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St Mary Magdalene

Wethersfield

Essex

Mainly C12 to early C15, altered in C18, restored in C19.

Architectural Features

Flint and pebble rubble with dressings of limestone and clunch, roofed with handmade red clay tiles and lead.

W tower, late C12.

S arcade early C13.

N aisle, N arcade, and W end of S aisle, early C14.

Chancel mid-C14.

S aisle, S porch and part of N porch, early C15.

Clerestorey late C15/early C16.

The Chancel has the axis deflected to the N. The C14 E window is of 3 trefoiled ogee lights with net tracery under a 2-centred head, restored.

In the N wall are 2 windows of c.1340, restored, each of 2 cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a 2-centred head.

Below the eastern window is a tomb recess with low segmental-pointed and chamfered arch having a moulded label with foliate stops, C14.

Between the windows is a doorway of c.1340 with jambs and 2-centred arch of 2 moulded orders.

The N and S walls each have 4 bays of plain wall-arcading, with jambs and 2-centred arches of 2 chamfered orders and seats, C14.

The chancel-arch is C13, altered in the C14, 2-centred and chamfered.

2 sedilia with chamfered jambs and 2-centred heads, C14, form a continuous range with the S arcading.

The Nave has a N arcade of 4 bays, c.1310, except the easternmost bay, which is wider than the rest, rebuilt in the C15

the E respond has a moulded corbel supported on a corbel carved as a woman's head, the face replaced by an incised flower

The early C13 S arcade is of 4 bays

the easternmost bay is narrower than the rest, rebuilt in the C14

The inner order of the E arch springs from a moulded and foliated corbel with a carved head below, defaced

the W respond has a moulded tapering corbel finished with a carved knot.

The clerestorey is late C15/early C16, built in red brick which has been repaired in the C18, plastered internally, with crenellated parapets.

The late C15/early C16 roof of the nave is in 4 bays, low-pitched, with cambered tiebeams supported on wall-pieces and wooden corbels with arched braces, with intermediate tiebeams above the clerestorey windows, ridge-piece and butt-purlins, all moulded, with plain rafters of horizontal section.

In the E wall is a late C14 window of 3 cinquefoiled lights and quatrefoiled tracery under a square head with a 4-centred outer order which has a moulded label

Further W is the C14 N doorway with jambs and 2-centred head of 2 chamfered orders, and a moulded label with a defaced headstop.

Further W is the C15 S doorway, with moulded jambs and 2-centred arch in a square head, each spandrel with a blank shield in a quatrefoil, and a moulded label with defaced headstops, all much decayed.

The late C12 W tower is of one stage with a SW stair turret inside.

The doorway to it has C12 jambs and a timber lintel with 3-centred arch.

The doorway and W window are C20, with C12 internal splays and semi-circular rear-arch.

The N and S walls each have in the lower part a small C12 window with a pointed head and semi-circular rear-arch.

The N, S and W walls each have in the upper part a C12 window of 2 small lancet lights divided by a chamfered square mullion with moulded capital and plain base

this and the floor are late C13.

The pyramidal base of the spire, which forms the bell-chamber, is a timber structure of the late C13, supported on 3 main beams with wall-pieces and curved braces, with multiple diagonal bracing Upper part of spire not examined.

The N porch, rebuilt in the C18 from a C15 original in stone, is of red brick in English bond with limestone dressings, plastered internally.

The roof is C15, shallow-pitched, with moulded ridge-piece and principal rafters, and plain rafters of horizontal section, restored.

There are carved wooden heads at each end, immediately below the ridge-piece.

The S porch has a C15 outer entrance, much defaced, with plastered brick at the base of the jambs.

The E wall has a square recess containing the disused font, the upper part of the wall extensively repaired in red brick in English bond, with a crenellated parapet, C18.

There are 6 bells, the sixth by Miles Graye, 1623.

The font in the S porch has a plain hexagonal bowl, buttressed and panelled stem and moulded base, C15.

There are fragments of C14

C15 glass, re-set in the N window of the Chancel, the E and SE windows of the S aisle and the NE window of the N aisle.

This last has also early C16 glass, mostly shields of arms.

In the Chancel is an altar tomb with alabaster effigies of a man in plate armour with tabard, head on helm, and feet on a defaced unicorn, probably Henry Wentworth, 1482

both figures are defaced.

On the N wall is a tablet of stone and slate to Joseph Youngman, alias Clerk, 1681-2, with curved pediment and achievement of arms.

There are floor-slabs to Mark Mott, 1691, and Mark his father, 1694

to Simon Delboe, 1685, with shield of arms

There are 3 piscinae: (1) in the Chancel, double, with chamfered jambs, round shaft having a moulded capital and base, 2 trefoiled ogee heads with a quatrefoil under a 2-centred arch, with one octofoiled square drain and one sexfoiled circular drain, C14, in range with the sedilia and arcading, (2) in the E wall of the N aisle, with trefoiled head, C14, restored, drain missing, and (3) in the S aisle, with moulded jambs and 2-centred head having panelled spandrels, late C14.

The C15 Chancel screen is of 11 bays, the 3 middle bays forming the doorway, all with traceried heads, and divided by moulded mullions having attached shafts with moulded capitals in the side bays, foliated cresting, a moulded middle rail and close lower panels, with minor restoration.