Description

HIGHAM HIGHAM ROAD
TM 03 NW
(south side, off)
3/5
Church of St Mary
22.2.55
GV II*
Church. Tower C13 origins. Otherwise C14-C15. Porch c.1893 by W H A Berry.
Restored 1888 at a sum of £1,500 (Kelly's). Coursed flint with knapped flint to
chancel, ashlar dressings. Plain tile roof. West tower, nave with 4-bay north
aisle,porch and 2-bay chancel. 3-stage tower with offset diagonal buttresses,
stair turret to south. Renewed west door. Basket-arched west window with Perpen-
dicular tracery. Small lancet to west and north faces at second stage, 2-light
restored bell openings. Quoins and embattled parapet. North aisle: roofed
separately from nave, offset buttresses. West window head renewed, otherwise
2-light flat-headed windows with ogee lights, probably late C14 with some replaced
stonework. Gabled timber porch contains original 2-centred continuously-moulded
door. 3-light basket-arched window with Perpendicular tracery to east end of
aisle. South side of nave: blocked south door with renewed head. Restored but-
tresses and 2 replaced windows with Perpendicular tracery. 2-light flat-headed
window to west of door partly renewed. Chancel: renewed 4-centred windows with
Perpendicular tracery with hoodmoulds and arches of red brick and flint. East
window with intersecting tracery renewed. Diagonal offset buttresses, flushwork to
part of plinth. Blocked priest's door to south side. Interior: nave arcade piers
of 4 filleted shafts with slender polygonal shafts to angles. Band capitals with
alternating patterns of fleurons and vine scrolls. Finely-moulded arches under
hoodmoulds with head or foliate stops. Nave roof C19 but incorporates three
medieval chamfered arch braces forming pointed arches resting on head corbels.
Aisle roof C16 with moulded beams on short wall posts with head corbels, arched
braces with tracery to spandrels. Leaf scroll to longitudinal beams and moulded
joists with run-out stops. Wall plate with angels and fleurons and rafters
probably renewed. Disused broken panelled octagonal font. 4 original poppy heads
incorporated into C19 pews. Ogee-arched nave piscina. Chamfered-arched door to
tower stairs has original studded door with strap hinges. C19 timber chancel arch
with pair of saints in canopied niches on corbels. Chancel roof has elements of
c.1500 including brattished wall plate with capitals to truncated wall shafts at
bay divisions supporting moulded arch braces incorporated into C19 wagon roof.
4-centred piscina with fleurons probably renewed. Marble and ceramic tile reredos
of 1892. The chancel appears to be the most extensively restored part, the walls
may be refaced externally or even rebuilt.

Pevsner, N, Suffolk. 2nd edition, 1974, p.271.

Listing NGR: TM0356335232

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17534539

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2