Listed Building: CHURCH OF ST ANDREW (285407)

BREDFIELD THE STREET TM 25 SE (West side) 3/43 Church of St Andrew 16/3/66 GV II* Church. C14, C15, C16 and c.1839 and c.1875 by R M Phipson. Knapped flint and rubble flint with ashlar dressings, and brick with plain tile and slate roofs. Western tower, nave, chancel, north-western porch, south-eastern vestry. Tower: west face: rubble and knapped flint. Slightly projecting plinth inset with panels of flushwork being circles with quatrefoils to their lower bodies and paired mouchettes above. Other patterns, including crowned Ms are incomplete, appearing only in inscribed outline in the ashlar. Moulded offset above. Diagonal buttresses to the corner, the outer faces of which have panels of flushwork tracery with trefoil heads in a pattern of 2 x 2 panels to each face repeated after each offset. Central ground floor doorway with moulded surround of hollow chamfers and wave moulds with hood mould. Above this a 2-light Perpendicular window with cinquefoil heads. The buttresses die back into the corners below the level of the belfry stage and there is a string course at this level on which rests the belfry window of 2 Perpendicular lights with trefoil heads. Ashlar quoins to the corners. The parapet projects slightly and is of brick with stepped gables and panels of flushwork tracery and with polygonal pinnacles to the corners which have now been reduced in height but probably formerly bore mace finials. The northern and southern faces have similar belfry openings but blank walling below, the south face having a lancet with chamfered ashlar surround. The plinth has here arcades of flushwork in the form of cusped lancets. The east face abuts the nave to its lower body but has a similar belfry opening. Nave: Slate roof. North front: projecting porch, slightly to right of centre and mostly refaced in the C19 with a plain tiled roof. Gabled south front with diagonal buttresses. Central doorway with ashlar chamfered surround. Lancet windows to the side walls with square hood moulds. To the right of this is a C19 Perpendicular window of 2 lights with cinquefoil heads. Similar 3- light window to left of this. Buttresses to either side of the porch and to far left. South face: 3 buttresses at right, left and right of centre. Two C19 Perpendicular windows, that at left having 2 lights, that at right 3 lights and similar in pattern to those on the north faces. Doorway to left of centre with chamfered ashlar surround, now blocked. Chancel: lower ridge and plain tile roof. North face: 2-light early-Perpendicular window at right with ogee cinquefoil heads and mouchettes to the apex. Priest's door at left of this with a 4-centred head and chamfered ashlar surround with broach stops. To the extreme left is a buttress. South front: mostly obscured by C19 gabled projecting vestry which has a slate roof, ashlar quoins to the corners and kneelers and coping to the gable. Central 2- light Perpendicular window with cinquefoil heads. The right hand side wall has a door with ashlar surround. Interior: Porch: 2-bay hammer-beam roof with rounded ends to the wall posts and hammer beams. Arched braces join these two having foliate motifs to their spandrels. Further arched braces rise in the central truss from the hammer beams and posts to connect with the collar. The richly moulded hammer posts and collar adjacent the nave wall may be planted timbers. Deep moulded cornice to either side and moulded purlins. Nave: roof of 6 bays and 1/4 bay at west to accommodate the diagonal buttresses the flanks of which project into the nave. Moulded wall posts, all obliquely cut at their lower ends, and apparently once bearing attached bosses. Four- centred arched braces which run longitudually and are halved against the wall surface, have floral motifs to their spandrels. Further 4-centred arch braces with richly moulded edges rise from the wall posts to the hammer beams which have richly moulded undersides and brattishing and open fleurons to their tops. The ends of the hammer beams are also obliquely cut and also appear to have once carried bosses. Short, slightly recessed hammer posts, large 4-centred arch braces connecting hammer posts and beams to the collar beams which have moulded under-edges and brattished cresting and support square king posts from which spring 4-centred arch braces which run along the chamfered ridge beam. Richly moulded cornice with 6 layers of decoration, a combination of brattishing, roll mouldings, filigree tracery with plank backing and fleurons. Richly moulded purlins. The two easternmost bays are painted to form a Canopy of Honour with chevron patters to the common rafters and sacred monograms and flower decoration to the arched braces. The ridge and the underside of the topmost arched braces are also painted with chevrons. The cornice has gilding and colouring to its mouldings. A rood loft staircase rises from the left hand reveal of the south eastern window, the inner doorway having a cusped head. Jacobean pulpit on C19 base with arched and incised panels and a C19 reading desk. To the southern wall is a piscina with chamfered surround and broach end stops, the bowl now filled. Brass of 1611 to Leonard and Mary Farrington with weepers below, their 6 sons and 2 daughters, now mounted on the south wall. Chancel: C19 roof with common rafters, arch braces, collars, and ashlar posts. Wall monument of 1675 to Robert Marryott of black and white marble with central recessed rectangular black tablet with white aedicular surround. Roman Ionic pillars with black shafts and white capitals and bases. Below these a ledge supported on console brackets between which is an apron with swag and coat of arms. Entablature to top supporting scrolled pediment through which rises a cartouche with a coat of arms. Credence table formed of the tester of the pulpit which has panels of incised decoration with acorn drops to the corners. SOURCES: Nikolaus Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Suffolk, 1975 H Munro Cautley, Suffolk Churches, 1982 Listing NGR: TM2685953015