Details
HINDERCLAY RICKINGHALL ROAD (NORTH
TM 07 NW
EAST SIDE)
1/45 Church of St. Mary
15.11.54
-- I
Wrongly shown on O.S. map as School Road. Parish church. c.1200, chancel
rebuilt and south porch added C14, altered and tower added C15. Restored
1842, 1852, 1871, 1881 and 1897. Flint rubble with ashlar and red brick
dressings, part cement rendered, some knapped flint. Steeply pitched slate
roofs. Small nave with separately roofed south aisle, south porch, chancel,
west tower. 3 stage C15 square tower: chequerwork plinth with moulded
offsets, to west a Y traceried 2-light pointed arched window, second stage
louvred slit opening, string course to belfry with large tall square headed
traceried openings, 2 ogee headed lights, mask stopped hoodmoulds, transoms to
lower chequerwork panels with cusped ogee headed tracery, no chequerwork to
east; 3 stage diagonal buttresses rise 2 stages, straight buttresses to east,
embattled flushwork parapet with traceried initialed panels, gargoyles to
north and south, to south a canted stair turret with 2 slit openings, to north
an angled projection to east buttress. Line of earlier taller roof is visible
on tower to east. Nave to north has an original blocked entrance to west of
centre, a slightly pointed arch, double chamfered with semi-octagonal
responds, simply moulded impost blocks. Towards west a 2-light window with
cusped ogee headed lights, 4-centred arched head, hoodmould, towards east a
narrower similar 2-light window with a depressed arched head, a buttress and 2
restored windows of 2 and 3-lights, cusped ogee headed lights, square heads
with hoodmoulds, 2 stage buttress to north east. Nave to east has moulded
kneelers to coped gable parapet. South aisle has two 3-light C15 windows,
cusped arched headed lights in square heads, hoodmoulds, towards west a
chamfered pointed arched entrance with an early strap hinged door in C14
timber south porch: outer chamfered pointed arch, renewed brick base to
returns, renewed boarded sides with fragments of original cusped traceried
openings, inside coved wallplates, arched braced tie beam. Aisle to west has
a 2 stage diagonal brick buttress and a 2-light window with a 4-centred arched
head, cusped lights, rectilinear tracery, hoodmould, lower part blocked,
parapet rebuilt in red brick, a gargoyle in angle between aisle and tower
stair turret. Aisle to east has a 3-light square headed window, cusped ogee
headed lights, hoodmould, coped gable parapet. Chancel has 3-light C14
pointed arched east window with reticulated tracery, hoodmould, moulded
kneelers to coped gable parapet with ridge cross, unbuttressed, scratch dial
on quoin to south east; to south a low side door in a hollow chamfered pointed
arch with a stopped hoodmould, flanking 2-light C14 pointed arched windows
with reticulated tracery, that to west a transomed low side window; to north a
2-light pointed arched window with cusped Y tracery, hoodmould. Interior: C14
pointed chancel arch, hollow and wave moulded, semi-octagonal responds with
moulded caps; sharply pointed C15 tower arch, outer chamfers with middle
hollow mould, semi-octagonal responds with moulded caps and bases. Original
nave arcade of 4 bays, double hollow moulded pointed arches on short round
piers with ring moulded abaci. Roofs ceiled, south aisle with a moulded
wallplate. South aisle west window has a simply moulded rear arch, chancel
windows have hollow moulded rear arches. In tower a splayed pointed arched
entrance to stair turret. In chancel to south a restored C14 angle piscina,
shafts with moulded caps and bases, cusped arched openings, quatrefoil bowl,
dropped sill sedilia to adjacent window. In nave north east angle remnant of
rood loft. Early C17 poppyhead ended benches, one dated 1617 with initials
'RL.TC' and JSF.SK', varying diamond shaped terminals, some restored, 2
benchbacks have lozenge patterning. In south aisle 3 large late C18 and early
C19 box pews with raised fielded panelling, a ramped up side. Nave to east has
mid C19 seating, early C19 semi-octagonal panelled pulpit. Chancel screen is
C19 reincorporating five OS traceried panels to each side, fielded panelled
dado, cornice is a reused OS moulded beam. Plain octagonal font in nave,
rebuilt stem. Mid C19 panelled Gothic screen to vestry in south aisle,
similar screen to tower. Painted Royal Arms of George III in tower arch.
Chancel north wall memorial to G. Thompson, d.1711, inscribed slate tablet,
ashlar surround, flanking putti, seraphs below cornice, arms in a cartouche
with garlands, below base 2 seraphs with a heart. Fragments of early glass in
chancel east window and nave north windows. South aisle stained glass 1975 by
R. Rutherford.
Listing NGR: TM0271176835
