St Mary the Virgin, Sawston, Cambridgeshire

I Location

Site Location: Sawston
National Grid Reference: TL 488 492
County: traditional: Cambridgeshire
now: Cambridgeshire
Diocese: medieval: not confirmed
now: Ely
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Mary the Virgin
Type of building/monument: Parish church

II General Description

: Exterior general view from SE

: Nave, interior view to SW

: Interior, general view to NW

A flint and pebble church consisting of nave and aisles with an aisleless 13thc. chancel and a W tower with a lead spike and an external Sanctus bell. A vestry was added to the S of the tower in the 19thc. The three W bays of both nave arcades date from the later 12thc., while the two E bays are 13thc.

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

c. Nave

Starting from the chancel end and working W, each arcade consists of two mid-13thc. bays with pointed, chamfered arches and moulded capitals. Next comes a heavy square pier, and the 12thc. section of each arcade begins with a respond on the W face of the pier and continues for three bays, terminating with a respond at the W end. Only this W section is described here, but pier numbering relates to the entire arcade.

(i) N arcade

: Nave N arcade, W respond capital

: Nave N arcade, pier 4 capital

: Nave N arcade, pier 3 capital

: Nave N arcade, pier 2, W respond capital

Pier 2, W respond: square pier with coursed nook shafts at angles, supporting plain bell capitals with plain neckings and hollow chamfered imposts.

Pier 3: Octagonal column with low octagonal bell capital. Plain necking, hollow chamfered impost.

Pier 4: Round column with multi-scallop capital, the flutes of the scallops at the angles decorated with rows of beading.

W respond: As Pier 2 W respond. All arches are plain and semicircular.

(ii) S arcade

: Nave S arcade, W respond capital

: Nave S arcade, pier 4 capital

: Nave S arcade, pier 3 capital

: Nave S arcade, pier 2, W respond capital

Pier 2 W respond: Attached half column with bell capital. Plain necking, hollow chamfered impost.

Pier 3: Round column with bell capital. Plain necking, hollow chamfered impost.

Pier 4: As N arcade pier 3.

W respond: Attached half column with multi-scallop capital, pleats between flutes of scallops. Plain necking, chamfered impost. All arches are plain and semicircular.

VII History

In 1086 Pirot held 4 hides from Eudo fitzHubert, the Abbot of Grestain held 2 hides from the Count of Mortain and Roger held 2 hides from Geoffrey de Mandeville.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England. Cambridgeshire, Harmondsworth 1954 (2nd ed. 1970), 452-53.
C. H. Evelyn-White, County Churches: Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. London 1911, 150-52.