St Mary

otherwise laid as random rubble, with buff-coloured dressings and quoins, tile roofs and cast-iron rainwater goods.

EXTERIOR: The tower is C14

The remainder is mainly in an elaborate neo-Norman style, intermixed with Gothic elements and built around some genuine C12 work.

The nave south doorway is late C12.

The exception is a C14 cusped nave south-east window, lighting a former altar, that is now made to look out of place.

INTERIOR: The C14 tower arch has 2 orders of continuous chamfer, and inner order on simple imposts.

The chancel arch is C12 and has two orders of nook shafts with scalloped capitals, with chevrons in the arch.

The only other medieval feature is a simple pointed piscina in the south-east corner of the nave.

Floors are red and black tiles, with wood floors below pews.

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: In the nave south wall is a C14 segmental-pointed recess enriched with ballflower, containing an effigy of a knight with shield.

The font is a massive plain round bowl of the C12, on a C19 stem and base.

The chancel screen incorporates C16 work in its delicate tracery and foliage trail.

A simple C16 screen in the north chapel, together with the (altered) C18 communion rail, was brought from Avenbury church, via nearby Munderfield chapel, in 1980.

On the aisle east wall is a painted memorial to Margery de la Downes There are several C18 and C19 wall tablets, and grave slabs set along the chancel north and south walls.

HISTORY: Of the original late C12 church only the chancel arch and the south doorway have survived.

A tower was added in the C14, heightened in the C15.

The present plan of the church might be medieval but it is no longer possible to tell because of the major rebuilding works of the C19.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The church of St Mary, Bishop's Frome, is listed Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * It retains C12 south doorway and chancel arch of high-quality. * It has a well-preserved C14 and C15 west tower, which is the most prominent external feature of the church. * For its medieval fixtures, chiefly a C14 tomb recess and effigy, and C12 font bowl. * It has other fixtures of quality including screen with medieval parts, painted C16 memorial and communion rail and screen brought from Avenbury. * The Neo-Norman work is unusual, and an interesting echo of a style of church building for which the country is renowned.