Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

TM 25 NW
8/104

OTLEY
CHURCH ROAD (West side)
Church of St. Mary the Virgin

16/3/66

GV
II*
Church. C15 and C16. Flint rubble and knapped flint with ashlar dressings
and a plain tiled roof. West tower, nave with south aisle, chancel and
south western and north western porches. Tower: Early C15 west face:
diagonal buttresses with panels of flushwork to their outer faces which die
back by 4 offsets. Projecting plinth that dies back via an offset and has
an arcade of trefoil headed niches, now blank but probably formerly
containing flushwork. Panels containing shields at either side of the door
which has a richly moulded surround with colonnettes and casement, ogee and
keel mouldings. Late C15 door with much replaced work of C19 or C20 date
showing figures of saints to the central stile and hinge stiles raised on
image stools and with crocketed pinnacles above in relief (somewhat similar
to the door within the Seckford porch at Great Bealings). Ashlar spandrels
to the door surrounds with floral motifs. Shields and floral bosses below
the first stage window which is of 3 lights with trefoil heads and panel
tracery. Single light window above this with cinquefoil head and band
which rises to form a hood mould. Further band at the level of the sill of
the belfry opening which is of renewed ashlar, following the original form
and has 2 trefoil-headed lights with a quatrefoil to the apex. Brick
string course below the parapet which is of C16 brick and battlemented.
The south face is blank below the belfry opening (similar) but has a canted
staircase turret at right which dies back at the level of the sill of the
belfry and has ashlar quoins to the corners. North face: blank below
belfry opening (similar) but has a circular metal clock face below the
belfry stage with gilded hands. Nave: knapped flint walling (perhaps of
C19) save at right where the walling is partially replaced by brick.
Gabled projecting porch at far right with diagonal buttresses, central
archway with chamfered surround and hoodmould and facing of knapped flint.
To left of this are two 3-light windows with cinquefoil heads and panel
tracery (C19 replacements incorporating fragments of the earlier windows).
Above these are 4 two-light clerestory windows with trefoil heads and brick
voussoirs. Central buttress to the clerestory which is cut back to its
lower body and does not appear at the lower level. West face: almost
entirely obscured by the tower save for the south aisle window which is of
3 Perpendicular lights with panel tracery (a C19 replacement). South face:
projecting porch to left bay with diagonal buttresses having flushwork and
some brick patching. Central doorway with broad chamfer showing suspended
shields in relief. Canopied niche above and shallow-pitched gable above
that. Three bays at right of this with yellow-brick buttresses. Windows
of 3 lights with ogee cinquefoil heads and panel tracery. Clerestory of 9
windows each having 2 lights with trefoil heads and brick voussoirs.
Chancel: (of lesser height and width) south face: buttress at right of
centre with offsets and to left of this is a priest's door with chamfered
ashlar surround. To left of this a 3-light Perpendicular window with
cinquefoil heads and panel tracery, similar to those of the aisle windows.
North face: vestry doorway at left. Slightly recessed and at right of this
are three lancet lights set in rubble walling with trefoil heads.
Octagonal chimney with offsets above. East end: 3-light windows with
reticulated tracery and to right of this the vestry window is of two lights
with Y-tracery (perhaps reset).

Interior: Aisle arcade of 4 bays. Columns of quatrefoil section with
fillets to the inner angles and centre of each colonnette. Moulded bases
and capitals and ogee and chamfered mouldings to the arches. Moulded ribs
to the aisle roof and arched braces rising from short wall posts which
terminate in shields to the south side and stone corbels to the arcade
side. Nave roof is of 4 1/2 bays the western ½-bay canted inwards due to the
diagonal buttresses. Hammer beams which take the form of the bodies of
angels which have lost their wings and heads and in 4 cases have square tie
rods drilled through them. The hammerbeams are supported by wall posts
which also terminate in angels which have lost their heads and wings and
are connected to the hammerbeams by arched braces. Further, lengthy arched
braces connect to the brattished and cambered collars from which rise short
kingposts. Moulded ridgebeam and 2 sets of purlins. Richly moulded
cornice with 2 rows of brattishing. Tower arch has semi-octagonal piers at
either side with moulded bases and caps and chamfered and painted
Perpendicular arch. Chancel arch of C14 date with semi-octagonal piers
with moulded caps and cut-back bases. Chancel roof of 3 1/2 bays with trusses
of late C17 or c.1840 (Pevsner) which have short hammerbeams resting on
wallposts with arch braces. Scrolled arch braces connect with the collars
and above these are further scrolled braces. Octagonal font on a square
base with lions to the corners and recessed panels to the bowl showing
angels bearing shieldes and defaced lions. Octagonal C17 pulpit of wood
with three tiers of rich panelling on a C19 plinth. Lower body of a rood
screen dividing the nave from the chancel. Two arched Perpendicular panels
at either side divided by buttresses. Wall monument to John Gosnold in the
chancel of c.1628. Aedicular surround with black marble columns at either
side of rectangular tablet. Broken pediment above with coat of arms and
further coat of arms to apron. Several medieval bench ends and fragments
of benches. Pevsner records an immersion font in the vestry, probably of
C17 date, not seen at resurvey.

Sources: Nikolaus Pevsner, Buildings of England: Suffolk, 1975
H. Munro Cautley, Suffolk Churches, 1954


Listing NGR: TM2040354943

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

286517

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Munro Cautley, H, Suffolk Churches and their Treasures, (1937)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Suffolk, (1974)

End of official list entry

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