Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ovington (EHER 7038)

Parish Church. 12th century origin nave. 14th century rebuilt chancel. South porch and bell turret of uncertain date possibly 15th or 16rth century. Walls of flint rubble with no chancel division. Red plain riled roof kith coping and cross to east. Restored in the 19th century. 12th century tub font.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 7038, 7039, and 27859. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St Mary's Church [NAT]. <1> Parish Church of St Mary The Virgin stands near the middle of the parish. The church walls are flint and pebble rubble, mostly plaster-covered, with limestone and clunch dressings and tiled roofs. Much of the nave walling may be 12th century but no detail is left 'in situ'. The chancel was rebuilt in the second half of the 14th century and is as wide as the nave. The chancel and nave are structurally undivided. Features and fittings: 14th century windows and doorways; possibly 14th century doors, though restored; the font is probably 14th century; late 14th century glass 'in situ' in the south wall; 14th century piscina and sedile; a stone with a square sunk bowl and groove or drain at the back may be 12th century; a chest of uncertain date octagonal stone shaft with scalloped capital, 12th century, built into the south west buttress. RCHM says the south porch may be 16th century, but also says it was probably added in the 18th century. The timber-framed and plastered south porch and bell-turret were added in the 18th century, probably. In the 19th century the church was restored and the east wall re-faced or rebuilt. Features and fittings include: a bell of 1631 late 17th and 18th century floor slabs in the church and churchyard. <2> The windows indicate the nave and chancel are 14th century in date. Site Assessment = "No furnishings of interest". <3> The Norman church is indicated by reused 12th century mouldings in the church fabric, though the visible work is mainly 14th century. "Internal offsets at the bases of the walls at the W end of the nave may be indicative of a tower which preceded the present timber bell-turret. There was a curious 19th century habit here and at Tilbury-juxta-Clare of making decorative features out of fragments of medieval dressings and tombs. The base of the font at Ovington is thus made; there are other examples outside". Graded CIIIa by Rodwell. Site Assessment = "Considerable repairs have been undertaken, including the stripping of external rendering, some of the pointing is very recent and it would have been very useful to have studied the fabric before this took place.. The churchyard is rough-mown and quite pleasant. There are some good iron-railed tombs which need to be kept in repair." <4> Church of St Mary the Virgin (formerly listed as Church of St Mary). Parish church. Tower and south porch uncertain in date, possibly 15th-16th centuries. 19th-20th century windows. South porch and bell turret of uncertain date, possibly 15th-16th centuries. 19th century stained glass in east and west windows - two 19th century wall plaques. Early 19th century table tomb in the churchyard is also listed. RCHM 1. Grade II*. <5> Three photos. <6> See also: <7> <8>