Church of St Mary

Details

TL 7174
12/35

MILDENHALL,
THE CHURCHYARD,
Church of St. Mary

07.05.54

I

Church, medieval. Nave, chancel, west tower, north and south aisles, north
and south porches, north vestry. Flint rubble with limestone dressings; some
sections built entirely of freestone. Low-pitched leaded roofs with parapets
and parapet gables, except for chancel roof (slated). Vestry early C13, with
rib-vaulted ceiling, lancets in north and triple lancet in west wall; further
good features in south and east walls. Fine chancel arch, heavily moulded with
keeled shafts, tooth ornament and stiff-leaf capitals. The chancel was
extended early C14, perhaps for Richard de Wichford (d.1344) - see his tomb
slab in floor. 3-light side windows and fine 7-light east window, the outer
lights continuing up as a frieze of quatrefoils. Double piscina with moulded
ogee-arched head and shafts with foliate capitals. Triple sedilia and trefoil-
headed aumbry. The east chancel corner buttresses are linked at their heads to
form canopied image niches. Nave, aisles, porches and tower were all rebuilt
early/mid C15. 5-bay nave arcade with large clerestory windows, fine roof of
arch-braced tie-beams and queen posts, all enriched and infilled with tracery.
Intermediate trusses have hammer beams in the form of angels, which also
embellish cornices and tie-beams. The north aisle roof is exceptionally fine:
massive angel hammer beams with richly figure-carved spandrels, cornices and
wall posts. The south aisle roof is similar but has traceried spandrels. North
aisle walling has buttresses with canopied niches, flushwork, and panelled and
traceried parapets with pinnacles. Large north porch with fan-vaulted ceiling
and Lady Chapel above, which has two large openings looking down into aisle.
Traceried north door, the doorway is surrounded by fine panelled tracery.
External features similar to north aisle. Smaller 1-storey south porch. Tower
about 40 metres high; the set-back buttresses have pinnacles at alternate
stages. Large west window above west doorway and flanking niches. A minstrel's
gallery within the tower is supported on a fine fan-vaulted ceiling, with an
inner arch towards the nave and traceried stone balustrading. Early C15
panelled octagonal Purbeck marble font. The medieval rood-screen had two lofts;
everything except the stairs and three doorways has gone; the present ornate
screen was added 1903. Several windows in chancel and vestry have good
fragments of C13 and C14 glass. A cenotaph to Sir Henry Barton, Lord Mayor of
London 1416 and 1428, stands in the south aisle. In the south aisle also is
the alabaster tomb chest of Sir Henry North (d.1620) with effigies of him and
his family; nearby are wall tablets to Roger North, d.1651 and Thomasina North,
d.1661. Beside the chancel arch is a wall tablet to the wife of Sir Henry North
(d.1671) with morbid epitaph by the bereaved husband. In the chancel are wall
tablets to Sir Henry (d.1617) and Edward Warner, and to Mary Warner (d.1601). A
number of floor slabs throughout the church, the earlier examples have indents
for brasses; see article by Peter Heseltine, Trans. Monumental Brass Society.
A floor slab in the vestry to William Coe (diarist), d.1729. Two good C18 wall
tablets; in south aisle to Henry Bunbury (d.1722) and in chancel to Revd. John
Hunt (d.1736). In the tower is a large panel with Arms of George II, dated
1758.

Listing NGR: TL7102674598

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

275844

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Church Guide for The Church of St Mary Mildenhall, (1979)
Munro Cautley, H, Suffolk Churches and their Treasures, (1937)
Transactions of the Monumental Brass Society in Transactions of the Monumental Brass Society, ()

End of official list entry

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