Description

SJ 4800-4900 LONGNOR C.P. LONGNOR

9/63 Church of St. Mary
13.6.58

GV I

Chapel, now parish church. Circa 1260-70 with early C18 and c.1840
alterations and additions. Roughly coursed red (and some grey) sandstone
rubble with red sandstone ashlar dressing; C19 plain tile roof. Nave
and chancel in one. Chamfered and parapeted gable ends, with cross
at apex to east. Square wooden bellcote to west with lead-sheathed
lower stage, 2 x 2 chamfered pointed-arched openings, and pyramidal
copper cap with weathervane. West front: angle buttresses with chamfered
offsets to moulded cill string, and stepped-chamfered tops (cf Acton
Burnell); moulded-arched west window with fillet, c.1840 wooden tracery
consisting of 3 stepped lights and 3 uncusped circles. 3 steps up to
c.1840 boarded door with moulded yellow/grey sandstone arch and returned
hoodmould. South side: 4 chamfered lancets to right and continuous
hoodmould overall with carved heads as stops. C13 moulded-arched former
south doorway off-centre to left with fillet, and hoodmould with carved
heads as stops, now blocked, grey sandstone ashlar below with chamfered
top and small-paned cast-iron window above with intersecting tracery.
Flight of ten external stone steps to left with plain wrought-iron handrail
and C19 cast-iron gate at bottom, leading up to external entrance to
west gallery with boarded door. Projecting stone brackets between middle
2 windows supporting sundial with copper dial plate dated 1718 and gnomon.
North front: 2 groups of 3 chamfered lancets to left, and continuous
hoodmould over all-6 with carved heads as stops; pair of chamfered lancets
to right, and continuous hoodmould over both with carved heads as stops.
C13 moulded-arched former north doorway off-centre to right with fillet
and hoodmould with carved heads as stops, now blocked with grey sandstone
ashlar below, and cast-iron window above with intersecting: tracery.
East end: large window with 3 stepped lights, 3 uncusped circles in
tracery, chamfered base, heavily-moulded reveals, and hoodmould with
carved heads as stops. Interior: C19 single-framed roof. North and
south windows with roll-moulded rear arches; rear arch of east window
with heavily-moulded head and roll-moulded reveals. Pair of roll-moulded
trefoiled piscinae, rectangular aumbry in north wall; step up to sanctuary
with C18 floor. Complete C18 fittings including: box pews dated "RL/1723"
(Richard Lewis) with raised and fielded panels, doors with H-hinges,
and knob finials, manorial pew with tall sunken panels behind rising
to moulded cornice,and vicars- pew. C18 two-decker pulpit with reader's
desk, and hexagonal wooden pulpit with tall raised and fielded panels
and moulded cornice. Reredos incorporating some C17 panelling with
fluted frieze and later cresing. C18 communion rails on 3 sides with
moulded base, turned balusters, and moulded rail. Sanctuary with C18
wainscot-panelling and low side benches. C18 west gallery consisting
of front with pulinated frieze, splat balusters (shaped to represent
barleysugar balusters) and moulded handrail, and supported on 2 square-
section reeded posts to front and 2 plain square-section posts to rear
with beaded corners. Circa 1840 internal west doorcase with 4-panelled
door flanked by reeded pilaster strips with recessed capitals and supporting
shallow open triangular pediment. Mid- to late C19 stone font consisting
of 4 shafts with moulded bases and capitals supporting large circular
bowl with carved frieze around top and wooden cover. Mid- to late C19
organ (brought from Hanwood church in 1976). 5 hatchments. Commandment
boards flanking east window. Mainly square- and diamond-leaded clear
glass; some stained glass (1857-88) to members of the Corbett family.
There was some rearrangment of the fittings c.1840 and at the same time
the west-gallery was enlarged, the north and south doors blocked, and
the new entrance made in the west wall. In the C16 the church was a
chapelry of Condover but in late-medieval times it was used as a private
manorial chapel. The church is especially notable as a largely unaltered
late C13 chapel (with many stylistic affinities to St. Mary's Church,
Acton Burnell) and for its largely complete C18 interior fittings.
V.C.H., Vol. VIII, pp.113-4; B.O.E., p.174; D.H.S. Cranage, An architectural
account of the churches of Shropshire, Part 6, pp.499-500; Kelly's Directory
of Herefordshire and Shropshire (1913), p.137; N.J.E. Dunn, St. Marys,
Longnor.

Listing NGR: SJ4880300492

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529627

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover