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St Mary

St Mary

Rickinghall

Suffolk

C12 tower, otherwise late C13

Architectural Features

early C14 with C15 alterations.

Round tower of coursed flint rubble: lower stage has a restored 2-light C14 window, curvilinear tracery in a segmental pointed arched head, above are 2 lancets, one cusped

string course to C14 octagonal belfry, four 2-light openings with cusped Y tracery in segmental pointed arched heads, ashlar quoining, string course with 4 gargoyles to embattled parapet with cusped and finialed flushwork panels, blank shields in octafoils, crocketed finials

tower to east shows line of steeper and taller C14 roof.

South aisle: two 2-light late C13 windows to south towards east end, Geometrical tracery in pointed arched heads, trefoiled lights with bud cusping, 3 quatrefoils at head, that to east has richer tracery with leaf carving in spandrels of cusping, mask stopped hoodmoulds

aisle to east has a large 5-light window with a pointed arched head, cusped pointed lights with leaf carved spandrels, tracery renewed as rectilinear, mask stopped hoodmould, offset at sill level, coped parapet with ridge cross

C14 south porch from west bay of aisle is 2 storeys, upper level rebuilt in C16

C14 entrance arch, outer hollow dying into filletted roll mould, inner filletted roll and hollow dying into chamfer, filletted hoodmould

above arch is a flushwork frieze with damaged MR and IHS crowned monograms, C16 knapped flint to chamber with a cusped 2-light window with a depressed arched head, shallow coped gable with broken ridge cross

2 stage diagonal buttresses to returns each with 2 small Y traceried pointed arched openings and a quatrefoil, C16 flint above

inside porch side walls have low double arcades with hollow moulded segmental pointed arches on small restored semi-octagonal shafts with moulded caps and bases, stone seats to sides, C16 roof with roll and hollow moulded binding beam and joists

C14 inner entrance, a pointed arch with 2 continuous quadrant mouldings, mask stopped hoodmould.

Chancel: to east an offset plinth and string course below restored 3-light C14 window, pointed arch, complex curvilinear tracery, mask stopped hoodmould, 2 stage diagonal buttresses with cusped gablets, moulded kneelers to coped gable parapet

to north a C15 or C16 2-light window with cusped ogee headed lights, square head and hoodmould

to south two 2-light C14 Y traceried windows in pointed arches, that towards west has cusping, that to east is plain with a mask stopped hoodmould, central low side door with a restored 4-centred arched head, roll moulded jambs.

Interior: C12 plain round tower arch with impost bands, above tower arch a blocked C12 round opening

C14 broad and pointed chancel arch, double hollow mouldings, semi-octagonal responds with moulded caps and bases, capital to north has stiff leaf carving, outer hollow moulds with cusped stops.

6 bay nave roof, restored C15 or C16 false hammerbeam with arch braced brattished collars, double brattished wallplates and hammerbeams, moulded braces, butt purlins and ridge piece

Chancel south wall has a simpler C14 angle piscina, caps and bases to shafts, trefoiled pointed arched headed opening, octafoil bowl, adjacent dropped sill sedilia.

Octagonal C14 font in south aisle, moulded base, 7 of 8 faces on bowl have pointed arched 3-light 'windows' with curvilinear and Y tracery.

Two C17 oak chests, one with a carved 3 panel front, a C17 Communion table with turned legs, a C17 chancel chair, an C18 bier.

C19 reredos reusing traceried panels with carved spandrels and cusping from C15 screen, C19 painted figures

C19 seating, pulpit, reading desk by Burrell, brass lectern, Communion rails, floor tiling.

In nave and chancel simple C19 marble mural memorials, in nave to west a tablet with a cornice to J. Amys, d. 1767.

Late C19 glass in chancel to east and south west, some C17 and C18 fragments in chancel south east window.