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Description

GEDNEY Church of St. Mary Magdalene CHURCH GATE (north side) TF 42 SW 4/5 30.6.66 Grade I Parish church. C13, C14, C15, C17. Restored 1891. Ashlar. Lead roofs. Coped gables with parapets, being embattled to the nave with crocketed finials. Decorative ridge cross to east chancel and bellcote to nave. Buttressed. Moulded plinth. Continuous sill band to all but the tower, broken in parts by the buttresses and vestry. Tower, nave, aisles, south porch, chancel with north vestry. Tower of 5 stages with bands and set on a moulded plinth with band over. C15 parapet with corbel table and remains of 2 gargoyles to each side with lower frieze of cusped lozenges. Base of uncompleted ashlar spire topped with small herringbone lead spire. Clasping buttresses, that to the south west being a stair turret, terminating below the bell chamber and with single quatrefoils to each face apart from the north side of the north east buttress. The bell chamber with slender angle buttresses with intermediate crocketed gables and human head label stops terminating at the parapet in similar gables. The west buttresses have further slender stepped buttresses to each face, these terminate below the fourth stage and have nook shafts with shaft rings formed by the bands terminating below the bell chamber. The west and south sides have at the second stage single late C13 pointed arched lancets with dogtooth hood moulds and human head label stops. 5 bay late C13 blind arcading to the west, south and north sides, arches supported on colonnettes, some capitals with stiff leaf decoration. Continuous impost band and continuous hood mould. Above, to all sides, are single pairs of late C13 Y traceried blocked openings, colonnettes with shaft rings alternate with jambs of dogtooth. Moulded capitals, those dividing the lights decorated with stiff leaf, moulded arches. The east side is partially enclosed by the nave roof. Over, to the north and south sides, are single clock faces. Each side of the C15 bell chamber with single pair of 2 light arched openings, each with single transom with single pair of arched and cusped lights above and below the transom, cusped panel tracery and ogee hood moulds. The west wall of the north aisle has a single C17 arched 3 light window with tracery and hood mould. The north wall has a single C14 arched 3 light window with cusped flowing tracery and hood mould. To the left is a moulded pointed arched doorway with plank door, the sill band forming a hood mould. Further left are 2 similar C14 windows with hood moulds and on the far left 2 early C14 arched 3 light windows with cusped intersecting tracery, hood moulds and label stops. The east wall has a single C14 arched 5 light window with cusped flowing tracery and hood mould. The C15 clerestory has twelve 4 centred arched 3 light windows with cusped panel tracery. Between each window is a single pilaster strip decorated with blindcusping and terminating in the finial. There are 2 corner gargoyles. The east wall of the nave has a single pair of arched and cusped lights under a flat arch with hood mould. North chancel has 3 early C14 arched 3 light windows with cusped intersecting tracery, hood moulds and label stops. The central window is foreshortened by the red brick and render vestry with slate roof. The west and east walls with single pointed arched lights. The north wall with 3 arched and cusped lights under a flat arch and with Tudor style hood mould. The east chancel has a single large C14 arched 5 light window with reticulated tracery, hood mould and label stops. The south chancel has 3 restored early C14 arched 3 light windows with cusped intersecting tracery, hood mould and label stops. Under the central window is a moulded arched doorway with hood mould and label stops. To the far left is a single 2 light C15 window with cusped tracery under a flat arch and with moulded hood. The east wall of the south aisle has a single C14 arched 5 light window with cusped flowing tracery, the mullions and jambs with moulded imposts. Hood mould and label stops. The south wall has 2 restored early C14 arched 3 light windows with cusped intersecting tracery, hood mould and label stops. To the left are 2 C14 arched 3 light windows with cusped flowing tracery, hood moulds and label stops. Further left is the 2 storey C14 diagonally buttressed porch with moulded arched entrance and 2 orders of engaged colonnetts with moulded capitals. Hood mould and label stops. Either side are single arched and cusped niches with ogee hood moulds and finials. Over is a single C14 pointed segmental arched 2 light window with cusped tracery, hood mould and label stops. Over is a single arched and cusped niche. The east wall of the top storey has a single C14 window under a flat arch with 3 arched and cupsed lights, the west wall with single similar 2 light window. To the left in the re-entrant angle is the stair turret with 2 narrow rectangular lights and single quatrefoil. Interior of porch with stone benches. The west wall with C14 ogee arched doorway, hood mould and C17 plank door. Moulded arched south doorway with C14 double chamfered jambs, C19 moulded arch and C19 hood mould. C14 wooden door with deep chamfered buttresses decorated with pellets, raised inscription. Wicket door decorated with 4 coats of arms and small niche. To the left of the porch and in the west wall of the south aisle are single arched 3 light C14 windows with cusped flowing tracery, hoodmoulds and label stops. South clerestory corresponds to the north. Interior. 6 bay C14 nave arcades with octagonal columns and responds. Moulded capitals and deep moulded plinths. Double chamfered arches. Hood moulds and human head label stops to nave and aisle sides. Tall triple chamfered C13 tower arch supported on triple circular responds with dogtooth capitals, and hood mould. Line of first nave roof over, the apex with single blocked arched opening. Above is a further C14 former roof line. C19 double chamfered chancel arch, the inner order supported on moulded corbels. C19 traceried screen. Single C19 roundel over with re-used tracery. Chancel with moulded arched vestry doorway with hood mould. Squint through to vestry. Stepped sill band broken in places. C19 reredos, piscina and tripartite sedilia. Aisle windows with continuous sill bands. The clerestory windows are flanked by single engaged octagonal colonnettes supported on carved heads and supporting the C15 roof of tie beams on arched braces alternating with arched braces supporting principals. There is a single hammer beam construction. Decorated with bosses. Early C18 panelled and pilastered pulpit further decorated with carved cherubs heads. Heavily restored octagonal font, the base dated 1664. Some C16 seating in choir, some C15 poppyheads. Remains of C13 pedestal piscina, the capitals decorated with stiff leaf. Further small pedestal piscina. Chest dated 1720. Remains of C15 altar rails with open cusped tracery further decorated with foliate. C17 altar table. C18 table. Substantial remains of C14 glass in the east window of the north aisle and some further north and south aisle windows. Memorials. Remains of C14 ashlar coffin. Early C15 brass of a lady with a dog at her feet. C15 ashlar tomb chest the sides decorated with quatrefoil panels and shields, over is a truncated C13 torso lying on chamfered slab, the surround decorated with wispy stiff leaf. Fine coloured gilt and alabaster memorial to Adlard Welby and his wife Cassandra, erected 1605. Comprising 2 kneeling figures in contemporary dress set into arches with keystones supported on panelled reveal and pilasters. Arches flanked by single Corinthian columns which support a cornice with decorated soffit. Decorative cartouche and 2 shields over flanked by single outer obelisks. The columns are supported on decorative brackets with instription running between. Decorated apron. 2 memorials on the east wall of the south aisle with decorative surrounds, that on the right to Adlard Welbye, 1728 has a coloured shield on the apron. Further memorial to Edward Whitley, 1761, this has a decorative surround to the inscription plaque with coloured cartouche on the apron. Early C19 memorial to Mary Anne Millington by Kent of Boston. Some C18 and C19 floor slabs. Listing NGR: TF4027524350

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