Parish Church of St Mary and St Andrew

Details

TL 4648 WHITTLESFORD CHURCH LANE 10/314 Parish Church of 22.11.67 St Mary and St Andrew GV I Parish Church. C12 tower and nave. Chancel rebuilt in C13 and nave walls heightened. C14 rebuilding with south aisle enclosing south wall of tower, and porch built by Henry Cyprian, windows inserted into north and west nave walls. C15 south chapel and south aisle windows; belfry and lead spire. Restored 1875, 1882, roofs restored 1905, and 1922. Walls of flint and pebble rubble originally plastered till 1902, with Barnack limestone and limestone and clunch dressings with brick repairs. Plain tiled and leaded roofs. South elevation: Nave with steeply pitched roof and parapet gable with cross finial; pent roof to aisle of three original bays extended to the east as chapel beyond resited C13 priest's doorway of moulded two-centred arched orders. Three three-light traceried windows in two-centred arches with labels. Tower of three stages with reused C12 chevron decorated stone and C12 relief carving above round arched second stage window; moulded cornice with gargoles at angles and between, plastered embattled parapet with two flint panels. (Belfry stair turret on north side C15). South porch with wooden arched entry, cambered tie beams with carved heads at apex and quarter round moulding to arched braces, cornice inscribed 'Henricus Ciprian me fecit' rebuilding in C18 gault and red brick. Chancel with C19 embattled parapet, three-light window similar to chapel with C14 doorway with square head and spandrels partly covered by chapel wall. North wall with blocked C13 lancet lights and weathering of earlier roof. Lead spire possible C19 replacement. Interior: Nave arcade of three bays early C14 of two chamfered orders with moulded caps and flat moulded bases, arch to south aisle from tower of similar date with chamfered bases and graffiti cut into clunch. Tower arches to nave and chancel C15 with continuous outer order, moulded two-centred arch on responds with moulded caps and bases; archway to chancel stilted. C12 round arched window above archway. Belfry door C15, chancel priest's door possible C14. Two bay C15 arcade to chapel with keeled and hollow chamfered double ogee moulded arches with attached columns to responds and with moulded caps and bases. Roofs; restored nave roof scissor-braced collar-rafter roof with C20 tie beams. South aisle and chancel roofs C20. Restored C15 screen between chancel and south chapel. Poppy head stalls and restored C15 seating in nave. Font C13 plain square bowl on five round supporting columns C15 sedilia and C14 niche in chancel. Church wardens chest early C15. Alabaster fragments from Medieval altar piece in display case in nave. Monuments: In chancel; to Maria Dood 1690 black marble plaque with acanthus border and cornice, swags of fruit cartouche of arms above; limestone plaque to E.P.Aylett Moore M.C. d. 1918; black marble slab to Thomas Thurnall MD CCC XVIII also Sarah his wife, Elizabeth Maria and Wm Henry Thurnall her husband; bronze to W.E. Dixon d. 1931 Reader in Pharmacology 1919-1931 V of C; black slate with limestone cinque foiled arch with side finials by Whitehead of Royston to Sara Eliza daughter of Henry and Mary Thurnall 1835, and her brothers; black marble plaque to Martha Don 1661; In chapel, four C18 plaques: In belfry; black marble with white marble plaque to Elizabeth Thurnall 1828 and Wm 1942 and their son d. 1811. In nave; large cartouche with oval plaque and small cartouche of arms above to Wm Westley of Cambridge d. 1723. Four painted boards with The Credo and Pater Nostra. The relief sculpture of a sheela-na-gig is noteworthy. VCH.Vol VI Whittlesford.

Listing NGR: TL4737748577

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

53133

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Salzman, L F, The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, (1978)

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.