St Mary's Church, Old Hunstanton

{{short description|Parish church in Norfolk}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}

File:Old Hunstanton Church - geograph.org.uk - 167383.jpg

St Mary's Church is the parish church of Old Hunstanton in the English county of Norfolk. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was built in 14th-century Perpendicular, and restored in 1860 by Frederick Preedy at the instigation of Henry Le Strange.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1077920|desc=Church of St Mary|access-date=24 February 2025}} It is Grade I listed.

History

The church is 14th-century, and replaced an earlier Norman building.{{Cite web|url=http://www.saxonshorebenefice.co.uk/oldhunhist.htm|title=Saxon Shore Benefice: History of Old Hunstanton|access-date=17 February 2025}} The only remnant of the Norman church is the font.

The church is built from flint, with a tower in the north west and north and south aisles. The south porch is a 19th-century addition.

Architecture and fittings

The Norman font is in the traditional location at the west of the nave. The lower panels of the chancel screen are 16th-century.

There is a single tenor bell, by John Stephens of Norwich and dating from 1726.{{Cite web|url=https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/tower/21111|title=Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers: St Mary's, Old Hunstanton|access-date=15 February 2025}}

=Stained glass windows=

File:St Mary's church - east window - geograph.org.uk - 836897.jpg

Most of the stained glass dates from the 1860s refurbishment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.norfolkstainedglass.org/Old_Hunstanton/home.shtm|title=Norfolk Stained Glass: Old Hunstanton|access-date=15 February 2025}} The five-light east window is generally regarded as Preedy's greatest work. Preedy also designed the three-light Tree of Jesse east window in the south aisle chapel; there are also windows by Powell and Paul Quail.

=Organ=

The organ was built in 1936 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd; the organ case was built by Sir Walter Tapper.{{Cite web|url=https://npor.org.uk/survey/N12420|title=National Pipe Organ Register entry no N12420|access-date=15 February 2025}} Walkers undertook various refurbishments and modifications; the most recent refurbishment was by W. & A. Boggis of Diss in 2008.{{Cite web|url=https://npor.org.uk/survey/P00506|title=National Pipe Organ Register entry no P00506|access-date=15 February 2025}}

Bats

The church is home to a roost of common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle bats.{{Cite web|url=https://batsinchurches.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Old-Hunstanton-Case-Study-Poster.pdf|title=Bats in Churches: Old Hunstanton|access-date=17 February 2025}}

References

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Category:Grade I listed churches in Norfolk

Category:Church of England church buildings in Norfolk