Church of St Mary the Virgin, The Carr Tomb

The Carr Tomb is located on the west side of the porch of the parish church of St Mary the Virgin. It is a box tomb – i.e. an above ground monument which does not contain burials - of standard 18th century type, with moulded base, plain rectangular substructure, and top slab with simple moulded edge. This had decayed, and a larger sandstone slab, bearing what is presumed to be a replica of the original inscription, was superimposed in the 19th or early 20th century. The original limestone top slab was found underneath, although badly decayed and skimmed with cement. The tomb was restored in November 1999 and dismantled under archaeological supervision. The archaeological watching brief demonstrated that the tomb does not conceal the entrance to the family vault. The entrance to the Carr family vault lies beneath a nearby large sandstone slab alongside the west wall of the church porch. The vault is assumed to extend under the north-western part of the enclosure, or perhaps beneath the south aisle of the church.