Description

TF 80 SE,
10/15

GREAT CRESSINGHAM,
ST.MICHAEL'S CRESCENT,
Church of St.Michael

23.06.60

I

Parish church. Medieval and later. Flint with ashlar and some brick
dressings. Lead, slate and pantile roofs. West tower; aisled nave with south
porch; chancel. Mid C15 west tower designed by James Woderofe. Diagonal
buttresses and a stair turret to north east. West doorway with dying mouldings, traceried spandrels and a traceried frieze above with letter 'M'
alternating with blank shields. Tall 3-light panel-traceried window above.
Clock face to second floor with cusped ogee-headed single-light windows to
north and south. 2-light bell openings with cusped soufflets. Crenellated
and blind-traceried parapet with corner finials. C15 south porch also by
James Woderofe. Ashlar faced to south and west. Moulded entrance arch on
shafted responds with niche above. Mutilated carving of St. Michael in niche.
Flushwork plinth frieze of letter 'M'. Moulded south doorway with a late
medieval 2-leaf door. South aisle with five 3-light panel-traceried windows.
Similar north aisle with a blocked doorway of two hollow-chamfered orders. Eight
fine 2-light clerestorey windows in Decorated style with multi-cusped
soufflets. Chancel has eight 2-light windows with simple cusped tracery suggesting
a late C13 date. Priest's doorway and blocked leper's window to south.
Exceptional 5-light Perpendicular east window with staggered carved transoms,
mouchettes and daggers. C13 clasping buttresses surmounted by grouped shafts,
resembling late C12 and early C13 pier forms, themselves topped with pinnacles.

INTERIOR. 4-bay arcades of 1885 in Perpendicular style. Western responds,
some polygonal bases and the south eastern respond survived the restoration.
The south-west respond and bell capital are C13 with grouped shafts and a C14
or C15 heightening re-using the original deeply carved capital. Massive tower
arch with mouldings dying into plain jambs. Hollow-chamfered chancel arch
on triple shaft responds: the north respond and arch have been renewed.
Restored C15 north aisle roof with roll-moulded principals. Hammberbeam nave
roof with hammers to alternate principal trusses. Carved hammers and wooden
wall post corbels representing angels, prophets and prelates. Wall plates
with brattishing. Chancel with four bays of C13 wall arcading consisting of
single, practically freestanding, shafts on water holding bases supporting deeply
moulded bell capitals and very pointed plain chamfered arches. There is some
evidence to suggest that these arcades were at least intended to open into
aisles. Surviving rood stair to north which served also as a squint from north
aisle. Fine C14 multi-cusped piscina. Jacobean panelling in south aisle and
some late-Medieval poppy-head bench ends. Medieval brasses.

Listing NGR: TF8521401750

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535179

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide