Details
BURGATE
TM 07 NE
1/1 Church of St. Mary
29.7.55
_ II*
Parish church. Mid to late C14, south porch added and refenestrated C15.
Nave restored 1864-5, chancel restored 1872 all by R.M. Phipson. Flint
rubble, ashlar dressings, some cement rendering. Stone tiled nave roof, Welsh
slate-chancel roof. A long church with west tower and south porch, chancel
raised in C19 to form a continuous steeply pitched roof. Square 3-stage west
tower: plinth, string course below a restored west window with cusped tracery,
above and to returns are quatrefoils in circles, 3 stage diagonal buttresses.
String course to belfry with Y traceried openings, above a frieze with open
flanked by flushwork quatrefoils, string course to embattled parapet. Nave to
south has 3 Perpendicular windows over a string course, 3 ogee headed lights
each, 2 stage end buttresses. Rendered south porch to west of centre: outer
heavily moulded pointed arch, semi octagonal responds with capitals and bases,
2 stage diagonal buttresses, shallow gabled parapet. Returns have plinth,
blocked windows, that to east with Perpendicular tracery, string courses to
parapets. Inner entrance arch is continuously moulded with an outer filleted
shaft, hoodmould, above an empty brick niche, stoup to east. Nave to north
has a blocked entrance opposite porch, continuously moulded pointed arch,
flanking C14 2-light windows with curvilinear tracery, mask stopped hood
moulds, towards east a 3-light Perpendicular window as to south, 3 two stage
buttresses. Chancel: large C19 4-light east window, kneelers to coped gable
parapet with ridge cross, 2 stage diagonal buttresses, to south two C19 3-
light windows flanking a low continuously moulded pointed entrance arch,
largely rendered to north with a C19 2-light window. Interior: tall pointed
tower arch, inner chamfer and outer wave mouldings to semi-octagonal responds
with moulded capitals. C19 crown post roof, arched braces with heavy cusped
drops in place of chancel arch, ornate stiff leaf corbels. Restored rear
arches to nave windows, moulded band at sill level raised over entrances.
Rood stairs to north with a 4 centred arched headed doorway. Chancel: to
north a blocked doorway with a moulded arch, to south a C14 piscina, formerly
crocketed, finialed arch with Burgate arms in spandrels, a C19 piscina in nave
to south. Late C14 octagonal font on a double plinth with a dedicatory
inscription, stem has 4 lions, seraphs and rosettes to bowl with Evangelist
symbols, angels and Burgate arms. Square early C17 pulpit with 2 arched
panelled sides, strapwork above, bracketed reading board. Plain medieval
chest in chancel with traces of early painted decoration. C19 fittings
include tower screen, organ to west, screen across nave, poppyhead bench ends,
communion rails and reredos. Flanking tower arch are C18 round headed Credo
and Lord's Prayer Boards. Royal Arms of George II dated 1735 over nave north
door. Central in chancel a large chest tomb to Sir W. Burgate, d.1409, and
wife: ashlar with Purbeck marble capping with large brass effigies in ogee
headed canopies, inscribed around edge of capping. 11 x 4 sides of ogee
headed niches, crocketed and finialed with small buttresses, shields of arms
and winged hearts opposite alternate with empty figural niches. 1927 War
Memorial altar in chancel. Fragments of early glass at head of nave north
window. (Suffolk Archaeology, Vol.l, 1853, p.208).
Listing NGR: TM0824275599
This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 21 August 2017.
