Churchyard walls, gates, gatepiers and railings at Church of Saint Mary

Cadw's description

Location

Situated encircling churchyard of St Mary's Church except at upper S end.

History

Walls, railings, gates and gate piers mostly of 1860 by W. H. Lindsey, the railings along the SE side earlier C19. The medieval charnel house at the NW corner, by the tower, was demolished in 1893, replaced with matching railings. The medieval doorway from the charnel house was reused in 1911 by W.D. Caroe as the churchyard N entry. The design for the SE gateway and E wall is shown in a lithograph of 1860 by W.H. Lindsey. The top S corner of the churchyard has modern churchyard gates and railings, on site of the Fish Market, demolished in the 1950s.

Exterior

Churchyard walls and railings. SE side has low rubble wall with curved grey limestone coping and iron railings with spearhead finials. Standards with urn finials. Two square sandstone gatepiers, each with plinth, slightly pointed arched panel on shaft, and added pyramid cap, flank wrought iron double gates with scrolled iron overthrow. Gates have spearhead rails and dog-bars, scrolled mid-rail and cresting. 1860 work begins with churchyard gateway at right end of SE side. Brown sandstone ashlar with double chamfered pointed arch, hoodmould and eroded carved stops. Sloping sides and steeply chamfered coping in three steps with cross finial. Churchyard walls at E end, N side and W are raised on rubble retaining walls, particularly high at N and E. Squared sandstone low walls over stringcourse, with widely spaced crenellations, with steeply-chamfered coping. Between each crenellation is two-bay section of low cast-iron railings to a zig-zag pattern with Gothic cusping, and fleurs de lys finial on centre standard. At NE corner is a tall sandstone pier with chamfered angles, pyramid cap and octagonal stone finial. At W end of N side a projection over a basement with cambered-headed entry, and, beyond, a flight of 18 stone steps with scrolled iron railings up to a short length of high rubble wall with chamfered coping stepped with ashlar plaque over a segmental pointed entry. Entry frames pointed medieval archway from former charnel house reset facing into churchyard. Double iron gates. The high wall turns NW corner of churchyard, and then W side has retaining wall with 1860 top as elsewhere, stepped up Tower Hill.

Reason for designation

Included for group value with the Church of Saint Mary.