Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Thomas II Mears 1819
Dove Bell ID: 53471 Tower ID: 19815 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
East Ruston: St Mary
Overview
Grid reference: TG 364 286
The majority of the church as seen from the south is fourteenth century, with some later windows. The north wall of the nave and the nave ceiling are late eighteenth-century, the wall with later, nineteenth-century, windows.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave with south aisle (arcade of five bays), south porch and west tower. Long chancel.
Dimensions:
The nave measures about 70 feet by 35 feet, and the south aisle 70 feet by 15 feet. The chancel is about 30 feet long and 25 feet wide.
Description of Archaeology and History
The majority of the church as seen from the south is fourteenth century, with some later windows. The north wall of the nave and the nave ceiling are late eighteenth-century, the wall with later, nineteenth-century, windows.
Exterior Description
The walls are all faced with flint with stone dressings save for the north wall of the nave which is of brick. The roof of the nave is covered with pantiles, while the south aisle, chancel and tower are covered with lead, the aisle having the date 1815 on one sheet. The south porch is also covered with pantiles.
The tower is of three stages, undistinguished from each other externally save for the uppermost stage which is separated by a string course from that below. The western corners have angle buttresses which die into the wall at the level of the stringcourse. Apart from two blocked windows in the west wall and a second stringcourse near the ground, the lowest stage has no features at all. On the north side, attached to the nave, is a small squinch across the angle for no very certain reason. It may be connected with the ruinous outbuilding at the foot of the tower.
The middle stage has small lancet lights in each face (that on the north blocked) and the top stage has belfry openings which have lost their central shafts and tracery, the arches being supported on wooden struts. At parapet level there are gargoyles at each corner, and the parapet itself has four merlons to each face. Small slits at irregular intervals in the south- east corner show the position of the spiral staircase.
The north wall of the nave is of brick, and is probably late eighteenth-century. Each of the three bays has a large Perpendicular window; these look like nineteenth-century replacements of ' incorrect ' Georgian round-headed windows. The buttresses dividing the bays are very solid, with small gablets at the top. The plinth upon which the wall stands may be much earlier in date. The east wall of the nave above the chancel roof has been much repaired in brick at the same time.
The north wall of the chancel shows signs of much alteration. As it now stands there are no openings at all, but there have formerly been two windows and a door.
The south aisle has a three-light east window with panel tracery, and three Perpendicular windows in the south wall. The blocked west window and the eastern window in the south wall proclaim an earlier date, being both of two lights with Y tracery. The porch is all Perpendicular with a wide outer arch over which is an empty statue niche with an ogee head; there are low cinquefoil-headed windows in the side walls.
Interior
Interior Description
The south porch leads into the west bay of the south aisle, which is now without pews and forms a chapel with some chairs near the altar at the east end (the window above has the only stained glass in the church). The arcade is carried on octagonal piers and has chamfered arches of two orders. The mediaeval beams of the roof structure are visible, of simple design with struts from the north and south walls supporting the principles. To the left of the altar are three stone steps which may have formed part of the stair to the rood loft.
The nave is very large in area, with a gently curved segmental vaulted ceiling of eighteenth-century plaster. There are two round recesses in this from which lamps must once have hung. The plaster is badly cracked and has indeed fallen in more than cne place. Instead of a tower arch there is a small doorway into the tower space, which is very dark because the two windows in the west wall have been blocked. The space is used for storage, but is dangerous because of the unsound nature of the floor of the chamber above. The arch of the doorway has a small head set in the wall above it.
The floor is paved with parments amongst which are some ledger slabs and matrices which have lost their brasses. The nineteenth-century pews stand on wooden under- floors. In front of the door to the tower is the font, proudly set on two octagonal steps. The lively carving was recut in 1882. The easternbay of the nave is arranged for a choir with stalls facing inwards and a small organ by the eastern pier of the arcade. The windows in the north wall are dull from the inside, with predictable tracery and simply chamfered surrounds.
The chancel arch is of the same date as the nave arcade, carried on similar octagonal responds. The chancel was much refurbished in the last centry, when it was given a tiled floor, a wooden reredos of poor quality and new choirstalls and communion rails. The screen within the chancel arch was, fortunately, left untouched save for the addition out of a panel bearing a text in place of the missing coving.
At floor level, then, the chancel is all nineteenth century. The walls, however, bear little signs of that date, being almost entirely mediaeval.
Fixtures and fittings
Screen
The screen is the most notable piece in the church. The upper part has six arches with almost semi-circular heads and remains of delicate cusping beneath. The coving has entirely disappeared. The central opening takes up the space of two bays, and has a single arch thrown across below the two smaller ones, also with fragments of cusping on the underside. The moulded uprights have extensive traces of painted decoration in the shape of wavy lines and floral trails. The lower part of the screen is panelled with four panels each side of the opening. These each have two quatrefoils at the bottom and traceried heads, the panels painted with representations of the Four Evangelists on the north side and the four Latin Doctors on the south side. Within the central opening are additional uprights which terminate at the height of the dado with pedestals upon which are seated two small dog-like lions, a delightful and unusual feature.
Font (object)
The Font is octagonal, with traceried panels against the stem and a bowl supported on winged angels. On the faces of the bowl, the Symbols of the Evangelists alternate with heads and round the base are frog-like demons.
Organ (object)
The organ, of one manual and five stops, appears to be a fairly recent reconstruction.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: TG 364 286
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.
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 | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
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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