Church of St Mary Magdalene

CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH HILL

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1278252
Date first listed:
07-Dec-1966
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary Magdalene
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH HILL
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Location

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Date:
2002-05-28
Reference:
IOE01/06847/26
Rights:
© Mr Gordon Dunmore. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II*
List Entry Number:
1278252
Date first listed:
07-Dec-1966
Date of most recent amendment:
21-Sept-1983
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary Magdalene
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE, CHURCH HILL

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 MAGDALENE, CHURCH HILL

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

County:
Suffolk
District:
East Suffolk (District Authority)
Parish:
Sternfield
National Grid Reference:
TM 39095 61594

Details

TM 36 SE STERNFIELD CHURCH HILL (east side)

2/120 Church of St. Mary 7.12.66 Magdalene (formerly listed as Church of St. Mary)

GV II*

Parish church. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, north vestry. Mainly random flint with stone dressings, some brickwork to nave; roofs of nave, chancel and porch of plaintiles with crest tiles. Early C15 tower: square, unbuttressed, crenellated parapet; 2 string courses to bell-chamber stage, the one immediately below the parapet with some carved heads; 2-light semi-circular headed bell-chamber openings; west face with one 2-light window (fragments of medieval glass) and one single-light window with square hood mould; below lower window is a carved stone shield bearing the de la Pole arms. Nave probably C14: south wall with one late C19 3-light window in Perpendicular style, north wall with 2 2-light C15 windows with square hood moulds (one window largely original), blocked doorway. C14 porch: moulded entrance arch on semi-circular responds, empty trefoil-headed niche above; 2-light side openings with circular shafts and shouldered lintols; nave doorway with plank door and holy water stoup to right hand side. Chancel rebuilt in 1764, considerably restored 1877: new windows, re-fashioned Priest's doorway, vestry added to north on site of C14 chapel; good C14 piscina with ballflower ornament set in north chancel external wall. Nave with 4-bay single hammerbeam roof, probably largely C19, the hammerbeams with pointed ends and pendant bosses; chancel roof of 1877, 3 bays, arch-braced construction; also of 1877 are the chancel arch, pulpit, organ chamber, nave benches, tiles and much glass. North chancel wall retains trefoil-headed 2-light window of the former chapel; north nave wall with blocked entrance to rood loft stairs; blocked sanctus bell window above tower arch. C14 octagonal font with quatrefoil to each face; some benches in chancel with re-used C15 traceried ends with carved arm rests; reredos painting by Benjamin West entitled 'The Blind Restored to Sight'; 2 plain marble tablets on south chancel wall to Rev. Montagu North (d.1779) and Elizabeth North his wife (d.1774). Graded II* for surviving medieval work, notably porch and tower.

Listing NGR: TM3909561594

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:
406251
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 Magdalene

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 14-Jun-2026 at 05:17:15.

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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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