Clophill – St Mary

Clophill - St Mary

The ‘new’ church of St Mary in Clophill is situated to the north of the High Street towards the east of the village. Some parking is available in the churchyard or on the main road outside.

Web site: Clophill Church

Patron saint: St Mary

Contact details


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The current parish church is modern in church architecture terms, only dating from 1848. It was built to replace the now ruined Old St Mary’s which is situated above the village to the north-east of the current building.

The church consists of a nave with a small chancel, a south aisle and porch with a west tower. When built, the church had a clerestory but when woodworm struck in the 1960's this was removed when the roof was replaced with the current roof.

Clophill - St Mary. South aisle.

The south aisle has three windows, two to the east of the porch and one to the west.

The eastern and western windows are of three lights whilst the middle window has two lights.

All of the windows have cinquefoiled lights with modern tracery in the perpendicular style above.

Clophill - St Mary. South aisle window.
Clophill - St Mary. South porch.

The south porch has lancet windows in square heads to the east and west with the main outer door being in a two centred arch below a carved spandrel.

Two figureheads adorn the corbels.

Clophill - St Mary. South doorway.

The tower is in three stages with an octagonal stair turret in the south-east corner accessed from outside.

The lower level has single light cinquefoiled square headed windows on both south and north sides.

The south facing clock is in a carved surround with the year of the clock's installation, 1984, shown as the quarters of the hour.

Clophill - St Mary. Tower from the south.
Clophill - St Mary. Blocked west door.

The west door is blocked and above is a three light cinquefoiled window with modern perpendicular tracery above.

The belfry openings are two light cinquefoiled openings under a square head with carved corbels.

Clophill - St Mary. West window.
Clophill - St Mary. North aisle.

The north aisle has four windows, similar in style to those on the south.

There are three-light windows to the east and west with two two-light windows between. None of the north facing windows have corbels.

Clophill - St Mary. North window.

The cramped east end of the church holds a four-light cinquefoiled window with perpendicular tracery above. The window has modern stained glass. To the south of the truncated chancel is a priest's door.

Clophill - St Mary. East window.
Clophill - St Mary. East window internal.
Clophill - St Mary. Chancel.
Clophill - St Mary. South aisle chapel.

Inside, the south aisle chapel screen is made from timbers from the Old St Mary and the font is also from that building.

Clophill - St Mary. Font.