St. Mary the Virgin, Ashwell, Rutland

Description

The church of St. Mary the Virgin is a building of stone in the Norman and Decorated styles, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower with small turret containing a clock and 6 bells: the chancel retains three sedilia and a small piscina: the stained east window is a memorial to the Hon. and Rev. Thomas Dawnay, rector of Ashwell from 1803, d. 8 Jan. 1850: the west window, a memorial to William Henry, 7th Viscount Downe, d. 26 Jan. 1857, was inserted by the parishioners in 1858, and there are other stained windows: in the chancel is an altar tomb of stone, supporting a large upper slab of marble, with incised effigies and marginal inscription to John Vernam and Rose his wife, ob. c. 1470: there are also two other altar tombs, one of which bears the recumbent figure of a knight carved in wood: the stone font has a spired cover of carved oak, hung from the roof: the church was restored in 1851, under the direction of Mr. W. Butterfield, architect, at the sole expense of the 7th Viscount Downe; there are 200 sittings.

Church Records

The parish register dates from the year 1595.