Church of St Clement

Details

TF 84 SW BURNHAM OVERY BURNHAM OVERY TOWN

6/77 Church of St. Clement. 5.6.53.

I

Parish church. C12 Saxon-Norman origins represented by axial tower, made cruciform c.1200 with north and south transepts; presumably rebuilt nave with additional north and south aisles, chancel largely rebuilt in C13, later C15 fenestration, C18 and 1835 restorations. Flint with stone dressings, brick, lead nave and south aisle roofs, tiled tower and chancel. 3 bay nave and south aisle with south porch, north aisle demolished, north transept demolished, south transept incorporated into south aisle, crossing tower, 3 bay chancel. Central axial and later crossing tower has rubble and conglomerate quoins, squared at upper level. Evidence of later heightening since removed. Steeper pitch of C12 roof lines reproduced in C20 restoration with north and south window openings with timber Y tracery windows with lead glazing bars, east and west openings to pre-1200 roof spaces. Early C19 brick battlemented parapet with stone copings, hipped roof with central ogee roofed cupola with weather vane. Nave west front has central 3-light window with c.1835 restoration tracery, 2 west buttresses. South aisle west front west window C15 with c.1835 domestic wooden framed cross window with lead glazing bars, drip mould head, gault brick angle buttress. South aisle south side has one central 3-light and east and west 2-light c.1835 windows with same details in C15 square drip mould heads. 2 brick buttresses. South porch C15 with simple 2 centred porch arch, inner arch C14, continuously chamfered. Nave north side has blocked 3 bay former north arcade of c.1200 with inserted re-used c.1300 north door, central 2-light switch tracery window perhaps C18, renewed C20, north 3 light ogee-head switch tracery window, further blocked arch of c.1200 north transept addition with lancet. Chancel south side has 2 2-light paired lancets, south central priest's door with sound hole with Early English quatrefoil with floriated stops,2 east buttresses,3 fine C13 stepped lancets North side has at east C15 2-light window, central 3-light switch tracery window, and west 2 light ogee headed "Y" tracery window. Interior: Norman evidence confined to axial tower with splayed embrasures to north and south windows and straight sided embrasures to east and west openings into original roof spaces, now in upper chamber of tower, and to filled in arch towards chancel with simple stone imposts. C.1200 plain stone imposts and 2 centred undressed arches to north side of tower, to north side of nave and as east arch of south transept establish sequence of rearrangement from nave with axial tower and chancel to nave and aisles with crossing tower and transepts. Nave south arcade C13 3 bays, with plain west impost, one circular pier with circular abacus capital with stiff leaves, pier to east of quatrefoil section with 4 heads to capital, east half section quatrefoil pier, capital without heads, double hollow chamfered arches. Blocked north arcade with C14 St. Christopher painting. Double framed nave roof C15, 6 bays, battlemented wall plates, arched braced principals with collars and bosses, moulded through and ridge purlins. Crossing blocked with C18 wall having switch tracery fanlight door. Commandment boards above signed by churchwardens dated 1747 and 1748. Stuart Royal Arms above south porch with altered George III monogram. Octagonal font, perhaps C15. Cut down C18 octagonal panelled goblet pulpit. South transept with blocked c.1200 east arch with squint corbel support to rood stairs passage. In tower C15 roof with moulded battlemented wall plates, 2 arch braced half-principals with traceried spandrels, moulded central purlin. Chancel has 2 east lancets with deep reveals with internal shafts with bases, capitals aid arches. South 3 bay arcade c.1300, has circular piers with bases and capitals, double hollow chamfered arches, former south chancel aisle beyond demolished. North side has ogee-headed stone reveals to east and west windows, 2 centred arch reveal to centre. Good C18 ledger slabs.

Listing NGR: TF8430342929

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

416836

Legacy System:

LBS

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.