St Mary the Virgin
Over, Cambridgeshire
The immensely tall and elegant 14th century spire of St Mary’s beckons across the Fens: no one with an interest in church architecture should ignore it.
Although not quite in the centre of the village the top of the tower capped with its small spire and weather vane can be seen quite clearly as you approach Somersham along the road from St Ives.
Somersham is a large church it is built of rubble with dressings of Barnack stone. It dates from 1250-1300 and started with the chancel, nave aisles and west tower. The Bishops of Ely had an impressive palace at the southern edge of the village and the surrounding woodland formed part of the royal forests which were cut down in the 14th century. At least four kings of England visited the Palace to hunt. This may account for the large scale of the church.
In the 14th century the roof was heightened to make a clerestory and a timber roof supported on stone corbels was constructed and the north porch was built.
In the 15th century the south porch was added with wooden outer doors and the windows were added to the south and north aisles and the east window in the chancel. The chancel is a good example of Early English architecture. Of particular interest is the nave roof, which has carved roof bosses of heads and various symbols.
In the 18th century a set of 6 bells cast by Edward Arnold of St Neots in 1782 were mounted on a wooden frame which is believed to be older and probably for the original bells. In the 18th-19th century the pipe organ was installed by Cousans, Sons & Co of Lincoln.
In the 20th century the church was reordered and the furniture replaced. In 1928 stained glass was installed in the three slender lancets of the east window. It was designed by Thomas F Curtis as a memorial to Somersham Men who has lost their lives in the 1914-18 war. There are also monuments to the great and the good of Somersham on the walls of the chancel.
In 2013 solid oak doors were installed at the entrance to the south porch and oak/glazed internal doors were installed between the nave and both the south and the north porch.
The grave with headstone of John Galbraith Graham MBE the well known crossword compiler known as ‘Araucaria’ can be found just outside the east end of the building.
