NHER 10188 (Building record) - St Mary's Church, Shelton

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Summary

St Mary’s Church is one of the best examples of a church built in the Perpendicular style in Norfolk. The majority of the fabric was built for Sir Ralph Shelton, who left money for this in his will of 1497, and who had also had a new hall built at Shelton (NHER 10175). Building finished around the end of the 15th century, although it was never fully completed to Sir Ralph’s plans. Of the previous church, the flint-built west tower and the Decorated style west window of the south aisle survive. Today’s church is of red brick with stone dressings, and inside the soft red piers look almost impossibly thin against the shining white walls, an illusion of height increased by the thin but bright east window and the high white 18th century roof. The stained glass is considered to be some of the best in South Norfolk, with 15th and 16th century figures of the Sheltons in the east window and more medieval pieces in the north and south aisles. A beautiful church, and a grand example of the fasion in church architecture at the end of the 15th century.

Protected Status/Designation

Location

Map sheet TM29SW
Civil Parish SHELTON, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

Decorated style west end; otherwise all of 1480s, Perpendicular style, never completed. One of the handful of 'real' Perpendicular style Norfolk churches.
For full details (S1) and photographs see secondary file.
Visited and Comp. E. Rose 22 March 1979.

This is one of the sixty five Norfolk churches selected for (S2).
D. Gurney (NLA), 17 February 2006.

  • --- Aerial Photograph: TM2291 G.
  • --- Article in Serial: Armstrong, Rev B. J. 1895. Notes on the Church and Family of Shelton. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XII, pp 234-242.
  • --- Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
  • --- Leaflet: Roy Tricker. 1977. The Hempnall Group, A Historical Guide..
  • --- Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, B. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 641-643; Pl 35, Pl 36, Pl 50.
  • --- Monograph: Pevsner, N. 1962. North-West and South Norfolk. The Buildings of England. 1st Edition. pp 308-310; Pl 17, Pl 22b, Pl 39b.
  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • --- Website: Knott, S.. St Mary, Shelton. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/shelton/shelton.htm. 24 January 2007.
  • <S1> Unpublished Document: Rose, E. (NAU). 1979. Building Report. Building Report.
  • <S2> Publication: Jenkins, S. 2000. England's Thousand Best Churches.
  • DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FONT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOD SCREEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

May 25 2017 12:16PM

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