St Andrew and St Mary, Grantchester, Cambridgeshire

I Location

Site Location: Grantchester
National Grid Reference: TL 434 555
County: traditional: Cambridgeshire
now: Cambridgeshire
Diocese: medieval: not confirmed
now: Ely
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Andrew and St Mary
Type of building/monument: Parish church

II General Description

: Exterior, general view from SE.

Perpendicular nave with a S aisle of 1877 and N doorway under a porch, and a splendid 14thc. chancel with a N vestry. The W tower is dateable by the heraldry of its windows to the time of Bishop Fordham of Ely (1388–1426). The chancel is ashlar faced, the tower of pebble rendered with mortar and equipped with a stumpy lead spire, the nave of pebble with brick repairs, and limewashed except for the 19thc. S aisle. Into the W end of this, the Victorian builders incorporated a number of 12thc. carved stones, presumably from an earlier church on the site. These are described in Section III.3.d below. The report also describes the plain font.

III Exterior Features

2. Windows

See section III.3.d (iii) below.

3. Exterior Decoration

d. Miscellaneous

: Exterior, S nave, aisle with reset stones.

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stones, general view.

At the far W of the S aisle is a composition made up of 12thc. stones set into the aisle wall. These are treated from top to bottom and L to R. Nos (i) to (xii) are too high to measure without a ladder.

(i) Human head corbel

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stone 1 (human head corbel).

Round head flattened at the top and with big round eyes and open mouth. Hands shown on either side of face. On the R the hand holds a narrow length of tongue, which emerges from the open mouth. The L hand holds an even narrower length which touches the outside corner of the mouth, suggesting that it has been wrapped around the back of the head.

(ii) Human head corbel

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stone 2 (human head corbel).

Oval head flattened at the top and with big round eyes and a closed mouth with heavy lips. Between the nose and the upper lip is a band like a muzzle around the face. Signs of a nailhead diadem. Damage to the chin.

(iii) Reset window

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, window head, reset stone 3.

Plain square jambs and a semicircular monolithic head inscribed with two orders of fictive voussoirs.

(iv) Stone

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stone 4 (with incised cross).

Perhaps originally rectangular showing remains of a cross inscribed in a circle. Possibly part of a gravestone, possibly graffiti.

(v) Stone

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stone 5 (fragment of gravestone with Maltese cross).

Presumed to be part of a gravestone with an edge roll on remaining edges and part of a raised Maltese cross design.

(vi) Stone

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stone 6 (fragment with plait).

Fragment with the end of a raised three-strand plait.

(vii) Stone

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stone 7 (fragment with plait).

Fragment with section of three-strand plait.

(viii)–(xii) Five chevron voussoirs as follows:

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stones 8-12 (chevron voussoirs).

(viii) Centrifugal single roll lateral face chevron with cogwheel edge

(ix) As (viii).

(x) As (viii) but with a lozenge on the angle, possibly point-to-point.

(xi) As (viii).

(xii) As (viii).

(xiii) Section of drip course

: Exterior, S nave, aisle, reset stone 13 (drip-course with plait).