Church of St Mary Great Milton, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

GREAT MILTON CHURCH ROAD SP60SW (East side) 5/101 Church of St. Mary 18/07/63 (Formerly listed as Church of St. Mary the Virgin)

GV

1 Church. C11/12, C13 and mainly early C14. Coursed limestone rubble and ashlar dressings; sheet metal roofs. 3-bay aisled nave with chancel, west tower and south porch. Chancel retains a tiny round-headed window on each side and a C13 lancet to south, but has 2-light side windows and a 4-light east window of Decorated style. South aisle is entirely elaborate Decorated work with a high moulded plinth, gabled buttresses with ogee-canpied niches, and 3-light side windows, 4-light east window and 2-light west window, each of a different tracery pattern. 2-storey south porch has a ribbed quadripartite vault with richly-carved boss, and the parapet continuing around the aisle has fantastic gargoyles. North aisle is plainer with 3-light windows of reticulated tracery, but incorporates a C13 doorway with deeply-moulded arch and 5 shafts, both detached and attached, with stiff-leaf capitals. 3-stage late C14 tower has deep diagonal buttresses, 2-light west window with early Perpendicular tracery and 2-light belfry openings with Y-tracery. Low clerestory has quatrefoil windows and a 3-light east window. Interior: Chancel has a low king post roof with curved braces from wall posts. In the south wall is a 3-seat C19 sedilia, a C15 pisinca and remains of a C13 piscina, and to north a double aumbrey. Nave arcades are early C13, the west arch of the south arcade being the earliest. Traces of Norman openings are outlined above the north arcade. Nave roof is dated 1522. South aisle has a tie-beam roof dated 1735 and contains a large C14 piscina with double-cusped reticulated tracery. Glass: East window of 1850 by Willement and other mid C19 glass in chancel and at west end of aisles; C14 panels in 1915 window in north aisle; C20 windows in south aisle by Farrer Bell. Fittings: Mid C17 pulpit with arched panels, C19 choir stalls incorporating a medieval bench-end carved with chalice and flagons. Monuments: C15 brass to 4 children; sumptuous canopied alabaster monument to Sir Michael Dormer (died 1616) his wife and his father, with 3 full-length figures and high-quality carved panels including a military scene; elaborate alabaster cartouche to Joanna Meetkerke (died 1695); monument with swan-necked pediment to Elizabeth Wilkinson (died 1654); several C18 wall monuments. (V.C.H.: Oxfordshire, Vol.III; Buildings of England: 0xfordshire, pp.620-22).

Listing NGR: SP6279402422