NHER 2835 (Building record) - St Mary's Church, Gressenhall

May 1960. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description excerpt:
"Parish church. Medieval and later. Flint and some ferruginous conglomerate with ashlar and some brick dressings. Slate and lead roofs. Aisled nave with south porch and north vestry; central tower with transepts; chancel. Nave with fine three-light 14th-century west window with mouchettes. Victorian aisle west windows. Six 15th-century two-light cusped clearstorey windows. Four restored Perpendicular two-light aisle windows. Porch with diagonal butresses and moulded entrance. Hollow chamfered south doorway with fine 15th-century blind traceried door. Heavily restored 12th-century tower with shallow angle buttresses, Norman former twin bell-openings to north, south and west. West bell-opening (now inside) with chevron moulded arches and shaft. Present bell stage 19th century with two-light bell-openings in Perpendicular style. Transepts with two Perpendicular three-light windows to north and two three-light windows with embattled transoms to south. South transept two storeyed with a small two-light upper window. Chancel with highly decorated buttresses displaying blind tracery with shields and carvings of fantastic beasts on lower copings. Three unusual three-light traceried windows with little or no cusping - probably mid 16th century. Modern three-light east window in Perpendicular style.
Interior: Three-bay nave with 14th- or 15th-century octagonal piers supporting plain chamfered arches of two orders. Mutilated Atlas figure corbels at ends of arcades. Plain chamfered tower arches on polygonal responds. Chancel with finely moulded entrance to former vestry to north. Restored 16th-century piscina cum triple sedilia with very shallow arches, simple blind tracery and miniature rib vaults. Carving above lowermost sedile, of a kneeling saint being stoned. 15th-century south transept ceiling with carved joists and traceried panels retaining some original paint. Staircase in south west corner of transept with 15th-century door retaining original painted posies and ironwork. Two dado panels of former screen with carved tracery and mutilated paintings."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 30 July 2023.

October 1978. Field Observation.
Exterior visted by E. Rose (NAU).
Norman cruciform, altered in 15th century, and much rebuilt in 1878.
The church has a central tower, a south porch a demolished north belfry and a north vestry. The present belfry stage of the tower is entirely 19th century - the tower was shorter before. The only Norman work visible on the exterior are the tower windows at roof level, which have been heavily renewed.
For full details see file.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU). See file notes (S2) for further details (revised in April 1981 to incorporate restoration information supplied by [1]).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 6 December 2023.

A complete record of all the monumental inscriptions was completed in 1980-1981.
See (S3) for further details.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 11 January 2008.

For a description of the church and its historical development, see (S4).

See photos in file.
E. Rose (NAU).

(S5) states that the tower was repaired in 1491 and a spire removed in 1698.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 11 January 2008.

May 2011. Newspaper Article.
Appeal for roof repairs to help maintain the church building, which in part dates back to the 13th century.
See (S6) for further details.
D. Lefeuvre (HES), 22 August 2011.