Description

TL 76 NW
3/51

KENTFORD
BURY ROAD
Church of St. Mary

7.5.54

II*
Church, medieval with C19 alterations. Nave, chancel, west
tower and south porch. Flint rubble (rendered on part of north
wall), with dressings of clunch and limestone, parapet gables and
prominent buttressing. Concrete plaintiled roofs (the tower roof
flat with parapets of gault brick). Medieval features almost
entirely mid/late C14, but chancel has earlier core. Large 2-
light traceried windows to north and south walls; the 3-light
east window is similar, with net tracery. Moulded arched C14
doorways to the nave and chancel have C18 panelled doors; the
north nave doorway has a boarded C19 door. The tower has a fine
circular C14 west window with fragments of C15 and C19 glass.
Small ringing-chamber window on 3 sides, but the south window was
replaced by a round-arched belfry opening when the tower lost its
upper stage and was repaired C18 in gault brick. Simple
pointed tower-arch. The south porch was added later C14;
arched doorway with weathered pilaster; a mask gargoyle survives
from the original roof (the existing purlin roof was added C17).
Crow-stepped gables and C15 2-light side windows with tracery,
later blocked. On the parapet is a C19 sundial. Above the south
doorway is an empty image niche. The broad moulded chancel arch
is in the C14 manner, but probably rebuilt C19. The nave has a
plastered canted roof, renewed C19 with simple hammer beams; the
chancel has a C19 roof of arch-braced collar-beam trusses also
with vestigial hammer beams. The thorough restoration of the
chancel in 1877 is recorded in stained glass in a chancel window.
Over the north doorway is a late C14 painting of 3 crowned
figures; extensive but faint painting throughout the nave exists
beneath lime-wash. Octagonal limestone font in the C15 manner,
dated 1902. In the nave is a complete set of C18 deal boxpews.

Listing NGR: TL7065466795

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17534839

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

• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)