Church of St. Mary

Overview

Location

Details

TG 4518 10/22

MARTHAM BLACK STREET (east side) Church of St. Mary

25.9.62

I

Parish church. West tower later C14, nave and aisles mid C15, chancel 1456-69 by Robert Everard (architect of Norwich Cathedral spire), chancel demolished and rebuilt 1855-61 by Philip Boyce when remainder of church also restored. Quaternary and Quarry flint with Lincolnshire Limestone ashlar dressings. Lead roofs. Cinquefoiled flushwork arcading circles church at plinth. Four stage tower supported on stepped angle buttresses, the buttresses with flushwork panels. Double wave moulded west doorway under hood mould. Three-light transomed Perpendicular west window, also under hood mould, extending into second stage. Two-light ringing chamber windows to north, south and west. Two-light belfry windows with punched tracery. Below south window is a clock face. Crenellated parapet conceals short leaded timber spirelet. Two storey gabled south porch with diagonal stepped buttresses. Multiple wave moulded entrance arch with flushwork to left and right. Parvis illuminated through three-light mullioned window flanked by one nodding ogee niche each side. Two-light arched side windows. Moulded inner doorway. Tierceron star vault in porch, the ribs with roll mouldings. C15 south door, carved and with ironwork and wooden lock. Nave buttresses are stepped. Four three-light Perpendicular windows each aisle, of rising supermullion type. Clerestory windows are similar but with shallower arches. Moulded north doorway. Chancel 1855-61. Flushwork plinth course gives way to chequerwork up to sills. Buttresses become bulbous below windows and terminate in gablets. Three two-light Flowing windows to south and two to north. Deeply moulded jambs. On north side a sloping roofed outbuilding. Exuberant five-light east window with rosette designs in tracery head.

Interior. Tall tower arch, moulded. One moulding with suspended shields. Five bay arcade of lozenge piers with continuous casement mouldings sweeping past reduced capitals to east and west. Rolled colonnettes rise from piers to support stone corbels above string course. On corbels rest timber wall posts supporting C19 hammerbeam roof: Pierced arch braces rise to hammerbeams, which in turn terminate in carved angels. Aisle windows are set within wall arcade. C15 octagonal font. Stem has ogeed panels in which are carved relief figures of saints. Bowl panels have scenes of seven Sacraments set below depressed ogee arches. Eighth scene is Last Judgement. Chancel arch has colonnettes rising up to stone angels below foliate corbels. Black marble colonnettes continue to second foliate corbel. Chancel arch is sub-cusped cinquefoiled, not arch-like in appearance. Chancel has dado. Passing through dado are tapering corbels leading into colonnettes between each window. These rise to corbels of roof. Wall arches peel off from colonnettes to frame windows. Monument to Rev. Jonathan Dawson 1861 in form of elaborate Easter sepulchre. Polygonal stone pulpit with cusped arched recesses and much foliate carving. Curving flight of steps lead into it. Simple wrought iron rood screen. Brass to Robert Alen in chancel, 1487: a heart with an inscription.

Listing NGR: TG4549718442

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

227692

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Websites
British Geological Survey, Strategic Stone Study, accessed 12 March 2020 from https://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/buildingStones/StrategicStoneStudy/EH_atlases.html

Legal

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