Details
TM 13 NW TATTINGSTONE CHURCH ROAD (SOUTH
4/106 SIDE)
22.2.55 Church of St Mary
GV II*
Parish Church. C14 nave, C15 chancel, C15 north and C14 south porch, C14 west
tower. C19 and earlier repairs and restorations, east wall of west tower rebuilt
with brick and C20 restorations to south and west walls. Flint, rubble and red
brick, some plaster and flint flushwork. Red plain tiled roofs. Chancel:-
Legacies of 1458 and 1459 were left for the building of the chancel and
sanctuary. East wall, mainly of rubble with brick repair to gable apex. Corner
buttresses, plinth carries through north and south walls. East window, restored,
of 5 cinquefoiled ogee lights, tracery over, moulded 2-centred arch, label with
lion mask stops. North and south walls each with 2 three-light windows,
graduated transoms, moulded segmental heads and labels, buttresses between
windows. Chamfered pointed segmental headed doorway, C19 board door to east of
south wall buttress. Nave:- There are three windows to the south wall with the
gabled south porch between the westernmost windows. Of 2 trefoiled ogee lights
with quatrefoils over, chamfered 2-centred heads and labels, the eastern window
is taller and wider, all C19/C20 restored. The north wall has a similar western
window and an eastern window of 2 chamfered lights, 2-centred head and label;
buttresses to angles. North porch:- Gabled with cross to apex. Blocked niche
with moulded 2-centred head and label above doorway, moulded 2-centred arch, the
inner order resting on shafts with moulded capitals and bases. Side windows of 2
cinquefoiled lights, 2-centred-heads and labels. Stone and flint flushwork
panels to plinth, buttresses to outer angles. South porch:- Plastered, stone
coping to gable. Moulded 2-centred arch and label over to outer doorway.
Panelled oak door. Circa 1911 for Rev C Elliot at a cost of £57 including
ceiling, floor and east window of 2 lights, 4-centred head and label. West
tower, crenellated, of 3 stages with buttresses to east wall issuing through roof
of nave. Stepped angle buttresses to west wall. Band below bell chamber.
Moulded plinth with stone and flint diapering carrying through to western
buttresses. Each face of the bell chamber has a louvred window of 2 cinquefoiled
ogee lights, quatrefoils over, 2-centred heads and labels. West face, small,
blocked round headed light to second stage. First stage window of 3 trefoiled
lights, quatrefoils over, chamfered 2-centred head and label. The tower has been
much restored and repaired. Interior:- North porch, square red brick floor, 7
cant roof. Remains of stoup in south west corner. Fragments of old glass in
west window depicting the star of the De Vere's, Earls of Oxford. North doorway,
2-centred arch and label with stylised head stops. Chancel, boarded 7 cant roof,
bosses to moulded ribs, moulded and crenellated wall plates. south wall piscina,
chamfered Tudor arch, drain covered. C19 coloured tiles to sanctuary lfoor. C19
iron and wood altar rails. C19 stained glass to windows. A pair of wall
monuments flank the east window, each with centre arch, moulded base with coat of
arms under, pilasters with crocketed pinnacles and carved head bases. Wall
monument by Flaxman, black marble base with flag and anchor, in front of which is
a white marble seated female figure in flowing robes, to Rear-Admiral Western
1814 and his wife Mary 1856. Organ by Bevington and Sons, London, to commemorate
the jubilee of Queen Victoria, 1887. 1914-18 and 1939-45 war memorials to south
wall. 2 floor slabs C18/C19 to Grant and Elliot families. No chancel arch.
Nave:- double hammerbeam roof of 4 ½ bays, moulded wall plates. The carved heads
are said to have been destroyed C17 by the Parliamentarian, William Dowsing and
were restored during the 1930's. Worn C18 floor slab and 2 C19 floor slabs to
Bell & Western families. C19/C20 stained glass to windows, most from the firm of
Clayton and Bell. C19 and C20 wall monuments. C19 carved wood octagonal pulpit,
stone base. C19 pews with carved front panels, poppyheads, panelled backs. C13
octagonal font with lancet panels, C19 stem and bases and wooden cover. Said to
be a piscina in the south wall, hidden by the pulpit. Buttresses to the west
tower project into the nave, there is no tower arch. Said to be 5 bells, 3 by
John Darbie of Ipswich 1661, 1 by Thomas Mears, Whitechapel, 1795, the 5th
inscribed "Ransomes and Sims Made Me, 1853," possibly the only bell in England
cast by this firm. N Pevsner Suffolk 1974. James Lowe, Rector. St Mary's
Church, Tattingstone 1979.
Listing NGR: TM1360437143
