Parish Church of St Mary the Less

PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE LESS

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1127104
Date first listed:
19-Aug-1959
List Entry Name:
Parish Church of St Mary the Less
Statutory Address:
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE LESS
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Date:
2003-05-26
Reference:
IOE01/05166/01
Rights:
© Mr Bruce Knight. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1127104
Date first listed:
19-Aug-1959
Date of most recent amendment:
25-Apr-1984
List Entry Name:
Parish Church of St Mary the Less
Statutory Address 1:
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE LESS

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE LESS

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Cambridgeshire
District:
East Cambridgeshire (District Authority)
Parish:
Westley Waterless
National Grid Reference:
TL 61792 56222

Details

TL 65 NW WESTLEY WATERLESS

6/171 Parish Church of 19.8.59 St Mary the Less (formerly listed as Church of St Mary)

II*

Parish church; chancel early C13, nave and aisles C14, west gable wall rebuilt c.1855 after collapse of C12 round tower. Chancel reroofed C19. Flint, brick and rubble walls originally plastered; clunch and Barnack limestone dressings. Slate and plain tile roofs. Wooden spirelet with lead covering and iron cross. Nave of three bays, arcades with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders, octagonal piers with octagonal capitals moulded on four faces, chancel arch similar but with grotesques on capitals. Windows of north and south aisles foiled-two-lights in two-centred arches with fragments of C14 glass and Flemish glass. East window of three-lights; C13 lancet window and C14 ogee-crocketed-niche in south wall of chancel. Aisles and chancel with foiled piscinae. C14 stone effigy in south aisle. Brass floor monument to Sir John de Crete and his wife c.1325, noteworthy for being one of the earliest, possibly by Walter le Masun. Font C13, octagonal with lightly carved panels. Three tomb covers C13 fixed to west wall. Graffiti inscription on east reveal of easterly south aisle window records in C14 arabic the produce of the church vines. Small C19 pipe organ originally from Reach Congregational Chapel. Pevsner, Buildings of England, p.478 VCH, Vol. VI, p.180. R.K.M. Davies, The Parish Church of Westley Waterless, 1970. RCHM (Cambs. Notes, 1951).

Listing NGR: TL6179256222

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
49249
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Salzman, L F, The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, (1978), 180
Davies, R K M, The Parish Church of Westley Waterless, (1970)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Cambridgeshire, (1970), 478

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Parish Church of St Mary the Less

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 23-Jun-2026 at 05:48:59.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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