Salford
Bedfordshire
Church of Saint Mary the Virgin GI Parish church.Substantially C13,with various later details,and reworkings,of 1867 by William White.Coursed rubble,a mixture of limestone and ironstone with ashlar dressings.Clay tile roofs with stone coped gables.Chancel,N vestry,nave,S aisle,N porch.Chancel:E wall apparently reworked C19 but retaining C14 three-light pointed-arched window.S elevation has small early C13 pointed doorway and pointed-arched two-light window similar to E one.N elevation has low side window of similar date to E one.Pointed chancel arch,late C13.N vestry:C19 gabled block with three-light pointed-arched window.Nave:N window.Nave:late C13.Four-bay S arcade,with curious capitals cut in so as to be narrower than supporting piers.N elevation has two pointed-arched windows,E one of two cusped lights,other of three uncusped lancets.Pointed-arched N doorway.W gable has pointed-arched window containing three lancets surmounted by three circles all uncusped.Gable is surmounted by C19 bell-cote of heavy curved timbers surmounted by spirelet.Replaces an earlier tower.S aisle:late C13.S elevation has small single light,blocked pointed doorway containing C19 rose window and pointed-arched window containing three uncusped lancets.E elevation has three-light pointed-arched window with cusped intersecting tracery.N porch:open gabled porch of heavy timbers on low rubble walls.Dated 1633 on a rafter but evidently re-using considerably earlier timbers.One of these has C13 dog-tooth moulding and rose,star and leaf ornaments.Interior:C19 chancel roof.Nave roof probably C17,but this and aisle roof may include earlier timbering.Pews include some C15 work.Simple font with beaker-shaped bowl on cylindrical stem.S aisle has C14 canopied tomb with cross-legged effigy in mail and surcoat.Nave has C14 coffin-lid set into sill of NE window,bearing cross and inscription:"[Vous ke pa]sses par ici prie par la alme-Jon Polein ke Deus eit [merci]".Nave also has tomb top set into W wall,carved with cross and shield.Set into chancel N Wall is C15 tomb top,with cross,sword and shield carried on top,and shields and flowers to sides.S aisle floor has brasses to John Peddar(1505),wife and children.