Description

WESTON MAIN STREET
TF 22 NE (north-west side)

4/128 Church of St. Mary
7.2.67
G.V. I

Parish church. 1170, mid C14, restored by G. G. Scott in 1858-
67, and J. L. Pearson in 1885-6. Limestone ashlar and rubble,
some red brick patching. Lead roofs of 1885, with stone coped
gables with cross finials and stone corbel tables. Nave with
west tower, north and south aisles with south porch, clerestory,
north and south transepts and chancel. Late C15 3 stage west
tower with moulded plinth and string course, and 4 stage angle
buttresses, the second stage with ornate gablets, and north-east
polygonal stair turret with 3 slit lights and parapet.
Triangular headed west doorway with continuously moulded
surround, hood mould and double plank doors. Large pointed
window above with 4 pointed lights and castellated transom with
lower semi-circular headed lights, panel tracery with
castellations and bowtell moulded surround. Bell openings on all
4 sides, each pointed, with bowtell moulded surround, 2 semi-
circular headed, cusped lights, mouchettes and hood moulds.
Moulded eaves above with battlements and ornate corner pinnacles.
North aisle with regularly placed 2 stage buttresses, and
blocked, pointed west opening with 3 corbels above. North side
with mid C14 doorway with pointed head, continuously moulded
surround, hood mould and double plank doors. 2 windows to left
with pointed heads and hood moulds; to right, 2 semi-circular
headed lights with early flowing tracery; to the left, 2 ogee
headed lights with mouchettes. North transept projects to east,
restored by Scott in 1858-67. 2 stage angle buttresses flank
pointed north window with 3 pointed, cusped lights, intersecting
geometric tracery, sill band and hood mould. Similar window in
east side. Clerestory of c.1170, heavily restored by Pearson in
1885, with 4 semi-circular roll moulded openings contaning inner
lancets. Fifth opening broken into by transept roof. North side
of chancel of c.1175 with 3 tall lancets alternating with 2 stage
buttresses. Roll moulded sill band beneath. Moulded eaves with
small sculptured motifs. East end with 3 lancets alternating
with 4 slender 2 stage buttresses, with quatrefoil above with
roll moulded surround. South side of chancel with 3 lancets
alternating with 4 two stage buttresses, and with doorway to left
with semi-circular roll moulded head, hood mould and double plank
doors. Narrow 2 light tall mullion window to left. East side of
south transept, restored by Scott in 1858-67, with pointed window
with 3 trefoil headed lights, C19 geometric tradcery, hood mould
and head label stops. Monument to Thomas Lupton, died 1716,
attached to left, with pilasters, segmental pediment and cherubs.
South end with sill band and pointed window with 4 cusped, ogee
headed lights, geometrical C19 tracery and C14 hood mould with
lion label stops. Cornice above, originally surmounting sundial,
now gone. South side of aisle with 2 pointed C19 windows, each
with 2 ogee headed, cusped lights, mouchette, hood mould and head
label stops. Gabled late C12 porch beyond to left with pointed
chamfered head, triple shafts with moulded capitals and small
oculus above. Porch interior with flanking stone benches
surmounted by blind arcade of 4 pointed arches on each side,
supported on free standing shafts with crocket capitals. South
doorway with pointed, roll moulded head with chamfered inner
order, and single shafts with stiff leaf capitals. 5 C19 Purbeck
marble gravestones set in floor. Pointed window to left of porch
and another in west end of south aisle, both with 2 ogee headed,
cusped lights, mouchette, hood mould and fine C14 label stop
busts. Clerestory of c.1170 heavily restored by Pearson with 3
roll moulded windows to left, with paired shafts and crocket
capitals. 2 C15 trefoil headed windows to right. Interior C15
pointed tower arch with double chamfered head with hood mould,
moulded, filleted jambs with castellated capitals. Tower
interior with fragmentary springers and wall ribs of lierne vault
no longer extant, and projecting gargoyles to north east and
south east. 5 bay north and south late C12 arcades with the
north-west bay blocked; round piers with detached shafts, some
of which are replacements, and all with crocket or incipiant
stiff leaf capitals; pointed heads with outer roll moulded order
and inner chamfered order. North aisle leads into north transept
through askew pointed, double chamfered archway. West end of
north aisle with pointed, blocked doorway. South aisle leads
into south transept through double chamfered, pointed arch.
Early C13 pointed chancel arch with richly moulded head and
rectangular responds with 3 detached shafts with stiff leaf
capitals and hood mould. Pointed opening above. Chancel
articulated to north and south with 3 pointed wall recesses with
slender responds with beaded, moulded capitals and hood moulds.
East window with nook shafts, moulded capitals and hood mould.
Altar flanked by single rectangular aumbrys. South wall with
small trefoil headed piscina. C11 inscribed coffin lid restored
in C20. Part of octagonal base of cross shaft. C19 ornate
pulpit. C20 communion rail and reredos. Drum font of c.1200
with semi-circular shafts with moulded capitals supporting it,
and 8 sides of drum articulated by 8 attached shafts. Section of
ornate C17 panelling to north-west of nave. Monuments include:
one in ashlar and marble with segmental open pediment with urn,
hand, draperies, tassles and ornate apron, to John Morton, died
1720. Gravetone to Willyam Whettaker, died 1640. Grey-and white
marble monument to Peregrine Emmitt Emmitt, died 1836; a pair of
white and grey marble monuments to William and Elizabeth Emmitt,
died 1832 and 1831, respectively. Ashlar pedimented monument
with scrolled architrave and cherub, to Elizabeth Watson, died
1765. Gravestones to John Bennington, died 1625; and Joseph and
Joseph Allcock, died 1746 and 1771 respectively. Several early
C19 black marble gravestones in central aisle.

Listing NGR: TF2924725164

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531020

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)