St Mary the Virgin, Morton

We are in the interesting conservation area of Morton. A leaflet in the church provides some information why this location has been historically so important.

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin consists of nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, and north vestry. The nave and chancel, which are structurally undivided, are of flint rubble. The dressings of clunch have now mostly been replaced with more durable stone. The tower and vestry are of red brick. The south porch is of wood.

There was a church in Moreton before the end of the 11th century. William de Scohies, lord of the manor of Moreton by 1086, gave the church with its land and tithe to the abbey of St. Stephen, Caen .

Nothing remains of the pre-13th-century church except the font (see below). The present nave and chancel date from the first half of the 13th century, the nave having been built first. The nave has two restored lancet windows in the north wall and one in the south. The position of the north and south doorways is probably original. The east wall of the chancel has three lancets, a central one in the gable and two below. The north wall of the chancel has two lancets, one of them being behind the organ.

The tower may originally have been of the 16th or early 17th century. Morant (1768) described the tower as 'of brick, plaistered over, with a spire shingled'. Parts of the nave and chancel roofs date from the 17th century.

In 1786 part of the tower fell in a gale. It was rebuilt by James Marrable in 1787 'upon the model of the old'. It is of red brick, in three stages, and has a castellated parapet and a short shingled spire. The doorway into the nave was built at the same time. The two-light window near the east end of the nave on the south side is like the wooden west window of the tower and is probably of about the same period.

In 1868-9 there was a thorough restoration of the interior of the church. Many of the fittings, including the box pews, the chancel wainscoting, the lists of benefactions to the poor, texts and hatchments, were removed. New pine seating was installed. The pulpit was reconstructed and the sounding-board removed. The vestry may have been built at the same time.

There are six bells. Two were recast in 1928 when the wooden framework supporting the bells was replaced by steel. The inscription on one of these, 'Miles Graye and William Harbert me fecit 1627', has been cut out and mounted on a pedestal in the church. Of the remainder one is inscribed 'Miles Graye 1632', one 'Thomas Gardiner Sudbury 1712', and one 'Thomas Lester 1751'. The sixth bell (No. 1) was presented by the ringers themselves in 1933.

The cache

You’re looking for a 35mm film canister. The cache has a log book but no pen so please bring one with you. Take care of the road whilst looking.

Church Micro Series

If any body would like to expand to this series please do, could you please let sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.