Description

WEST WALTON SCHOOL ROAD
TF 41 SE
2/72 Church of St. Mary
11.8.51
G.V. I
Parish church, c.1240-50, altered C15, restored 1907. Barnack stone with
some brick. Nave, aisles and chancel. At west end 2 massive buttresses
interrupt blind arcading to left and right of door at site of original
polygonal turret buttresses. Buttresses are stepped reusing plinth courses
of a different, unidentified, building. 2 tiers of undercut arches survive
of polygonal turrets standing on shafts with stiff-leaf capitals. Doorway
of 2 undercut arches standing on central trumeau in form of shaft with capital.
Undercut round arch encloses these subsidiary arches with jambs decorated
by 5 orders of shafts. These shafts, like the trumeau, with restored
stiff-leaf capitals. In the main arch dog tooth, fleuron and billet mouldings.
Dog tooth jambs to west window which is 5-light C15 replacement with cusped
lights under segmental arch. Similar 5-light west windows to aisles. Angle
buttresses to aisles west and east, stepped to flanks. 2 2-light south aisle
windows west of south porch of C14 date with mouchette tracery under hoods
on label stops. 2 C15 3-light cusped windows east of porch under basket arches
and in eastern bay a 2-light bar tracery window : this of c.1240-50
contemporary with bar tracery of Westminster Abbey. One order of shafts with
stiff-leaf capitals and waterholding bases. Lights are arched and without
capitals and support encircled quatrefoil with pierced spandrels below undercut
moulded arch. Hood mould terminates on head stops. To right of this window
a priest's door, now mutilated. Stiff-leaf capitals survive below, deeply
undercut moulded arch with hood mould on head stops. Gabled south porch with
arched entrance flanked by turret buttresses, the buttresses with arched blind
arcade on columns with moulded capitals and waterholding bases. Set-off below
polygonal turrets also with blind arcading below plain conical finials.
Entrance arch with 3 orders of shafts with moulded capitals and waterholding
bases further decorated by dog tooth between shafts. Undercut arch also with
a single order of dog tooth and dog tooth hood mould. Above is C16 stepped
brick gable. Interior of porch has blind arched arcade to flanking walls
also on columns with moulded capitals and bases. Arched inner door on 4
orders of shafts with stiff-leaf capitals and very elaborate arch mouldings.
To right and left of door one further blind arch. South clerestory in form
of continuous arcade of arches on corbels with each third arch pierced with
a lancent (8 lancets). Above is eaves line corbel table. North clerestory
has all arches blocked to facilitate raising of aisle roof. Chancel supported
by 2 stepped buttresses north and south but originally aisled. Lines of 2
pointed arches remain to each side, the western arch on the north hidden by
C19 lean-to extension housing organ. Arched south priest's door within square
surround. 3-light intersecting east chancel window of 1907. Aisle east
windows C15, of 5 lights below depressed arch. North aisle buttressing
irregular. 4 3-light C15 windows under segmental arches. North door with
deeply undercut moulded arch supported on 4 orders of shafts carrying stiff
left capitals. To right and left a further blind arch also with shafts with
stiff-leaf capitals. Above doorway 2 punched quartrefoils. Interior. 6
bay arcade of circular piers each with 4 free standing annulated Purbeck
marble shafts on waterholding bases. Magnificent stiff-leaf capitals support
undercut moulded arches. String course runs below clerestory which has blind
arcade on shafts with moulded capitals and bases. To south each second arch
pierced by lancent, on north all lancets blocked. Remains of wall paintings
in clerestory arches in form of wall hangings with various decorative and
figurative devices. In spandrels of arcade arches C18 painted roundels
depicting the 10 tribes of Israel. West window retains jambs of paired shafts
and dog tooth decoration. Chancel arch as nave arches but on responds with
7 annulated free standing shafts, those to north and south of purbeck marble,
remainder of Barnack stone. Above chancel arch 3 shafts set into gable wall.
Late C15 nave roof of hammerbeams and tie beams, 2 hammerbeams to each tie.
Hammerbeams in form of carved figures bearing instruments of passion on
shields. These hammerbeams and tie beams on moulded arched braces and wall
posts. Further moulded arched braces rise to moulded principals and one tier
moulded butt purlins and ridge piece. Late C15 south aisle roof of moulded
principals on arched braces and 2 tiers moulded butt purlins. Plain north
aisle roof of C18 : principals on arched braces and 3 tiers butt purlins.
Interior of south-east aisle window with 2 orders of shafts in jambs carrying
stiff-leaf capitals, those to east reduced to facilitate priest's door. In
undercut arch mouldings one order of fleurons and one of dog tooth. C15
octagonal font with arched panels to stem and bowl with large pointed
quatrefoils in square panels. Chancel with 2 arches to each side now blocked
except that to north-west : moulded undercut arches upon circular piers with
8 annulated free-standing shafts, those to cardinal points of Purbeck marble.
Five stiff-leaf capitals mostly embedded in wall blocking the arches. To
east of arches a wall arcade of 4 blind arches on free standing columns with
moulded capitals and bases. East of southern arches a shelf decorated with
dog tooth and supported on 2 brackets, each a transition between dog tooth
and stiff-leaf lugs. In north nave aisle tomb of a priest. Mid C13 of
Purbeck marble with reclining effigy upon pedestal. Trefoiled canopy frames
head.

Listing NGR: TF4711313361

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536144

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)