Redundant Church of St Mary

Details

MUNDON VICARAGE LANE TL 80 SE 2/66 Redundant Church of 11.53 St. Mary ­ I

Former parish church, now vested in the Redundant Churches Fund. C14 and later. Nave of plastered rubble, Chancel of red brick, partly plastered, belfry timber-framed, plastered with some exposed framing, partly weatherboarded. N porch timber-framed. Roofs of handmade red clay tiles. Nave of uncertain date, but the earliest detail is C14. Chancel rebuilt above the plinth in C18. Belfry c.1500. N porch c.1600. The Chancel has an early C18 E window of 3 lights with a semi-circular head; the oak frame and wrought iron grill are original; pintles indicate the former presence of a casement. In the N wall is a similar window of 2 lights and a doorway with segmental arch. The wallplates are dentilled and moulded, with 2 plain tiebeams. The ceiling is plastered in 5 cants. The Nave has in the N wall a C14 window of 2 lights with moulded jambs, 2-centred arch and label, and Y-tracery; the mullion is restored. Further W is the late C14 N doorway, with double hollow-chamfered jambs and segmental arch with a moulded label and headstops; the jambs, arch and label are carved with rosettes and square flowers. The modern door retains one original or early strap-hinge and a later foiled scutcheon-plate. The E end of the N wall is of plastered brick. At the E end of the S wall is an early C16 brick archway with chamfered jambs and 4-centred arch, now blocked, but formerly opening into a chapel; the surrounding wall is of red brick, plastered. Above it is a C19 window. Further W is an early C16 brick window of two 4-centred lights in a 4-centred head with a moulded label. The S doorway is C18, with plain jambs and lintel, blocked. In the W wall is a doorway of c.1500 with jambs and 4-centred arch chamfered in 2 orders on the E, plain-chamfered on the W. Above it is an opening with chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head. The roof of the nave is in 3 bays, of crownpost construction, plastered to the soffits of the rafters and collars. There are 3 plain tiebeams and 3 crownposts; the E crownpost is C15, octagonal with 4-way arched braces; the others are C16, plain with axial bracing. The belfry, of c.1500, has 4 posts in the middle forming a square, and round it is a semi-octagonal aisle. Solid braces form 4-centred arches to E and W, closely matching the shape of the W doorway of the nave. Halved saltire braces at the second stage are straight on the W side, slightly arched on the other 3 sides. Straight raking struts to the posts terminate in groundsills to N, W and S. There is an unglazed window to N and S, with restored diamond mullions and sliding shutters. The floor of the bell-chamber is of lodged plain joists of horizontal section with a framed bellway (severed on one side), without boards. The bell-frame for one bell is original, with saltire bracing; bell missing, reported to be in the possession of Latchingdon parish church. The N porch, c.1600, is in 2 bays. The outer doorway has moulded jambs and a moulded Tudor arch with spiral-leaf carving in the spandrels on both sides, and a moulded tiebeam. A projecting gable has a moulded tiebeam and bargeboards, restored finial, roll-moulded studs with inset boarding, moulded octagonal pendants, and carved hanging brackets similar to the spandrels of the doorway. On each side are 4 moulded mullions. The roof is of butt-purlin construction, with moulded wallplates, principal rafters, collars and ridge (partly missing), and roll-moulded rafters. It is illustrated in C.A. Hewett, Church Carpentry, a study based on Essex examples, 1982, 61. In the floor is an indent for figures of a man, 2 wives, inscription plate, and 2 groups of children, early C16. The fittings of the nave include an C18 plain octagonal pulpit and a complete set of 18 box pews. On the walls of the Chancel are C18 painted Commandments, Creed and Lord's Prayer. On the walls of the Nave are C18 painted texts, decayed. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TL8797302655

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

117405

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Hewett, C A, Church Carpentry A Study Based on Essex Examples, (1982), 61

End of official list entry

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