St Mary the Virgin, Layer Marney
The ancient and beautiful church of St Mary the Virgin stands on the site of an earlier medieval church and is next door to the famous historic house of Layer Marney Tower. The church was rebuilt by Henry, 1st Lord Marney and John 2nd Lord Marney at the beginning of the 16th century, but was unfinished on the death of the 2nd and last Lord Marney in 1525. Their wills made provision for the church to be finished.
The church is built of Tudor brick (reputed to have been made locally) with patterning (called diapering) in blue brick. This is especially noticeable in the tower, which also has stone dressed buttresses, and the overall effect is very harmonious. The plan of the church is unusual in that it has two south porches; one giving entrance to the chancel.
Restorations were carried out in 1870 and 1911, the latter under the direction of Fredrick Chancellor who had worked extensively on Churches around the county. A record drawing exists showing the extent of the works.
The church is in the Perpendicular style. It is listed Grade 1. For a detailed listing see https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1223987?section=official-list-entry
Notable Tombs and Memorial Tablets
Although Henry Marney died in 1523 and never saw the church finished, his Will says that “the chapel which I have begun adjoining to the chancel … be new made and fully furnished according to the same proportions in length, breadth and height as it is begun with a substantial flat roof of timber”. Lord Marney‘s Will continues “with the profits of my lands that my executors cause to be made a tombe of marble or touch to be set in the wall betwixt the chancel and the said chapel.”
What was built was a magnificent terracotta canopied tomb inspired by Italian grotesque designs. His effigy figure is not black marble but a rare black granite called catacleuse stone from a quarry in St Endelions, Cornwall which was owned by the Marney family. The body is a beautifully detailed carving showing the hinges of this armour, pins in his boots and rings of office on his fingers.
In the chancel there is a tomb to John Cammock who held land in the south-west part of Layer Marney. John is the father of Robert Cammock who c.1543 married Elizabeth the daughter of Richard Badby. They lived in the nearby house called Dukes and turned it into the fashionable Tudor brick house that is seen today.
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Tomb of Henry 1st Lord Marney
Henry Marney’s son John Marney requested his own tomb, with a similar effigy, be used to create a chantry chapel by placing an altar at his foot. Also now in the chantry chapel, surrounded by post and chain with heraldic lions, lies the earlier alabaster tomb of Sir William Marney who died 1335.
Tomb of Sir William Marney
A curious marble memorial on the chancel wall to Nicholas Corsellis II claims at the bottom, written in Latin, that the Corsellis family brought printing to England before Caxton. It springs from a letter written in 1671 by Dr Thomas Yates, Principal of Brasenose College explaining why the University should derive rights to the printing of all books including prayer books and bibles (which had been exclusively given to the stationers). As this right would provide Oxford University considerable income it became quite a cause celèbre. The argument derives from a book “…in Archbishop’s Library in Lambeth” during the time of Thomas Bourchier, c. 1460. It shows that one Frederick Corsellis from Haarlem,(a workman of Gutenberg) came to Oxford and there set up the first press in England. The Memorial in the church chancel says “the printers admired art was taught to Englishman by Corsellis a Fleming prayed and paid by Henry VI so to do.” The claim carried on for much of the century before it was dismissed in the courts in the early 18th century.
The chancel screen and pulpit are probably Jacobean.
The hatchments at the west end of the nave and the west wall of the north aisle commemorate Mathew Corsellis and his grandmother Frances.
Wall Painting of St. Christopher
On the north wall of the nave is a mural of St Christopher carrying Christ across the water. This mural was uncovered during the restoration of1870 and most probably was on an old wall kept from the earlier Church. Stylistically it dates from the early 15th century and is paint on lime plaster. Curiously it is in the wrong place. In England, there are more wall paintings of St. Christopher than of any other saint and because he offered protection to travellers and against sudden death, many churches placed his image opposite the south door, so he could be easily seen. At Layer Marney he is half way down the aisle. It is only speculative but it may be that Lord Marney moved the door to create a more impressive entrance.
A further item of interest is a five hundred year old iron-bound chest, given to the church by Lord Henry Marney or willed to it by his son.
