Church of St Mary

Details

BUCKLAND BUCKLAND PARK SU39NW Church of St. Mary 2/53 21/11/66 GV I

Church. Early C12 nave; Early English (c.1240) transepts, tower and chancel; church rebuilt c.1240 in Early English style with late C18 windows. Coursed limestone rubble, limestone ashlar walling; stone slate roofs, except lead to nave and chancel; limestone ashlar stack. Cruciform plan with central tower. 4-light east window with triple chamfered architrave and chamfered mullions running straight to top; corner buttresses; similar 3-light windows to 4-bay south wall of chancel; 3 similar windows to north wall of chancel which has a single storey vestry of c.1880 adjoining a 2-storey organ turret which has a 3-light window similar to the east window set over a moulded string course, and an octagonal chimney. The south transept has similar 3-light windows to each wall. The similar north transept has an east doorway with chamfered architrave, a sundial dated 1707 and a datestone (1787) in the gable wall. The tower over the crossing has two Early English lancets to each wall. The north wall of the nave has a lean-to of c.1880, having two plain doorways with pointed arch and a 2-light window with pointed arches. The early C12 north doorway has a hood mould with saltire crosses and two orders of shafts with scalloped capitals. Two early C12 lancets, similar taller south doorway has original studded door with broad crescent hinges. The C13 south porch rebuilt with statue of Virgin Mary in 1890. Stair turret at junction of nave with south transept has one Early English doorway with chamfered architrave and 3 small lancets. South wall of nave has one early C15 three-light window, with carved heads to hood mould terminals; also an early C12 lancet and a sundial dated 1741. Nave and tower have crenellated parapet. Gabled roofs, except lean-to roofs over late C19 vestry and addition to nave. Interior: Stained glass of east window by Henry Holiday (1919), other stained glass in chancel is late C19; 5 early C14 heraldic shields reset in wood frames beneath south windows. High altar and reredos by H.S. Rogers, 1924. Piscina in south wall has alabaster carving depicting the Adoration of the Shepherds, part of a C17 Italian reredos (Pevsner); the piscina adjoins 3 stepped sedilia. Unusual triangular niche in north wall made for William Hollcot, a lay preacher who died in 1570 and requested in his will for his heart to be buried in this casket. Also in north wall is an early C14 tomb recess in Decorated style with ballflower ornament etc. In the north wall opposite is a fine late C13 tomb recess. Fine early C15 four-bay king-post roof with arch braces from corbels to tie beam; large foliate roof bosses and heraldic shields on cornice. Late C19 benches. All four triple chamfered arches in the crossing, with foliate capitals, were inserted in 1890. The walls of the south transept are decorated with brilliantly coloured mosaics, by Powell's and dedicated by William West of Barcote Manor to his wife who died in 1888; stained glass, fine carved benches, mosaic floor and roof with star spangled decoration on a blue background were also part of the same scheme of decoration. North transept has a piscina and also the jambs of early C13 lancets with original coloured decoration in the west wall and north-west and north-east corners. Three C17 funeral helmets on east wall. Elaborate black and white marble tomb of Sir Edward Yate and his daughter d.1648 has a black marble inscription panel with a strapwork and garlanded border; white marble inscription with some detailing, the whole framed by a Corinthian aedicule with a segmental pediment broken by a heraldic crest. Memorial to Sir John Yate, d.1658, has black inscription tablet framed by black marble Ionic columns; between the white marble consoles is a garlanded predella and the memorial is surmounted by a scrolled broken pediment with heraldic crest, Brass to John Yate d.1578 and his wife. with heraldic shields in the 4 corners and their sons and daughters depicted below. On the floor is a C14 marble slab with the matrix of an elaborate cross and border inscription. C13-C14 iron-bound chest. C17 two-bay roof has 3 collar trusses with butt purlins. Nave has mid C18 box pews, an early C14 octagonal font with quatrefoils and blind window tracery in alternate panels; Jacobean hexagonal pulpit with Ionic pilasters at angles and unusual rusticated arches carved in perspective; Jacobean balustrade to tower gallery has keyed arches and turned balusters; memorial to Elizabeth Perfect, d.1802 by Coade and Seely, features a weeping putto beside an urn. Graded I for medieval wall paintings and other fittings. (Buildings of England: Berkshire, pp.103-5; V.C.H.i Berkshire, pp.458-60: H.T. Morley, Monumental Brasses of Berkshire, 1924, p.61).

Listing NGR: SU3426598205

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

250882

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Berkshire, (1975), 103-5
Ditchfield, P H, Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Berkshire, (1924), 458-60
Morley, HT, Monumental Brasses of Berkshire, (1924), 61

End of official list entry

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