Benchmark - St Mary - Somersham, Suffolk - European Historic Survey Stones, Monuments and Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

A cut benchmark on the north face of St Mary's church, Somersham.

"Parish church, mediaeval. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch. Rendered
rubble walling, partly limewashed with limestone dressings; the tower is of
unplastered flint, septaria and limestone rubble. Plaintiled roofs. The nave
has features of c.1300; a Y-traceried window and two lancets, and north and
south doorways, all with scroll hood-moulds. The chancel was remodelled in
mid C14; a canted and ceiled roof with moulded tie-beam and cornice, a good
net-traceried east window and 2 smaller windows in south wall. Of mid/lace
C14 is the good timber-framed porch with a heavy 2-centred doorway, drop- and
mouchette-traceried side windows and coupled-rafter roof. The tower is also
mid C14 with a 2-light west window, traceried belfry openings to east and
west, and lionhead gargoyles. The C14 or C15 south door has original scrap-
hinges and sanctuary ring. In the north wall is a 2-centred arched roodloft -
doorway, made, unusually, of wood. The sanctus bell bracket is still attached
to a beam in the chancel. The nave was reroofed in C15; canted and ceiled
with moulded arch-braced tie-beams and cornice. Small early C16 priest's door
in the north wall, and a cusped piscina opposice. The altar reredos has
enriched panelling dated 1601; also in the sanctuary are C18 panels bearing
the 10 Commandments, Creea and Lord's Prayer, flanked by fine paintings of
Moses and Aaron, believed to have been given to the church in 1750. Late C17
altar rails with turned balusters. A fragment of C13/C14 wall painting on the
south wall of nave. Blocking the outer face of the north nave doorway is a
slab with inscription of 1786. On the south external wallface is another,
dated 1717/18."

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