Description

TM 14 SW WASHBROOK CHURCH LANE
2/34
22.2.55 Church of St Mary
II*
Parish church. C12 origins, mainly early and later C14, C19 restorations.
Random flint rubble with some brick, stone dressings, roof of alternating bands
of plain red and black fishscale tiles, crested ridge. West tower, nave and
chancel in one, south porch, north vestry and baptistry. 3-stage square tower
with embattled brick parapet. Incorporates scattered early brickwork in the
fabric. Diagonal offset west buttresses. Right angled buttresses against nave
which appears contemporary. Stair turret at south east angle against nave.
Above stone base, plinth of alternating stone and flint flushwork panels in
chequerwork pattern, which continues across the buttresses. C19 3-light west
window with panel tracery beneath stilted arch and hood. Single bell openings
with cusped heads on north, west and south faces. Vertical slit openings to
stair turret. Quoins as if long and short work on tower and buttresses. Nave
and chancel. Late C19 south porch with brick and flint base, timber above.
Similar banded tiled roof with cresting to ridge. C19 doorway in C14 style with
figure stops to hood. Door has studded strap hinges. Above rendered plinth,
which starts to right of central buttress, is continuous band of alternating
stone and flushwork panels, sometimes mutilated, but incorporating right hand
offset buttress, and diagonal buttresses at east end; repeated on north face.
Later central brick buttress. To right of it, moulded band, dropping to form
cill band of Decorated window, and continuing with the eastern buttresses, across
chancel to north face; is interrupted only by inserted chancel doorway and east
window. To left of porch, 2-light restored late Decorated or early Perpendicular
window with ogee headed cusped lights and cusped tracery above, beneath stilted
arch and hood. Probably C12 lancet to right of porch. C19 3-light window with
panel tracery beneath stilted arch, with one figure stop, the other missing.
2-light curvilinear heads, beneath mouchettes; stilted arch with hollow and ogee
moulded responds. Similar but restored chancel window, interrupted by C19
inserted doorway with label and carved spandrels. East window. C19 3-light
cusped intersecting tracery, but within larger opening with moulded surround of
former C14 east window, the base of which sat on top of the moulded band. North
face. Two similar C14 windows to nave and chancel, with similar plinth and band,
stopping at flint buttress. Partly restored late Decorated/early Perpendicular
window as to south, and similar lancet. North baptistry, C19, with north window
as to nave, and single cusped lights to east and west. Interior: Simple
chamfered tower arch. Chancel arch of quatrefoil responds with three filleted
shafts, wave moulded necking, ogee moulded capitals, shallow bell bases. Nave
has 3 bay crown post roof with tall thin octagonal posts, straight 4-way bracing,
and exposed collar purlin, the remainder covered by C19 canted and boarded roof,
with slender ribs and bosses at the intersections. C15 moulded cornice. Niche
to right of south door. Baptistry to north, chamfered rear arch. Octagonal font
with 4 lions to the stem, between pilaster shafts; angels to the base of the
bowl, which has angels bearing shields alternating with roses and acanthus-like
leaves, partly restored. C19 nave fittings. Chancel; North and south 6-bay
shallow arcades, the shafts comprising east and west engaged shafts, with scroll
moulded necking, the north and south faces square cut, and all beneath one
moulded capital. Ogee headed cinquefoil arches with heavily ornate cusping,
crocketting on the extrados terminating in crocketed finial. Figure head to base
of each arch, at top of the capital. Moulded bases to shafts. The shafts and
rear are painted. C19 boarding to 1/3 height behind. At finial level, hollow
moulded band with ornamentation of fleurons only to south arcade. All restored.
Unrestored south sedilia, with single, similar blind arcade to east and west,
with engaged shafts, cusped ogee heads, and band above with figure stop to the
outer angle. Similar restored north sedilia. Similar treatment to east and west
of vestry door beneath curvilinear north window, is part restored. South of
altar, two bay stepped sedilia, with horizontal band at finial level, again with
fleuron ornament, central shaft as the chancel arcade, but with flatter almost
4-centre arched heads, all partly restored. North of altar, cusped canopy rising
to crocketed finial, flanked by tall square sectioned shafts, also with tall
crocketed finials. Responds of 2 orders with one filleted shaft, with moulded
caps and bases. Chancel roof, boarded over C19, has thin medieval cornice.

Listing NGR: TM1095342589

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary's Church, Washbrook at Wikipedia
• St Mary's Church, Washbrook official website
• Wikidata Q7594449

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

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)