Cut benchmark on the south west angle of All Saints' church tower, Gt Glemham.
A small 14th century church, with a slightly earlier chancel. All Saints is another church which belies the old saw that the north side of a graveyard was unconsecrated ground, since virtually all the burials here are on that side.
"Parish Church. Nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower, north porch. Mostly random flint with stone dressings, plastered walls to nave and chancel; slated roof to nave and chancel, lead roof to south aisle, plaintiles with crest tiles to porch. C15 square tower: 4 stages, west face with diagonal buttresses with flushwork decoration, the north west buttress with an empty niche in the lower stage; crenellated parapet with flushwork in panels; below parapet a string course with gargoyles to each face and smaller stone carvings. 2-light
bell chamber openings. Above the west window is an empty niche, trefoil-headed, square hoodmould with carved shields in spandrels. One-armed clock face to south face of tower (installed 1770, restored). C15 nave, 2 renewed windows in north wall. C15 porch: flushwork to buttresses and plinth; above the doorway is a niche with ogee arch and 2 stone shields; original wooden roof
with carved wall plates. To the right of the nave doorway is a trefoil-headed stoup. C15 south aisle, pulled down and rebuilt in 1850's. Chancel with one broad lancet window and one Y traceried window to north and south (all much renewed but suggesting an early C14 date); south wall with early C16 Priest's doorway in brick; C15 3-light east window. The chancel was restored in 1878.
Very fine 8 bay arch-braced nave roof, re-framed in C19 but largely original: carved wall plates, carved angels (renewed) to bases of wall plates, bosses to the main intersections with pendant bosses along ridge; further east-west arch braces between principals along the ridge and between the wall posts. 3 bay arcade to south aisle, circular piers. Late C15 octagonal font carved with the Seven Sacraments, the panels having a rayed background; square stem and
octagonal base, both carved. Arched entrance to rood loft stairs in north nave wall, the arch head with fleurons and traces of original colouring. Plain C13 piscina and a dropped seat sedilia in south chancel wall. Fragments of old stained glass in each chancel window. East window dated 1915, to memory of 3rd Earl of Cranbrook. Graded I for surviving medieval work."
SOURCE - (
visit link)
All Saints' church,
New Road,
Great Glemham,
Suffolk
IP17 2DB