Norwich: St Mary-at-Coslany
Overview
Grid reference: TG 228 91
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower, nave and chancel with north and south aisles and north and south chancel chapels; the aisle is continuous from east to west on the north, but on the south the chapel is one bay shorter and the south aisle (or Thorp Chapel) extends only along the two eastern bays of the nave.
Exterior Description
The church is particularly noted for the quality and extent of its flint flushwork, but an examination of the exterior may quite conveniently begin with its north flank, where no flushwork in fact appears except in the base frieze of the west wall of the north aisle. The west window of the aisle is broadly of the character which is followed throughout the church - i.e. it is both wide and tall, with (in this case) five principal lights and Perpendicular tracery under a four-centred head. In this instance the stonework appears to have been completely renewed, no doubt in the extensive and reasonably sensitive 19th century restoration of 1883-4. There are moulded transoms stepped up and down in the pattern 1;2;3;2;1, with both an upper and a lower transom in the middle light. The north aisle wall extends along the nave for four bays, the treatment being the same for bays one, three and four from the west: a dado of random stonework up to about five feet, then a moulded string-course and above that the walls finished in ashlar and containing a large window of four principal cusped lights. The second bay differs in that it contains the north door, set asymmetricallyand with quite richly laoulded imposts with an inner order of shafts. Above it is a four-centred hood moulding and then only above that (i.e. several feet above the neighbouring bays) is there ashlar walling and a window similar to the other three but necessarily shorter.
At the junction of aisle and north chapel is a substantial stair-turret of five sides rising almost to eaves' level. It has a squgre opening high up on the north face and a pierced quatrefoil opening on the west. Rather improbably it is capped by a 19th century stone chimney of distinctive shape. A triangular section joins the stair-turret and north wall of the chapel towards the base, and in the north-east angle is an early 19th century door with applied Y -tracery. The north chapel is of two bays, closely following the aisle pattern; the western bay contains a doorway with hoodmoulding, though the doorway is blocked, and follows the pattern of the second bay of the aisle; the eastern bay follows the pattern of the other three bays of the aisle.
With the east and south walls of the chancel begins the flint flushwork, though on these two walls it is of the 1883-4 restoration - and exceedingly fine in quality it is too. The east window is of this date, and rather tame compared with the majority of the windows in the church. Early rather than Late Perpendicular in style it has three tall principal lights with tracery contained within a pointed head; the stone for the tracery, and for the dado below, appears to be Bath stone in contrast to the white limestone of the other windows and stone dressings. The chancel south window is of four principal lights of the same height and then a row of mouchettes above which are smaller tracery lights within a four-centred head. This window appears to be original, i.e. early 16th century.
The east window of the south chapel is like the elaborate east window to the north chapel except that the transoms are castellated and the whole of the tracery looks to be 19th century though, if so, it doubtless replaced what was there before. It is the east and south walls of the aisle and chapel which display the magnificent flint flush work Perpendicular tracery for which the church is noted; the three great south windows are like those of the north aisle and the visual effect of them in combination with the flushwork tracery is one of great delicacy and richness combined.
The tower is one of the best in Norwich, to be remembered alongside St. Stephen, St. Gregory and St. Peter Mancroft. It is of four stages, all of 0110 them substantial, and the diaconal buttresses are both stepped and steeply raked so that the stages appear to become smaller although their walls are all on the same plane. Both the two top stages have three-light belfry windows with traceried heads under four-centred arches; but those in the third stage are blank except on the west and one explanation of this might surely be that this was intended to be the belfry stage but that, at a late period, it was decided to build an additional storey. The parapet has a handsome frieze of strapwork and then is castellated; at the corners are substantial piers with cinquefoil-headed panels and oblisks - the top, perhaps, was added or altered in the 17th century.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1884
Chancel east window. Erected in 1884 as a memorial to Richard and Jane Bullard. The centre light has a panel depicting The Deposition (rather an uncommon subject for an east window); the remainder of the centre light and the flanking lights contain rather severe geometrically patternedgrisaille. In the tracery lights are the Evangelists and the Agnus Dei.
Stained Glass
North Chapel east window. In the tracery lights assorted fragments which include late mediaeval canopy work and other oddments, Norwich school, and a few pieces which look 17th or 18th century. In the main lights below are four shields: two are the royal arms of England, one is encircled by the Garter, and one a shield of arms which appears foreign in origin and is dated 1577.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the church is light and wide and high, the walls plastered and colour-washed a light ochre and the window tracery, arcades, piers, and other architectural embellishments limewashed, and thereby bringing out something of the delicacy and refinement of the late Perpendicular architecture.
The tower arch is lofty and the arch itself moulded; the imposts are simply chamfered corners and have been painted to give the impression of irregular quoins. The tower also appears to have an inner arch and the entire opening is closed in, the lower part by handsome 18th century panelled doors and the upper part by a boarded dado and glazed wooden window with mullions, transoms, and two tiers of cinquefoil-headed lights. This upper part is presumably late 19th, or 20th century and provides a satisfactory enclosure for the ringing chamber. The chancel arch is no less lofty than the tower arch, though slightly wider; the arch is broad and moulded but, like the tower arch, it does not spring from moulded imposts but from plain walling which is simply brougit to a corner on either side.
In the aisles each bay has an internal relieving arch supported by slender colonettes mid-way between each window - a graceful and unifying concept, linking the sides of the church (set far apart as they are, and of unequal lengths) more closely together. The arcades have four-centred arches, the inner and outer mouldings springing from colonnettes within and outside the arch respectively; these colonnettes have castellated capitals, each five sides of an octagon and those towards the arches are larger and more elaborate.
The chancel is two steps higher than the nave. To the north chapel there is an arcade of two bays, exactly like that of the nave. But between it and the chancel arch is a large blank opening, irregular both at the top and on one side: could this be a vestige of a predecessor of the present building, all of which appears to date from the early years of the 16th century. It is difficult to account for otherwise, and if it is the case the earlier building must surely have been on a similar scale. On the south side the south chancel window and the arch to the chapel are both set within a deep revealing arch: these meet in the middle and terminate, some six feet above the ground, in a corbel.
The north and south chapels have their own entrance arches from the west. The north chapel has two blocked north doorways visible internally (only one externally), one of them still with a fine panelled and traceried door. The side arches towards the chancel as well as that towards the nave have been closed in with glazed wooden traceried screens like that across the upper part of the tower arch. The south chapel has a similar screen at the west: some two thirds of it is occupied by the organ and about one third by an inadequate oddly-shaped space for a vestry.
The flooring of the church is of great interest. In part it consists of red pamments (c.f. mach of the nave and aisles), there is a good number of fine ledger stones (v. below): and by the pulpit is some characteristic 18th century paving of white marble squqres with black marble diamonds at the corners.
Fixtures and fittings
Table
Elizabethan (or early 17th century) Communion table, with a modern top.
Font (object)
c. 14th Century
Octagonal bowl with a quatrefoil on all of the panels; the stem is garnished with engaged colonnettes, each of which has a ring.
Font (component)
Early 17th Century
Plain moulded cover, with a pierced steeple; a modest specimen of a characteristic Norwich type.
Pew (object)
c. Mid 19th Century
Solid, dark-stained.
Lectern
19th Century
Brass eagle.
Organ (object)
1884
A three manual of 1884 by Norman Bros. of Norwich.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TG 228 91
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
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