Description

GEDNEY CHURCH GATE
TF 42 SW
(north side)
4/5 Church of
St. Mary Magdalene
30.6.66
I

Parish church. C13, C14, C15, C17. Restored 1891. Ashlar.
Lead roofs. Coped gables with parapets, being embattled to the
nave with crocketed finials. Decorative ridge cross to east
chancel and bellcote to nave. Buttressed. Moulded plinth.
Continuous sill band to all but the tower, broken in parts by the
buttresses and vestry. Tower, nave, aisles, south porch, chancel
with north vestry. Tower of 5 stages with bands and set on a
moulded plinth with band over. C15 parapet with corbel table and
remains of 2 gargoyles to each side with lower frieze of cusped
lozenges. Base of uncompleted ashlar spire topped with small
herringbone lead spire. Clasping buttresses, that to the south
west being a stair turret, terminating below the bell chamber and
with single quatrefoils to each face apart from the north side of
the north east buttress. The bell chamber with slender angle
buttresses with intermediate crocketed gables and human head
label stops terminating at the parapet in similar gables. The
west buttresses have further slender stepped buttresses to each
face, these terminate below the fourth stage and have nook shafts
with shaft rings formed by the bands terminating below the bell
chamber. The west and south sides have at the second stage
single late C13 pointed arched lancets with dogtooth hood moulds
and human head label stops. 5 bay late C13 blind arcading to the
west, south and north sides, arches supported on colonnettes,
some capitals with stiff leaf decoration. Continuous impost band
and continuous hood mould. Above, to all sides, are single pairs
of late C13 Y traceried blocked openings, colonnettes with shaft
rings alternate with jambs of dogtooth. Moulded capitals, those
dividing the lights decorated with stiff leaf, moulded arches.
The east side is partially enclosed by the nave roof. Over, to
the north and south sides, are single clock faces. Each side of
the C15 bell chamber with single pair of 2 light arched openings,
each with single transom with single pair of arched and cusped
lights above and below the transom, cusped panel tracery and ogee
hood moulds. The west wall of the north aisle has a single C17
arched 3 light window with tracery and hood mould. The north
wall has a single C14 arched 3 light window with cusped flowing
tracery and hood mould. To the left is a moulded pointed arched
doorway with plank door, the sill band forming a hood mould.
Further left are 2 similar C14 windows with hood moulds and on
the far left 2 early C14 arched 3 light windows with cusped
intersecting tracery, hood moulds and label stops. The east wall
has a single C14 arched 5 light window with cusped flowing
tracery and hood mould. The C15 clerestory has twelve 4 centred
arched 3 light windows with cusped panel tracery. Between each
window is a single pilaster strip decorated with blindcusping
and terminating in the finial. There are 2 corner gargoyles.
The east wall of the nave has a single pair of arched and cusped
lights under a flat arch with hood mould. North chancel has 3
early C14 arched 3 light windows with cusped intersecting
tracery, hood moulds and label stops. The central window is
foreshortened by the red brick and render vestry with slate roof.
The west and east walls with single pointed arched lights. The
north wall with 3 arched and cusped lights under a flat arch and
with Tudor style hood mould. The east chancel has a single large
C14 arched 5 light window with reticulated tracery, hood mould
and label stops. The south chancel has 3 restored early C14
arched 3 light windows with cusped intersecting tracery, hood
mould and label stops. Under the central window is a moulded
arched doorway with hood mould and label stops. To the far left
is a single 2 light C15 window with cusped tracery under a flat
arch and with moulded hood. The east wall of the south aisle has
a single C14 arched 5 light window with cusped flowing tracery,
the mullions and jambs with moulded imposts. Hood mould and
label stops. The south wall has 2 restored early C14 arched 3
light windows with cusped intersecting tracery, hood mould and
label stops. To the left are 2 C14 arched 3 light windows with
cusped flowing tracery, hood moulds and label stops. Further
left is the 2 storey C14 diagonally buttressed porch with moulded
arched entrance and 2 orders of engaged colonnetts with moulded
capitals. Hood mould and label stops. Either side are single
arched and cusped niches with ogee hood moulds and finials. Over
is a single C14 pointed segmental arched 2 light window with
cusped tracery, hood mould and label stops. Over is a single
arched and cusped niche. The east wall of the top storey has a
single C14 window under a flat arch with 3 arched and cupsed
lights, the west wall with single similar 2 light window. To the
left in the re-entrant angle is the stair turret with 2 narrow
rectangular lights and single quatrefoil. Interior of porch with
stone benches. The west wall with C14 ogee arched doorway, hood
mould and C17 plank door. Moulded arched south doorway with C14
double chamfered jambs, C19 moulded arch and C19 hood mould. C14
wooden door with deep chamfered buttresses decorated with
pellets, raised inscription. Wicket door decorated with 4 coats
of arms and small niche. To the left of the porch and in the
west wall of the south aisle are single arched 3 light C14
windows with cusped flowing tracery, hoodmoulds and label stops.
South clerestory corresponds to the north. Interior. 6 bay C14
nave arcades with octagonal columns and responds. Moulded
capitals and deep moulded plinths. Double chamfered arches.
Hood moulds and human head label stops to nave and aisle sides.
Tall triple chamfered C13 tower arch supported on triple circular
responds with dogtooth capitals, and hood mould. Line of first
nave roof over, the apex with single blocked arched opening.
Above is a further C14 former roof line. C19 double chamfered
chancel arch, the inner order supported on moulded corbels. C19
traceried screen. Single C19 roundel over with re-used tracery.
Chancel with moulded arched vestry doorway with hood mould.
Squint through to vestry. Stepped sill band broken in places.
C19 reredos, piscina and tripartite sedilia. Aisle windows with
continuous sill bands. The clerestory windows are flanked by
single engaged octagonal colonnettes supported on carved heads
and supporting the C15 roof of tie beams on arched braces
alternating with arched braces supporting principals. There is a
single hammer beam construction. Decorated with bosses. Early
C18 panelled and pilastered pulpit further decorated with carved
cherubs heads. Heavily restored octagonal font, the base dated
1664. Some C16 seating in choir, some C15 poppyheads. Remains
of C13 pedestal piscina, the capitals decorated with stiff leaf.
Further small pedestal piscina. Chest dated 1720. Remains of
C15 altar rails with open cusped tracery further decorated with
foliate. C17 altar table. C18 table. Substantial remains of
C14 glass in the east window of the north aisle and some further
north and south aisle windows. Memorials. Remains of C14 ashlar
coffin. Early C15 brass of a lady with a dog at her feet. C15
ashlar tomb chest the sides decorated with quatrefoil panels and
shields, over is a truncated C13 torso lying on chamfered slab,
the surround decorated with wispy stiff leaf. Fine coloured gilt
and alabaster memorial to Adlard Welby and his wife Cassandra,
erected 1605. Comprising 2 kneeling figures in contemporary
dress set into arches with keystones supported on panelled reveal
and pilasters. Arches flanked by single Corinthian columns which
support a cornice with decorated soffit. Decorative cartouche
and 2 shields over flanked by single outer obelisks. The columns
are supported on decorative brackets with instription running
between. Decorated apron. 2 memorials on the east wall of the
south aisle with decorative surrounds, that on the right to
Adlard Welbye, 1728 has a coloured shield on the apron. Further
memorial to Edward Whitley, 1761, this has a decorative surround
to the inscription plaque with coloured cartouche on the apron.
Early C19 memorial to Mary Anne Millington by Kent of Boston.
Some C18 and C19 floor slabs.

Listing NGR: TF4027524350

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Mary Magdalene Church, Gedney at Wikipedia
• Wikidata IDs Q16897253 Q17531162

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

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)