Details
TF 63 SE SNETTISHAM OLD CHURCH ROAD
4/47 Church of St. Mary.
5.6.53.
- I
Parish church. All late C14 Decorated, perhaps the best example of the style
in Norfolk, possibly connected with the grant of the Manor by Edward III to
John of Gaunt. Flint with stone dressings, lead roofs, stone spire. Originally
cruciform, chancel demolished by Sir Wymond Carye before c.1600, north transept
reduced 1597. Restored 1856 by Frederick Preedy, architect. Nave with west
gallilee porch, clerestorey, north and south aisles, crossing tower with spire,
south transept. Tripartite west front of nave gable and lean-to aisles,
central tripartite porch, knapped flint with stone dressings, 3 buttressed
Decorated piers with continuous chamfers supporting 3 stone ribbed vaults
terminated against west wall of church with keel mouldings. Seat against
wall, C19 west door. Slated chamber above with 2 lancets. Fine 6-light west
window with complex pattern of Reticulation and flowing mouchettes. 2 flanking
buttressed turrets with square faced set off buttresses at corners, expanded
above as octagonal turrets, on south with internal staircase, on north with
4 corbelled squinch arches, both with battlemented collars at base of crowning
conical turrets. 2 3-light aisle west windows, on south with 3 trefoils,
on north with 4-leaf petal pattern with trefoil above. This pattern repeated
alternately in the 4 3-light windows of the 5 bay north and south aisles,
both buttressed, with north and south doors in second bay from west.
Clerestorey of 10 bays alternately almost round headed arched 2-light windows
and circular windows with 3 segmental hexafoils. Tracery on south side largely
C19 recutting. Stone parapet to nave roof. South transept, 3 bays with 5-
light south window with angle set-off buttresses and 2 C14 spout-heads, east
side has one 2-light, one 3-light and one blocked window, west side one blocked
window and 2 external memorial tablets. Chancel demolished, line visible
and north east angle standing. Mid C19 window inserted in former east arch
of crossing. North transept replaced by additional north transept bay with
2-light "Y" tracery window on east and 3-light intersected tracery window
on south set in knapped and galletted flint wall, presumably re-used windows
rather than marking an earlier beginning to the fabric; date stone and
inscription "John Cremer and Thomas Banyard, church wardens weare ye townmen
of Snettisham. Thys ille (aisle?) did repair Anno Do 1595". Fine central
tower and spire, with earlier roof lines visible, deep sill set off above.
Square faced buttresses at corners. Each face with tripartite partly blank
partly open tracery divisions, on west face with 2 outer arches with trefoil
heads, centre open with 2-light trefoil headed belfry window. On north, south
and west sides blank tracery panels continued into lower stage as, 4 blank
tracery panels with trefoils enclosing triangular heads. Set off buttresses
inbetween. Set off buttresses at angles terminated above parapet with
octagonal sections with spirelets and flying buttresses springing to spire
with 2 ranks of gabled dormer windows, last rebuilt 1895, 175 feet in height.
Interior: 5 bay north and south nave arcades with composite piers having
4 main shafts with 4 thin filleted shafts and 5 hollows, tall arches with
stone seats at bases. Crossing arches with half piers, arches corresponding
with those of nave. Aisles with tranverse half arches at east. 10 bay double
framed nave roof partly rebuilt 1899 with arched braces and collars. C15
stone font with moulded capitals and abaci connecting with supports. C15
pulpit, largely late C19 restoration. Chancel furniture as 1939-1945 memorial,
by Cecil Howard of South Walsham. Monuments: south aisle, woman of c.1560,
a palimpsest of c.1500; north aisle John Cremer, churchwarden and family ob.
1610. North transept classical monument to Sir Wymond Carye obit 1612,
recumbent alabaster effigy under cofferred arch with 2 columns, strapwork
cartouche above, original iron railings to base. South transept with vaults
and mausoleum of Styleman family of Snettisham Old Hall and Hunstanton Hall;
monuments from 1680 to 1803, on 1807 signed Richard Cooke. Stained glass:
west window by Willian Warrington 1846; south aisle west window by Michael
O'Connor 1861; south aisle window by transept: Frederick Preedy (1858); north
aisle window by transept perhaps Preedy (1861). See McAlpine, St. Mary
Snettisham,(nd. np, c,1910), Harding, Snettisham,(1982). .
Listing NGR: TF6904834281
