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Former Parish Church Of St Mary

Bedford, Bedfordshire

Former Parish church dating from the C10 or C11 with later extensions and alterations from the C12, C14, C16, C19 and early C20

Architectural Features

The roofs are clad in tiles except the vestry which is covered in slate

It consists of a C12 nave, C16 north aisle, C19 south aisle, C10 or C11 crossing tower and south transept, C12 north transept, C14 chancel to the east, C19 sacristry on the north side of the chancel, and late C19/ early C20 vestry in the north-east corner

Gargoyles protrude from each side

The doorway has a moulded square surround with spandrels containing carved foliage and plain shields, a hoodmould, and an inner four-centred head

The west window, which was rebuilt in the C19 (a blocked window arch is visible above), consists of three cusped lights with moulded jambs and dropped tracery of C15 style under a four-centred head

The stained glass was a gift from the Nash family who ran a brewery in Bedford

The windows in the first, second and fourth bays (from the left) are probably C19 copies of C16 windows

Like the north chancel, it has one bay lit by a C19 window with three cinquefoiled lights with C15 style tracery

High in the east wall of the south transept is a round arched window of C10 or C11 date, now blocked with masonry

Just below it on the right is what appears to be the jamb of a C13 lancet, its other jamb being overlapped by the chancel wall

The central tower has heavy ashlar quoins, an embattled parapet with crocketted pinnacles and corner gargoyles, most or all of which were replaced during major repairs in 1994

The middle window, if there was one, has been destroyed by the insertion of two-light C15 windows with traceried heads and hoodmoulds

The upper stage has Norman round-headed openings on each face enclosing two smaller openings whose arches spring from a central shaft and shafted responds

The capitals are of Norman cushion type and, although the capitals of the responds are very weathered, there is evidence of a spiral volute

The gabled east side of the chancel is dominated by a C19 window which is set within C14 jambs

The stained glass, thought to be by Clayton and Bell, depicts the Crucifixion and four saints

The south side of the chancel has three bays, divided by three-tiered buttresses, and lit by C19 three-light trefoiled windows with traceried heads in C14 style

The jambs and heads are in part of C14 date

Below the window in the first bay (from the left) is a single-light trefoiled window with jambs of probably C14 date and C19 stained glass depicting St Mary

This has a distinctive moulded lintel consisting of a recessed circular motif flanked by wing-like shapes, giving the impression of an angel

It is lit by a large ten-light window with decorative leaded lights, set in a stone surround divided by mullions and a transom, and has the same distinctive carved lintels already described

The north arcade is thought to be C16 whilst the south arcade is a C19 replica

There is a Victorian timber screen elaborately carved with Gothic motifs across the west end of the nave which forms a western lobby and supports a gallery

The arch on the west side is decorated with a Victorian dogtooth hood-mould, and above it is a small round-arched Norman opening

In the south transept are two round-headed window of late Saxon date in the east and west walls

A larger splayed window was inserted below the earlier window in the east wall during the Norman period

This in turn was blocked up in the C14 and a mural was painted inside, a fragment of which remains

The chancel has a canted ceiling with timber ribs and slender beams which rest on moulded stone corbels decorated with painted angels or shields, all of C19 date

There is an Edwardian corner fireplace in the former vestry which has a carved timber overmantel and retains its glazed green tiles

The only church furniture to remain is the C19 timber pulpit with carved Gothic detailing, located in the south-east corner of the nave

The church has a considerable number of marble memorial tablets dating from the C17 to the C19, mostly located in the chancel and sacristry

Amongst these is a Baroque memorial, carved in the form of a flowing cloth sheet, to Mary Lysons who died in 1682

and a neo-Classical monument depicting young people mourning at a pedestal with a palm tree behind

It was carved by J. Loft of 92 Dean Street, Soho, to commemorate Major William Mills who died in 1838

Photo coming soon