Parish Church of St Mary [High Easter] (EHER 941)

Parish church dating to the 12th to 16th and 19th centuries. The walls are built of flint rubble with some Roman brick and tiles in coursed herringbone work and as quoins. Dressings are mostly of Reigate stone and clunch. Clerestorey and south porch of red brick and roofs of lead behind battlemented parapets. Consists of nave, north aisle, chancel, south porch, tower and 19th century vestry.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Parish church dating to the 12th to 16th and 19th centuries. The church walls are flint-rubble with some Roman bricks and tiles in the chancel, set in courses in the south wall and herring-bone fashion in the east wall with the exception of the brick clearstory and south porch. The chancel has Roman brick quoins, the nave south wall has east quoins of Roman brick. Dressings are mostly Reigate stone and clunch. The chancel and nave are early 12th century, the north aisle was added in the 14th century (with the outer wall probably dating to the mid 14th century and the arcade not completed until late in 14th century). The chancel-arch was rebuilt and widened late in the 14th century. The north vestry, on the site of the present vestry, was 15th century, the west tower was also added in this century. The south porch and nave clearstory were built in the early 16th century. The nave has many mason's marks. <1> The features and fittings include: 12th, 13th or 14th, 15th and early 16th century windows, 12th, 14th and 15th century doorways, an early 16th century nave roof, a 15th century bell, a brass of 1487, a probable 14th or 15th century chest, 15th century doors, probably 14th century font, 14th and late 14th or 15th century glass, 14th century piscina, late 14th or early 15th century screens. The church was restored in the 19th century and the north vestry was rebuilt. The bells include one dating to 1590, another of 1699. In chancel is a late 17th century chair. Medieval chest has 17th century fittings. Font has lead lining and 1594 inscription. Monuments in churchyard, approximately dating to 1700, are in oak. Plate includes items of 1562. <1> Site Assessment = Some cracks in lower walls, steps of the stair turret badly worn. <1> Roman brick quoins are unmistakable, Roman bricks are used in a herringbone fashion in walling. Wide and large Norman nave and Norman chancel. Plain Norman south doorway, remains of chancel arch. Nave roof unusually impressive. Font is perpendicular. Two 15th century screens. Tombstone in churchyard of 1772 with decoration in style of local pargetting. <2> Field survey. 12th century church. <3> <4> Field visit, 1976 East angles of chancel and south east angle of nave are almost entirely Roman brick. Herringbone work and scattered brick fragments also visible in chancel fabric. <5> <6> Photographs <7> - <12> Additional references. <13> <14>