Weight: 504 lbs Diameter: 28.06" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by John Darbie 1664
Dove Bell ID: 50885 Tower ID: 18263 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Belstead: St Mary the Virgin
Diocese of St.Edmundsbury & Ipswich
Church, 633099
https://www.facebook.com/northsamfordbeneficeOverview
Grid reference: TM 126 410
The small medieval parish church of Belstead St Mary enjoys high visibility, as it stands isolated on a slight rise in open rolling farmland. The nave walls are very thick suggesting a 12th-century origin, but the earliest architectural features date from about 1300. Most of the features date to the mid 14th century, including the tower, most doorways and the nave roof, and to the 15th century. The archaeological potential of the building and site is high.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay nave, chancel, south tower, north chapel, north vestry.
Dimensions:
Nave 22m (68ft) x 8m (25 ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 276 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The nave walls are very thick suggesting a 12th-century origin, but the earliest architectural features date from about 1300. Most of the features date to the mid 14th century, including the tower, most doorways and the nave roof, and to the 15th century (most of the windows). A north chapel was added in the 16th century by the Blosse family and named after them. The tower parapet and stair turret may date to the 18th century. The church was restored in the 19th century and again in the 1980s, principally the west end.
The archaeological potential of the building and site is high. Apart from the archaeological deposits, features and burials associated with the church, the church lies on the fringe of the valley of Belstead Brook in an area of light soils suitable for early agriculture. There are minor complexes of cropmarks all around the area with signs of occupation, trackways and farming from the Bronze Age; a probable ring ditch lies some 300m to the north; and sherds of late Iron Age pottery suggesting settlement lie close by to the west. There is no known scatter of Medieval occupation debris near the church which suggests that the present separation from the village is ancient.
Exterior Description
The elevated position makes the most of the narrow and short tower, which is square and of three stages with a brick embattled parapet, this perhaps renewed in the 18th century. As with many churches in the Ipswich area, it is set to the south against the middle bay of the nave, and doubles as a porch. It has short angle buttresses to the first string course at the junction with the nave. There are the remains of scratch dials and small incised crosses on the east and west quoins.
The outer doorway has polygonal responds with moulded capitals, much eroded, with incised cuts and graffiti. The arch is of one chamfered order and two hollow-moulded orders with fillets, and a continuous outer double ogee moulding under a hood-mould. The inner doorway has multiple moulded orders including wave with fillets and a deeply incised hollow chamfer, under a scroll-moulded hood with figure stops. It is set within an earlier, taller arch, with wave-moulded jambs running into a hollow-chamfered arch.
Above the outer doorway is a single trefoil-headed light with a hood-mould to the ringing chamber. The bell openings are louvred to the south and west, that to the south was formerly traceried. In the east face is a Perpendicular cusped traceried 2-light opening with stilted head, the cill set below the bell stage through the string course.
The nave west window is a 3-light in a simple Perpendicular style, clearly restored in the 1980s. The west wall has diagonal buttresses. The rendered south wall west of the tower is blind, while in the north wall a blocked doorway is visible with multiple mouldings, and a hood-mould with one figure stop. East of the tower there is a 2-light 14th-century window in the south nave wall with curvilinear tracery, much restored in the 19th century.
The partly rendered north chapel stands on a tall stone plinth, and has a white brick embattled parapet. The north wall is pierced by two windows of 19th-century plain lights beneath 16th-century moulded brick 4-centred arched hoods, much eroded.There are similar moulded brick hoods to the blocked doorway and blocked west window of the chapel, visible despite the render.
The chancel south wall is pierced by two 2-light cusped Y-traceried windows with eroded stops, either side of a priest’s doorway which has a chamfered 4-centred arch and hood-mould. The east window is a fine 3-light Perpendicular window with a 4-centred arch and an embattled transom. The vestry on the north side has a catslide roof, the east wall pierced by a 2-light Y-tracery window. It has a thin brick chimney.
Interior
Interior Description
The church has been plastered and whitewashed several times. The 3-bay north arcade between the nave and the chapel has octagonal piers with hollow and wave-moulded arches, clearly restored in the 19th century. The blocked north doorway already referred to can be seen, with a chamfered arch. The organ occupies part of the eastern bay, breaking forward into the nave, with displayed painted pipes.
There is a clear break to the nave to the west of the chapel, the nave wall bulging and leaning slightly. The restored west window has a rere-arch with Perpendicular shaft, a length of old timber is laid on the cill, perhaps found during the restoration work. The scissor-beam nave roof is of 14th-century origin but has been heavily restored, with an embattled wall-plate.
The floors are of pammets, with red carpet in the central alley and chancel. The south-west section of pews are 17th-century in date, simple oak benches with moulded cornices. A south doorway here still has its original rectangular frame, plank door and shaped head, and is locked with a padlock, despite leading nowhere. The fine pulpit is of roughly the same date as the pews. Most of the other furniture is of the late 19th century, similar in style in pitched pine, the choir stalls with panelled sides. The chancel arch no longer exists and the division is marked by the arch-brace of the last bay of the nave roof.
In the chancel, there is a blind pointed arch in the north wall opposite the pointed head of the priest’s door. The chancel roof is plastered, with an embattled and coved cornice.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
1621
Table with turned legs, much restored
Pulpit
Jacobean 7-sided pulpit with carved blind arcading on the panels and a coved stem, later base, perhaps contemporary with the altar table.
Lectern
1911
Wooden reading stand, given 1911 in memory of Laura Jane Wilson.
Font (object)
15th Century
Octagonal font of the East Anglian school, the bowl supported by angels, the panels alternately a rose and angel bearing shields; band of roses below the bowl, the stem supported by lions alternating with moulded shafts.
Reredos
Oak panelling, with a 19th-century painting of Christ breaking bread at the Last Supper inset.
Brass
Floor brass, on black stone. 3 figures of knight and 2 wives, thought to be John Goldingham died 1518 and his wives Jane and Thomasine. Blank indent.
Organ (object)
Large single manual organ by Norman & Beard.
Rail
19th Century
Communion rails with simple open Gothic tracery.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: TM 126 410
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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