Church of St Mary the Virgin, Henham (EHER 4538)

A mainly 13th and 14th century church which has escaped much later alteration. A flint and stone church comprising an early 13th century chancel, a 14th century nave, with a south aisle of about 1300, developed from a late 13th century south transept, and a west tower of about 1325.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 4538, 4539, 3540, and 36138. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St. Mary's Church (NAT). <1> The chancel is early 13th century, and in about 1290 a south transept was added to the nave. In 1300 the south aisle was added and the south transept destroyed, except the arch opening into the nave. The north aisle and west tower were built about 1325. Late in the 15th century the south porch was added. The nave is 14th century. Windows and doorways are of the 13th to 15th centuries. There is one 15th century bell, and a 15th century door in the south doorway. The font is octagonal with a quatrefoil panel and shield on each side, and is 15th century in date. There is a niche in the south aisle, high up on the south wall at the east end, probably 15th century. The piscinae are late 15th century, 15th century, and 13th century. The pulpit is 15th century. The screen under the chancel arch is late 15th century and there is 15th century glass in the church. The church was restored in the 19th century but has been little altered. There are 18th century windows, and 17th century bells. The communion table is early 17th century. There is a 17th century floor slab in the chancel, and also there is a 17th century carved book rest. There are mid 17th century stalls in the chancel. <2> Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade I. A mainly 13th and 14th century church which has escaped much later alteration. There is a carving of a leopard's head and a dragon in the north arcade. A 1790 monument is dedicated to Samuel Feake, Chairman of the East India Company and Governor of Fort William (died 1757). <3> Church at Henham mentioned in a will of 1044-45. Copy of will, from Whitelock's book. Will cannot be later than 1045 or earlier than 1043 . <4> - <6> Undoubtedly the later structure evolved from a yet earlier structure of which nothing is known except, perhaps, the ground plan of the nave. The will of 1044-45 proves its Saxon ancestry. One or two good 18th century headstones in the graveyard, one on the north side of the chancel is superb. Early 13th century chancel, nave, south transept. Tower interior stripped, revealing reused ashlar and there is Norman diaper-ornamented stone in the south porch and in the south aisle. Parts of flooring related in recent years and opportunities to resolve some of the problems of the church have doubtless been lost. Exterior of chancel and north aisle in a poor state of repair. Will require work 'soon'. Graveyard well foliated but very tidy and partial clearance must have taken place. Graded BB1a. <7> 13th century chancel. Rest is mostly 14th century except the late 15th century south porch. The north arcade has a similar irregularity to the south (where the transept was added and removed, see above). A piece of the 13th century nave was left standing at its east end. The capital of the middle pier has a carving of the virgin dating to about 1500. Monument, 1790, to Samuel Flake. Design quite out of the ordinary run. <8> The east wall of the chancel (exterior) has elements of small blind arcading at mid-wall height. Possibly early Romanesque. <9> Six jars were discovered embedded in the flint fabric of the east chancel wall during external repairs in 1978. The jars lay on their sides with the mouths facing outwards and arranged in a triangular pattern, and were dated to about AD 1050-1150. The same restoration revealed part of a Norman blind arcade on each side of the east window, suggesting an earlier origin for the church. The pottery is in a sandy, slightly micaceous fabric with small black inclusions. All are wheel-thrown. Not acoustic as they faced outwards. Unlikely to be a weight-reducing feature because of their small numbers, and their position. Chancel conventionally dated to the 13th century but same restoration work revealed part of a Norman blind arcade each side of the east window. <10> Six pots found in 1978 on the outside east wall of the chancel during repairs. They were bedded in the flints high up under the apex of the gable. Unfortunately they were smashed in removing them. According to the finder they were 8' high, lying on their sides, open ends outwards (away from the interior) and in the form of an arrowhead. Possibly acoustic jars, dated by Hurst to the 13th century. <11> Harold Taylor suggests a possible use as lighter building material, to reduce sideways forces on the walls. <12> Shape looks late medieval but fabric much more likely to be 13th. If the wall is 12th century, Hurst doubts if the pots are early as this. They look custom built as this is not a medieval shape. There are others of this type. The east wall would be quite suitable for acoustic purposes. <13> Reconstructed drawing. <14> Article has a note on 'acoustic jars'. <15> Photos, including carvings. <16> Removal of the reredos (18th to 19th century) painted with the Creed, Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments, revealed the same texts painted on the wall underneath. The writing style suggests a late 17th to 18th century date. They are in poor condition. When the reredos is restored and returned to its original position they will be covered up again. <17> Application for using French drains. Agreement for lowering of monuments and recording of test holes, 1982. <18> 2025 note: This does appear to have been done. 2015. Watching brief. Excavations in 2015 resulted in the lifting of the 20th pamments floor which revealed in either side of the porch the 15in (0.38m) wide foundation for a smaller porch with returns at the southern end for a smaller doorway. The foundation was composed of brick and flint rubble bound in lime mortar. In plan it measured 11ft x12ft externally. The dressed stone of the windows is inscribed TH 1757 and WC 1813 and there are many deeply carved apotropaic marks which must date back to the 16th and 17th century, when the practice was common. There was a brief resurrection of such marks in the mid 19th century but these would be much sharper in definition. <19> See: <20> - <22>