooth.

IX Bibliography