Details
This List entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 02/08/2017
TL 51 SW, 3/18
SHEERING,
CHURCH LANE
Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin
(formerly listed as Church of S Mary the Virgin)
20.02.67
GV
I
Parish church, late C13 to late C14, extended in C20. Flint rubble with some
Roman brick, dressings of stone and clunch, and quoins of Roman brick at NW
angle of nave only. Nave roofed with lead, chancel and vestry with handmade red
clay tiles. Consists of chancel, late C14, nave, S porch and N vestry with
chamber over, C14, W tower late C13, repaired with brickwork in C16, N aisle
(and general restoration) 1901-04.
The E window is of five cinquefoiled lights with
vertical tracery in a 2-centred head, restored, with late C14 glass representing
eight of the orders of angels with their names beneath, and a coronation of the
virgin with two censing angels. In the N wall of the chancel, opening into the N
vestry, a doorway with moulded jambs and 2-centred head; the jambs have attached
shafts with moulded capitals and bases; the moulded label has carved head-stops;
the rear arch is 3-centred and hollow-chamfered. The door is present, of plain
battens with a narrow panel of carved quatrefoils, restored. Above is a
trefoiled piercing with a circular label, and a kneeling recess on the N. side.
In the S wall two windows of two and three cinquefoiled lights respectively
under 2-centred arches with fragments of C14 glass in square heads. Between them a
doorway with jambs of two chamfered orders and a restored head. The triple
chancel arch is C20. The N. vestry was originally of two storeys, comprising a
priests' lodging with view of the altar from the kneeling recess in the upper
storey; the floor is missing. The upper N window has one cinquefoiled light and
tracery in a square head with 3-centred rear arch restored internally and three iron
hooks for a shutter. The lower E window, restored, retains a wrought iron
casement and 4-centred rear arch. The N wall of the nave has a C20 arcade. The
S wall has an embattled parapet, plastered. The two S windows are mostly C20.
Between them the S doorway has moulded jambs and 2-centred arch in a square
head; the jambs have each two attached shafts with moulded capitals and moulded
octagonal bases; the moulded label has C20 head stops; the spandrels enclose
tracery and shields. The door is divided into five vertical panels by chamfered
fillets, with two long strap hinges and late C14 stock-lock. E of the door is a
stoop and W of it a painted consecration cross, red with flowered ends within a
circle, C14 (reported replaced by replica following fire 2010). In the W wall is a C13 arcade of three bays the middle bay forming the
tower-arch, the others forming recesses; the piers are chamfered with broached
and moulded stops and moulded abaci; the S respond of the S recess has a moulded
capital of earlier date; the arches are 2-centred and chamfered; the middle arch
is of two orders, the inner order with two moulded imposts. The tower is square,
in three storeys, with a C16 brick embattled parapet. The ground storey has on three
sides an arched recess similar to the tower-arch; in the W wall is a lancet
window, restored externally. The second storey has a similar W window. The
third storey (the bell chamber) has in each wall a late C14 window of two
quatrefoiled lights and a depressed quatrefoil under a semi-circular arch,
variously restored. A stair of solid oak treads rises from the ground to the
first floor, enclosed by a partition of oak framing infilled with wide elm
boards, with an elm door hung on strap hinges. The S porch has an outer
2-centred arch with moulded responds, each with three attached shafts with restored
capitals and bases. In the E wall there is a trefoiled window under a square
head, partly restored.
The nave roof is C14, of gambrel form supported on king
posts and queen posts with upper knees on moulded tie beams. The chancel roof is
C16, of side purlin form with wind bracing of flattened 4-centred curvature
(Hewett 1982, p.127). In the chancel there is a floor slab to Margaret, wife of
Richard Sayer with shield of arms, 1705, and in the nave a brass to Robert
Hurste, 1583, and Anne his wife, 1573, inscription only. There are four bells, the
first and third by Miles Graye, 1619, the second probably by William Wightman,
1682, the fourth probably Richard Keene, 1702. Over the S door is hung the
royal coat of arms dated 1785.
Listing NGR: TL5085213616
