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St Mary

Great Bentley

Essex

Chancel and Nave circa 1130-4O, the Chancel was extended eastwards C14.

Architectural Features

West tower C14.

North Porch C14/C15 heavily restored C19/C20.

The church is a complete example of C12 building.

There are 2 oval and one rectangular stone memorial plaques attached to the wall.

North wall, a stone plaque to east, central C13 lancet

a western early C12 round headed window of puddingstone.

South wall, eastern small C15 cinquefoiled light, square head and label.

Central and western C19 restored trefoiled lancets, traces of a C12 window above the western window.

North wall C15 eastern window of 3 cinquefoil lights with vertical tracery, 2 centred head, label with headstops.

C12 north doorway, plain jambs round headed arch, each voussoir with axe-worked diapering.

Imposts with projecting volutes to inner faces, C19/C20 low walls to gabled North Porch of re-used medieval timbers.

South Wall, eastern C15 window of 3 cinquefoil lights, vertical tracery, 4 centred head.

Central and western C12 round headed windows.

Between these windows is the C12 South doorway, round headed arch covered with chevrons and the label with cable ornament, the inner arch has a segmental arch supporting a tympanum and each voussoir carved with 2 surflowers.

Each jamb has a shaft with cushion capitals carved with leaf ornament moulded bases and abaci continued round the plain inner order.

C12 door, simple vertically boarded.

The west doorway has double hollow chamfered jambs carved with square flowers around the 2 centred head, moulded label.

C15 7 cant roof, moulded wall plates.

C19 multi-coloured tiles to Sanctuary floor.

C14 niches to right and left of east window, hollow chamfered jambs carved with flowers, ogee crocketed heads and finials, carved spandrels, side pinnacles, crenellated heads.

Piscina C14, chamfered jambs, 2 centred head, now contains a brass box, C20 memorial shelf on brackets under.

North wall C19 memorials to Peter and Michala Thompson of Brook House and Frderick Heckford Thompson of Montego Bay, Jamaica.

C15 7 cant, arched braced roof of 4 bays, moulded wallplates and wallposts.

By the north east wall the remains of a C13 coffin lid is set into the floor, tapering lid, roundel enclosing 4 small roundels and a roundel below.

C15 octagonal font, alternate panels of double trefoils and shields, moulded soffit with carved flowers, stem with 2 centred arches, moulded base.

Circa 1874 octagonal pulpit, panels with round headed arches, jamb shafts with carved capitals, stem similar.

South wall C15 Piscina, chamfered jambs, trefoiled head.

Carved wood Eagle Lectern C19/C20.

Said to be 8 bells, one by Miles Gray 1683 and one by Henry Pleasant 1703.