Church of St Mary, Chastleton, Oxfordshire

Description

CHASTLETON
SP2429-2529
11/15 Church of St. Mary
27.8.57
GV II*

Parish church. Late C12, extended early C14 with tower of 1689; restored and
chancel rebuilt by C.E. Powell in 1878-80. Regularly coursed and dressed
marlstone with limestone ashlar dressings; stone slate and lead roofs with
stepped coped verges and moulded parapets. Nave; chancel; south aisle;
south-west tower porch; north transept and north-east vestry. Tower. In 2 stages
with chamfered plinth, moulded string courses and embattled parapet. South side
has square-headed moulded doorway with plank double doors and inscription to
lintel "Thomas Harris and Thomas ? Church/Wardenes Anno Domi 1689". Chamfered
rectangular opening directly below lower string course and ovolo-moulded 2-light
mullion window above with narrow rectangular opening lighting internal stair
turret to right. North and east faces have chamfered 2-light mullion windows to
second stage and west side has chamfered rectangular opening directly below
lower string course and chamfered 2-light mullion window above. Section of south
aisle to left of tower has small rectangular chamfered opening and section to
right has late C14 square-headed 2-light window to left with ogee cinquefoil
heads and mouchettes; C15 square-headed window with 3 cinquefoil-headed lights
to right. East wall has early C14 window with cusped intersecting tracery and
elongated quatrefoil to apex; richly moulded ogee hoodmould with restored
foliated finial and weathered head-stops. West wall has earlier steeper roof
pitch visible. Clerestory of nave has small rectangular chamfered opening to
left of tower and 3-light mullion window to right. West wall has early C14
three-light window with reticulated tracery and hoodmould continuing to either
side. North side has late C12 round-headed doorway with semi-circular lintel,
tympanum and hoodmould; C17 plank door with strap hinges. C16 mullion window
with 3 segmental-headed lights and dripstone to right; late C15 three-light
cinquefoil-headed window with dripstone to left. East gable end has probably
late C15 bellcote with round-headed arch, pyramidal finials and cross to apex.
Lean-to north transept has similar C15 window to that in north wall of nave
without dripstone to north wall and 3-light chamfered mullion window with
dripstone. C19 lean-to vestry in angle with chancel has window with 3
trefoil-headed lights and dripstone to east on north side and pointed doorway
with hoodmould immediately to right. Apparently reset narrow rectangular window
with projecting triangular head to east wall. Chancel. All windows are 1878-80:
two 2-light windows on south, west with Decorated tracery and east with plate
tracery. 2-light plate tracery window to north,and east window comprises 3
stepped moulded lancets with foliated label-stops and traces of earlier infilled
opening beneath. Interior. Late C17 chamfered rectangular south doorway with
contemporary 6-panel double doors. Nave arcade: 2 west bays of c.1180; plain
pointed arches with continuous hoodmould, circular pier and semi-circular
responds, all with abaci and moulded plinths. Pier has scalloped capital,
palmette leaves to east respond and west respond plain. Extended by 2 bays to
east in early C14: central octagonal pier with moulded plinth and capital and
half-octagonal responds, east with raised circular decoration to abacus;
double-chamfered pointed arches with continuous hoodmould. Early C14
double-chamfered pointed chancel arch has half-octagonal responds with moulded
plinths and deeply undercut moulding to capitals similar to that of pier in
extension of nave arcade. Crudely pointed double-chamfered arch to transept is
also C14. Doorway to former rood loft in nave wall to east of east arch of
arcade and blocked doorway to former gallery to west of west arch. Nave has tie
beam roof in 5 bays with short wall posts on plain stone corbels. Square-headed
windows in north wall and aisle have moulded wood lintels with straight-cut
stops. C14 cinquefoil-headed piscina with hoodmould and label-stops in south
wall of south aisle with semi-circular seat recess beneath south-east window;
plain pointed piscina in south wall of north transept. C14 floor tiles in south
aisle including fine set apparently in situ at east end. Fragmentary
wall-paintings and texts, mainly of post-medieval date, on north wall of nave.
Late C12 tub-shaped font with moulded plinth and circular base. Wooden polygonal
pulpit with scratched date "1623" has carved pelicans to top dividing panels
which have pilastered round-headed arches, floral and geometrical motifs. C19
roofs to aisle and transept and C19 scissor-braced roof to chancel. This has C19
encaustic floor tiles, including to raised sanctuary and C19 piscina and
credence shelf in south wall. Plain pointed door to vestry which has fragments
of reassembled medieval stained glass in east window, including a mid-C15 quarry
depicting the Virgin Annunciate. Reassembled medieval glass also in west window
of transept and in north clerestory window. Late C19/early C20 stained glass in
several other windows including glass in east window of 1913. C19 benches with
linenfold panelling in nave probably copied from late C15 bench end with
linenfold panelling by font. 3 open benches in south aisle to east of tower are
probably late C16 or C17. Monuments. C18 wall tablets and memorials to members
of local families in nave, chancel and south aisle, most notable being to Sarah
Jones (d.1687) and others on east face of tower and to Anne Jones (d.1708) on
south wall of aisle. Former has 2 mourning putti with festooned garlands
flanking segmental-pedimented inscription surmounted by armorial device; latter
has inscription with scroll pediment broken by armorial device and mourning
cherubs to sides framed by palm fronds and volutes. Figurative brasses in south
aisle floor to Katherine Throckmorton (d.1592) and children and in nave floor to
Edmund Ansley (d.1613), his wife and children. Brass plate in floor by north
doorway to William Bankes (d.1676). Several late C17 and C18 incised tomb slabs
in nave floor. Wooden funeral bier in porch.
(Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: p531)
[2455]

Listing NGR: SP2486829068

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of St Mary

A Grade II* Listed Building in Chastleton, Oxfordshire

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