Church Of St Mary Magdalene

NZ 15 SW 6/60 (inset) 6/6/51

CONSETT FRONT STREET (North side) Medomsley Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Formerly listed as Medomsley Church)

GV I

Parish church. C13, largely rebuilt 1878 by Austin, Johnson and Hicks except for chancel and part of south wall. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings, plinth and quoins; stone-flagged roof with stone gable copings. Rave with north aisle and south porch; chancel with north organ chamber and vestry. Steeply-gabled porch has double doors in many-moulded 2-centred-arched, shafted surround; stone cross finial; inner door with large delicate wrought iron hinges, in slightly-chamfered round-headed surround, recessed in roll- moulded shafted arch under flat dripmould. Narrow windows, some lancets and some round-headed, longer in nave and paired to right of porch. 3 stepped east lancets. Buttressed west end with single lancet above short buttress; south chancel windows on sill string; east drip string raised to high gable containing roundel. Bellcote with paired openings and weathercock. Steeply-pitched roof, lower on chancel, has angelus and east cross finials. Interior: painted plaster with ashlar dressings; braced king-post nave roof and panelled chancel roof with brattished friezes. Wide 2-centred chancel arch, with wide chamfer, and similar inner arch on corbels with nail-head decoration, under dripmould. C19 4-bay north arcade in similar style on round piers and end corbels; similar C19 arches to north Lady chapel/organ chamber. East lancets have moulded rerearches on ringed shafts with nail-head capitals; other windows have C19 rerearches, those in north aisle round, with paired blind 2-centred arches between, the others shouldered. 4 medieval candle- holders (perhaps re-used head-stops) set in chancel side walls; moulded cusped aumbry, and square-headed piscina under sill string. C20 glass in 2 south chancel windows signed Heaton, Butler and Bayne, London, to R.E. Parr, vicar. C19 choir screen. Monuments include 2 late Georgian memorial plaques to Hunter family, by Joplings of Gateshead and Newcastle. Grave slabe at west end to Jane Hunter died 1738, and other members of the family to 1843, all interred in the vault. Medieval-style octagonal pedestal font.

Listing NGR: NZ1189154374