Church of St Mary

Details

SHREWSBURY

SJ4912NW ST MARY'S PLACE 653-1/11/583 Church of St Mary 10/01/53

GV I

Parish church. Original structure C12 with several phases of additions and alterations in C14. Red and white sandstone with leaded roofs. PLAN: west tower and spire, nave with clerestory and 2 aisles, transept chapels, chancel with south chapel. Original building probably an aisleless cruciform church with crossing tower, and probably transept chapels. EXTERIOR: 4-stage west tower with west door in square chamfered stepped arch with round-arched window over, clock and paired traceried bellchamber lights in upper storey which is an addition in white stone. Embattled parapet with traceried finials, and turret in NE angle. Spire with lucarnes. Shallow roofed Perpendicular north aisle, incoporating lean-to structure of earlier aisle. North porch added in 1897, in flamboyant Decorated style, and north doorway with simple chamfered round arch. Mosaic of glass fragments incorporated in east window, vaulted roof with central boss depicting crucifixion. Outer arch of porch with paired shafts and ball flower decoration, and ogee hoodmould over. Nave clerestory and aisle are coursed and squared white sandstone. Three 3-light Perpendicular windows in aisle, which is divided into bays by buttresses. Continuous plinth and sill band. Clerestory also articulated by buttresses capped by finials, with paired foiled Perpendicular windows. North transept is coursed and squared red sandstone, the West wall a Victorian renewal with paired lancets. Triple window in north wall with clustered banded shafts and sill band. Stair turret in NE angle, and blocked Romanesque window in north wall with shafts with fluted capitals. St Nicholas' chapel projects to east, with Perpendicular window with heavy hoodmould and small 2-light window over, partly cutting reticulated 3-light window of E transept chapel, which is faced in coursed and squared white sandstone, but clearly built over earlier structure of red sandstone. Vestry projects from chancel, added by Paley and Austin in 1884. Chancel c1170. Coursed and squared red sandstone, with triple tiered lancet in north wall, paired lights in clerestory which is an addition in white stone. East wall almost completely filled with 7-light reticulated traceried window, renewed in 1894, and a similar window in east wall of Trinity chapel alongside (chapel added mid C14), though stone work of chapel is much renewed. Ornate Decorated tracery in 4 south windows of Trinity chapel, divided into bays by buttresses with pinnacles. Small door in western bay is Victorian insert in Perpendicular style. St Anne's Chapel forms south transept, c1170. Coursed and squared red sandstone, with triple Early English window with banded shafts, and small Romanesque doorway with chevron decoration to archway. Panelled door is dated 1672. South aisle contemporary with north aisle, and similarly constructed and detailed with the earlier coursed and squared red sandstone raised in white stone. South porch with stair turret in east angle cutting the 2-light window over. Existing porch incorporates earlier structure of c1200, the roofline of which is visible in the south wall, and the main archway belongs with this early porch, a round arch with chevron decoration and chamfered mouldings to clustered shafts. INTERIOR: west tower with ornate traceried screen in Early English arch to nave with cylindrical responds with foliate capitals. Frieze band at level of springing of arch continues across west wall. Screen has paired ogivally-arched doors. Royal arms over. Nave arcade of 4 bays. Round-arched arcade carried on clustered shafts with foliate capitals. Paired 2-light clerestory windows over are C14 additions. Panelled roof with ornate quatrefoil panels with pendants, and angels carved on the principal cambered tie beams. Scar of earlier roof line visible in west wall. Wide Decorated chancel arch. Exposed stone walls reveal phasing of construction in north aisle wall: rough rubble in lower section with coursed and squared rubble over. Steep impression of former porch gable visible over north-west doorway. Encaustic floor tiles throughout. Romanesque arch to north transept which has suspended panelled and painted ceiling with pendants, and Gothick traceried memorial panels on west and north walls. Monument by John Carline, 1825-30. Deep embrasure for altar forms tiny separate chapel with hidden upper room. Clustered shafts as responds to east transept arch giving access to small chancel chapel: St Catherine's chapel, containing arched tomb embrasure in north wall, incised alabaster slab portraying 2 figures, and medieval encaustic tiled floor. These 2 chapels are balanced on the south by St Anne's chapel, refurbished with C20 screens and suspended ceiling, and the later Trinity Chapel, added in the C14, enlarging an earlier lean-to chapel, the profile of which is visible in the west wall. Recumbent effigy of Simon de Leburn, reputed founder of the chapel. Altar with traceried panelled reredos incorporating mosaic-like figures of angels etc. Painted low relief panels of Crucifixion etc on altar frontal. Sedilia incorporates alabaster carvings, not in situ. Early English arches to chancel on north and south, and wide Early English arches to transepts. Chancel has encaustic tiled floor and tripartite lancet window in north wall with advanced shafts. Remains of C12 sedilia visible in south wall. Traceried reredos with gilded and painted panels, altar with riddle posts capped by angels. Various C18 memorial stones on walls, including memorial to Mary Morrell by Thomas Farnolls Pritchard. Organ by Binns to north. Panelled Perpendicular roof with gilded bosses. Vestry to north of chancel with Mannerist timber panelling to corner fireplace incorporating painted scene of Shrewsbury in round-arched panels. STAINED GLASS: north aisle: C15 glass representing scenes from the New Testament and the lives of the saints, largely from Treves cathedral. Glass of similar style in St Catherine's chapel. Trinity Chapel: east window, 1846, a copy of painting by Murillo by David Evans. The window also incorporates fragments of earlier glass assembled as a collage. C15 glass in south wall from Liege, with 2 replacement windows by Betton and Evans. Chancel: Jesse window to east, 1327-1353 but restored, from Greyfriars, Shrewsbury. Scenes from the life of St Bernard in north wall. South aisle: from Liege and Treves, mostly early C16 acquired in 1845, including scenes from the Life of St Bernard and St Martin of Tours. Vestry: series of C16 and C17 Flemish roundels portraying scenes from Old Testament. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Shropshire: Harmondsworth: 1958-).

Listing NGR: SJ4933312598

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

458063

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Shropshire, (1958)

End of official list entry