Church of St Mary

Details

TM 23 SW ERWARTON THE STREET

6/11 Church of St Mary

22/2/55 GV I

Parish church. Probably C15 chancel which was shortened circa 1782. According to Whites Directory of Suffolk 'Rebuilt 1837'. C15 nave with clerestory, C15 north and south aisles, north porch and west tower. Mainly septaria, random flint and ashlar, with red brick repairs, plastered south wall to south aisle. Chancel roof of grey slate, nave and aisles roofs not visible above parapets, possibly lead. Chancel: Buttresses to eastern angles. C19 east window of 4 cinquefoil lights, wheel tracery over, chamfered 2-centred head, label with king and queen stops. Plaque beneath window relates 'This Chapel rebuilt and Church repaired 1838'. North wall window of 2 trefoiled lights, trefoils and quatrefoil over. Parapet verge and band of stone and red brick continues through north and south aisles. Nave: Parapet verge and band continue through returns. 6 clerestory windows each to north and south walls, of 2 trefoiled lights, moulded 4-centred heads and labels. South Aisle: Buttressed at angles. One window each to east and west walls, 2 to south wall, all of 3 trefoiled ogee lights, vertical tracery over, moulded 4-centred heads and labels. Blocked doorway to south west corner, moulded 2-centred head and label. North Aisle: buttressed at angles and between windows. 4 windows similar to those in south aisle. North porch, buttressed at northern angles. Stone parapet verge and band, hollow chamfered 2-centred arch of 4 orders, square head, carved Tudor roses to spandrels. West Tower: Red brick repairs to third stage and parapet. Of 3 stages, buttressed at angles, stone bands to each stage, moulded bands to plinth. Angled stair turret to second stage of south east corner with 3 square- headed lights and one trefoiled light in a square head. The repaired bell chamber with 2 tie-plates to north and south faces and 4 tie-plates to east and west faces, each face with a restored or repaired 2-light window, those to south and west with fragments of the original windows, 2-cinquefoiled lights, tracery over, 4-centred heads, those to east and north, short Y-tracery, 2-centred heads, all partially blocked. North, south and west faces of second stage each with a small trefoiled light under a square head and label. West window of 3 cinquefoiled lights above and below centre transom, vertical tracery over, segmental head, label carries through as band. West doorway, moulded 2-centred arch, moulded square head and label, crowned lion stops, carved angel above apex, shields of arms to spandrels. Double-nailed vertically-boarded doors, each with strap hinges. Interior: North Porch: Moulded side purlin ridge board roof of 2 bays, moulded arched braces to moulded collars, moulded wall plates, moulded wall posts and brackets. Red square tiled floor. Chamfered niche with pointed head to north west corner. North doorway, moulded 2-centre arch and label. Gothic panelled door. Chancel: Roof of 3 bays, moulded side purlins, ridge board and principal rafters. Moulded and crenellated wall plates, 4 bosses to ridge board. Wall posts with moulded bases and crenellated capitals to attached shafts, arched braces to principal rafters. No reredos. Diagonal red and yellow tiled floors throughout with some red tiles set square. Five C17 and C18 floor slabs to Parker and Cornwallis families. Altar rails C19, wrought-iron posts with scrollwork, moulded wood top rail. No piscina. Chamfered 2-centred chancel arch of 3 orders resting on attached polygonal shafts with contin- uous moulded capitals and bases. Nave: Roof of 6 cambered bays, moulded side purlins, ridge board and wall plates. Wall posts on stone corbels with attached shafts, moulded capitals and bases, arched braces to cambered tie-beams. Diagonal red and yellow tiled floor. Black marble floor slab: Dorothy Gandy, wife of Sir Philip Parker 1638, coat of arms. Poppyhead pews, foliate carved ends. C15 stone octagonal font, bowl with carved lions and angels alternating with Tudor roses in sunk panels, carved roses to soffit, 4 lions against the stem with buttresses between, 2 square base slabs with chamfered corners. C17 wooden chest, 3 carved arcaded panels with continuous arcading above, moulded angles, lid of 3 panels. North and south arcades of 3 bays, hollow chamfered 2-centred arches, attached shafts to east and west of each column with moulded capitals and bases. Simple 4-centred heads to clerestory windows. West tower arch, tall and similar to arcade arches. North Aisle: Lean-to roof of 6 bays, moulded centre purlin and rafters, moulded wall plates. Floor slab by north doorway: Penelope, wife of Thomas Cornwallis 1693. Wall monument, Sir Philip Parker, 1736, inscription tablet with scrolled sides to base, broken pediment, carved and painted coat of arms with bearers and crest, painted frame. Floor slab with brass, inscription, Katherine, Lady Cornwallis, 1636. North wall, said to be Isabel Bacon, Daughter of Sir Bartholomew Daviller circa 1300, effigy of a lady praying, head on pillow, wearing a gown and wimple lying on a chest tomb with cusped and crocketed pediment, canopy over, side pinnacles with finials, depressed arch. To the east of the aisle, attached to the 1912 organ is a copy of a drawing of Queen Anne Boleyn by Holbein, the note under relating 'That after her execution in the Tower of London, 19 May 1536, it was recorded that her heart was buried in this church by her Uncle, Sir Philip Parker of Erwarton Hall. A casket was discovered in 1837 and placed in the Cornwallis family vault beneath the organ'. South Aisle: Roof of 6 bays, moulded tie-beams and centre purlins, moulded and carved wall plates with date 1650 to south wall. Pulpit, C19/C20, octagonal with traceried panels, crenellated soffit with pendants, trefoiled panels with spandrels to stem. Coats of arms to pulpit panels. Traceried panels to steps, crenellated soffit. Low cill to east wall window. Niche to south east corner, moulded and crocketed trefoiled ogee arch, crow stepped head. Two 1915 stained glass memorial windows to south east corner. Black marble floor slab: Sir Philip Parker and family, 1740. Below the south east window said to be fragment of monument to Sir Philip Calthorpe, d.1549, of 4 panels, moulded base, 5 fluted colonnettes, entablature, blank shields to panels, black marble shelf, crested arms over. Not in situ below this monument is a floor slab with indents of a man in armour with ? crested helm, shield below. A much worn floor slab? Parker 1723. Between the south wall windows a monument, said to be circa 1400 of Sir Bartholomew Bacon, d.1391 and Joan, his wife d.1435, canopy cusped and crocketed pediment, side pinnacles with finials, depressed arch, the effigies of a knight and lady undergoing restoration elsewhere at time of resurvey. Also in the south wall to west of the west window is a monument, the effigy of a cross-legged knight wearing chain mail, his feet resting on a lion, his head on a pillow, holding a shield of arms and sword, said to be Sir Bartholomew Daviller, resting on a later chest tomb, five front panels with shields in quatrefoils, chamfered 4-centred arch over. There are wall brasses: Black letter brass, Philip Parker. Lady Katherine Hanmer 1747. Lady Dowager Martha Chedworth 1773. Dame Martha Parker Long 1758. Sir Philip Parker 1740. Mrs Elizabeth Plunkett 1757. Wall tablet, Frederick Philip Forster Wood, killed in action, Kandahar, Afghanistan, 1880. North door, vertically boarded with edge moulding.

Listing NGR: TM2208334670

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

277430

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Whites Directory in Suffolk, ()

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