Church of St Mary

CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1180279
Date first listed:
11-Jan-1955
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET
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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1180279
Date first listed:
11-Jan-1955
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET

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:
CHURCH OF ST MARY, MAIN STREET

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

County:
Leicestershire
District:
Harborough (District Authority)
Parish:
Willoughby Waterleys
National Grid Reference:
SP 57540 92472

Details

WILLOUGHBY WATERLEYS MAIN STREET (East Side) SP59 SE 4/69 Church of St. Mary 11.1.55

GV II* Parish Church. Partly C13, though most of its dateable features are C14, or renewed in a C14 style during thorough restoration work in 1875. Rubble or cobble construction, with leaded nave and aisle roofs and Swithland slate to chancel. Tower however is of coursed and squared rubble. West tower nave and north aisle, chancel. West tower of three stages with plinth and angle buttresses. Paired pointed lights to bell chamber and 2-tier west window, renewed. Embattled parapet. Buttressed south wall with windows renewed in reticulated tracery. The middle window has ball-flower decoration in hoodmould. The chancel is entirely of 1875, steeply roofed with ridge cresting and cross finials to east and west coped gables. Door and 2-light window to south, 3-light east window in C14 style. Small lean-to vestry to north. North aisle is buttressed with small steeply gabled porch enclosing early C14 doorway with double hollow chamfered jambs. Decorated style windows, and a central window originally of the C15, with a stilted hoodmould. Inside late C13 arch to tower, roughly worked with heavy inner chamfer springing from corbels. North arcade of 4 bays, largely C14. Octagonal shafts and abaci support double chamfered arches which have outer hoodmould with label stop heads, but the east and west responds are keeled, and apparently earlier. The arcade does not run up to the east wall of the nave and a small 2 centred archway cuts through the last solid section of wall. Chancel arch of 1875 springs from stumpy corbel shafts. C15 nave roof: moulded tiebeams have central bosses carved as faces and the braces spring from stone corbels forming a series of placid or grotesque heads. Chancel of 1875 with sedilia and piscina in Decorated style. Canted wagon roof. Reredos of 1919, wood with carved figures. The other furnishings both here and in the body of the Church date from the restoration and include encaustic floor tiles, a wood pulpit, pews and screens to west tower and vestry, these in a heavy gothick style. Stained glass: east window may be c1840, replaced. On a geometrically patterned background is superimposed an illustration of the Good Shepherd. Central north nave window has glass of 1913, in a traditional painted style, darkly coloured main figures, but white and yellow angels in the upper lights. C13 font has shallow chamfered round basin on tall cylindrical base.

Listing NGR: SP5754092472

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
191217
Legacy System:
LBS

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 Church of St Mary

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 20-Jul-2026 at 18:36:44.

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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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