St Mary The Virgin

rebuilt c1500-1510

small 3-light windows to match in east bay each side, and on south side a near-triangular arched moulded doorway with carved spandrils under arched label.

South aisle to match, but with added south porch, possibly later C16 or even C18: angled corner buttresses, stone slab roof over internal rib vault

inner arch C16 style moulded pointed.

Tower, damaged by lightning and fire 1894, immediately restored: 5 stages, with double plinth, offset corner buttresses, dividing strings, battlemented parapet with pairs corner pinnacles extended from buttresses, and central paired pinnacles corbelled off gargoyles

lowest stage has moulded pointed arched west doorway in rectangular recess, with carved spandrils and flanking diagonally set pilasters, the doors restored and coloured 1981

Inside, apparently little alteration other than stripping of plaster and making good damage after partial fall of tower: chancel virtually continuous with nave, with elliptical vault ceiling having moulded ribs to plaster panels, carved bosses and small angel corbels: aisles have angled timber panelled roofs

1894 Art Nouveau screen across tower, by Wilson, who designed the magnificent but widly inappropriate alabaster font, a circular tub with twist fluting set on square base with large fish to each corner, lid with small tabernacle, in 1904

ST4715 : Norton Sub Hamdon, St. Mary's Church: The Henry Wilson alabaster font (detail) 8

© Michael Garlick

earlier plain octagonal font by south aisle screen: pews all C19.

Three memorial brasses in tower to Benjamin Collins, died 1662, Henry Burchall died 1770, and Elizabeth Burchell, died 1805.

Stained glass includes early C16 fragments in tracery

Another example of early C16 stained glass in the north windows of [[457618]]. I think this must be St Luke, with a book and a bull, but can detect no wings on the rather endearing little animal.

© Derek Harper