St Mary's Church, Mildenhall

Heritage listing

Details TL 7174 12/35 MILDENHALL, THE CHURCHYARD, Church of St. Mary 07.05.54 I Church, medieval. Nave, chancel, west tower, north and south aisles, north and south porches, north vestry. Flint rubble with limestone dressings; some sections built entirely of freestone. Low-pitched leaded roofs with parapets and parapet gables, except for chancel roof (slated). Vestry early C13, with rib-vaulted ceiling, lancets in north and triple lancet in west wall; further good features in south and east walls. Fine chancel arch, heavily moulded with keeled shafts, tooth ornament and stiff-leaf capitals. The chancel was extended early C14, perhaps for Richard de Wichford (d.1344) - see his tomb slab in floor. 3-light side windows and fine 7-light east window, the outer lights continuing up as a frieze of quatrefoils. Double piscina with moulded ogee-arched head and shafts with foliate capitals. Triple sedilia and trefoil- headed aumbry. The east chancel corner buttresses are linked at their heads to form canopied image niches. Nave, aisles, porches and tower were all rebuilt early/mid C15. 5-bay nave arcade with large clerestory windows, fine roof of arch-braced tie-beams and queen posts, all enriched and infilled with tracery. Intermediate trusses have hammer beams in the form of angels, which also embellish cornices and tie-beams. The north aisle roof is exceptionally fine: massive angel hammer beams with richly figure-carved spandrels, cornices and wall posts. The south aisle roof is similar but has traceried spandrels. North aisle walling has buttresses with canopied niches, flushwork, and panelled and traceried parapets with pinnacles. Large north porch with fan-vaulted ceiling and Lady Chapel above, which has two large openings looking down into aisle. Traceried north door, the

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.