Church of St Margaret

Details

TG 0443 CLEY NEXT THE SEA CLEY GREEN, NEWGATE

9/18 Church of St. Margaret 4.10.60 I

Parish church, C14 and C15. Flint with stone dressings, grey corrugated tiles. North-west tower, nave, north and south aisles, ruined north and south transepts, chancel, north, south and west porches. South facade: eleven C14 clerestorey windows of cusped 'Y' tracery alternating with larged cusped cinquefoils, a single lancet at either end, large figure pinacles to gable bases, large crosses to gable apices, that to west renewed. Mid C15 south aisle with flush work parapet, 4 4-light windows having panel tracery and octofoil at apex under pointed segmental heads, similar window to west, coped angle buttress to south-west with trefoil headed niches, buttresses between windows of facade. 2 storeyed south porch to 2nd bay, 2 bays deep, ashlared golden limestone, vaulted upper niches to angle buttresses, plinth frieze of alternate shields and roses; Perpendicular porch arch with continuous order of shields and roses, the shields with arms of benefactors, 2nd order arch with flower ornament to front and rear above polygonal shafts, blank tracery in spandrels with shields showing enblems of Holy Trinity and the Passion, benefactors arms outside including those of Anne of Bohemia, died 1394. 2 3-light openings under pointed segmental heads and having stepped embattled transoms, figure heads to hood moulds; large vaulted niche between having round shafts and canted traceried canopy; sundial above. Flamboyant fretwork parapet above flush work frieze of quatrefoils; polygonal stair turret to north-west with similar parapet. 2-light unglazed openings to returns of 1st bay of porch having tracery as in aisle windows. Porch Interior: floor rises towards doorway, stone benches, groined tierceron vaulting with bosses springing from round attached columns. Ogee arch to C14 doorway with lion head stops, inner trefoil headed order, each foil cusped. Thick marble threshold with indents for brass shields and scrolls, not a reused tomb. Roofless south transept: stepped angle buttresses of stone dressed knapped flint having coped gables and niches. Square crocketted pinacles at angles with gabled panels to sides; crocketted south gable having broken cross at apex. 4-light opening to south with Geometric tracery of 2 large quatrefoils in circles below a lozenge with 4 cusped quatrefoils; 3-light openings to east and west walls, ogee headed lights to east, reticulated to west. East window of aisle as transept east window. Blocked east window to nave above string course of former chancel roof. Slate roof to low chancel, priests door and 3 'Y' tracery windows to south wall, that to east renewed; 5-light Perpendicular east window having panel tracery under segmental head imposed on blocked earlier lancets. Stepped buttresses at angles. North facade: one 'Y' tracery window to chancel; ruined north transept having part walls, with no details, only. Clerestorey and north aisle windows as south; parapet to clerestorey with elaborate panel and quatrefoil flushwork. Small north porch with slate roof; pointed segmental arch having continuous mouldings to 1st and 3rd orders, round shafts to 2nd. Cusped 2-light unglazed openings under square heads to returns. North doorway with continuous mouldings. 3 stage north-west tower with angle buttresses and embattled parapet, small stair turret to north-east, lancets to 1st stage, 2 blocked to west, narrow slit windows to west, one to north, 2-light cusped ogee headed bell openings, tracery lost to west. Large 6-light Perpendicular west nave window, the panel tracery renewed, transomed lights. West porch rebuilt 191l, coursed pebble flint, angle buttresses, embattled parapet with crocketted finials at angles. C14 west doorway having deep mouldings, outer order with large roses having angel head at apex, round shafts, inner order with cusped cinquefoil head, crocketted hood mould with crowned figure stops. C14 door with Decorated foliage to strap hinges; part of Purbeck marble stoup. Interior: Nave roof of c.1970, boarded, arched braced collars with fretwork above alternate collars in Decorated style; C15 roofs to aisles having fret- work spandrels to arch braces. C14 6 bay north and south arcades having octagonal piers and moulded arches; large varied figure corbels within spandrels to south showing traces of colour, panelled corbels to north spandrels with vaulted crocketted canopies above. Figure and foliage central stops to arch mouldings to aisles. Floor partly paved with C15 12" marble slabs. Chancel arch with polygonal shafts, ovolo mouldings between hollow chamfered mouldings. Wide cinquefoil headed piscina with hollow chamfered arch, C17 altar with strapwork frieze, top renewed and enlarged; 6 stalls of 1530s with misericords showing merchants mark (John Greneway) with JG impaling the Grocers' company. Pulpit dated 1611 having two slender turned columns to angles between panels having renaissance arches. 24 C15 benchends with animals and grotesques, many poppy heads incorporating figures. C15 octagonal seven sacrament font. Fragments of stained glass in north chancel, series of female saints in tracery panels in south aisle, c.1460. Slender shafts to rear arch of west doorway. C15 west gable cross now in south aisle. North of font achievement board of Charles 1, altered for Queen Anne. Large monumental brass 1512 to John Symonds and wife Agnes in shrouds, and separate named children; good group of 6 sons c.1460 - both south aisle; various C16 brass inscriptions and figures.

Listing NGR: TG0485043130

Legacy

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