Church of St Mary, Helmingham

Heritage listing

Details HELMINGHAM IPSWICH ROAD TM 15 NE 4/96 Church of St Mary 9.12.55 - I Parish church, medieval with major alterations of C19. Chancel, nave, west tower and south porch. Rubble walling mainly refaced in C19 flushed flint rubble; freestone dressings. Plaintiled roofs with parapet gables; a large gabled plaintiled dormer with traceried window, possibly added in early C17 to accommodate the head of a large monument (see below). Good early C13 south doorway with square moulded imposts and reveals; door of c.1500 with deep moulded ribs and traceried panels. North doorway also of early C13 design, but copied or introduced in restoration of c.1845. Fine west tower by Thomas Aldrych of North Lopham; contract dated 1488 specifies similar details to the newly-built tower at Framsden. Inscription at the base states: "SCANDIT AD ETHERA VIRGO PUERPERA VIRGULA JESSE". The west doorway is moulded and labelled with shields, lion corbels and a pair of flanking niches, ogee-headed and buttressed. Above is a 3-light window. The embattled and pinnacled parapets have complex flushwork bearing the date 1545. The porch is also of c.1500 with flushwork panels to the parapets. In the nave are 3-light late Perpendicular windows, much restored in C19. Chancel mainly mid C19 in the Decorated Style; possibly a remodelling by A. Salvin c.1840 (drawings survive) of previous major alterations by Joseph Martyr c.1757. Rave roof of c.1530 in 7 bays with 2 half bays: arch braced collar beams, and pendant posts beneath arch braced purlins; principals also arch-braced from moulded shafts; deep moulded cornice. Good C15 font: the bowl has alternate lions and shields on each face, and the stem has buttresses and supporting lions above human heads. The church contains a number of major monuments to the To

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.