Church Of St Thomas

STANHOPE MARKET PLACE NY 9939 (North side) 34/226 Stanhope 31.1.67 Church of St.Thomas GV II* Parish church. Mostly C12 and C13; restored 1663 and 1867. Sandstone rubble earlier parts, snecked sandstone C19 parts, with quoins and ashlar dressings; lead-covered roof with stone gable copings and cross finials. West tower; aisled nave with south porch; chancel with north vestries. Wide 3-stage tower has small round-headed window in first stage, painted wooden clock above, and paired chamfered belfry lancets with central shaft. Corbel table supports battlements of grey stone, perhaps C17, of millstone grit, with prominent stone drains, sloped coping and small eroded corner pinnacles. North elevation has single ogee-headed belfry opening. Porch has chamfered round-headed arch under small cusped light under shallow gable with steeper peak. C19 inner door in round-headed chamfered surround with roll moulding and roll drip-mould, on pilaster string and nook shafts; side stone benches. C19 Decorated tracery in 2-light south aisle, 3-light north aisle and 3-light west windows. 5 cusped lights under 2-centred arch in east window; 3 similar lights in south chancel and east vestry; other chancel windows narrow round-headed and lancet. C19 priest's door. Chancel has ball-flower frieze. Aisles have roll-moulded parapets. Sundial, dated 1727, on south chancel aisle with motto Ut Hora Sic Vita.

Interior: stone with ashlar dressings, part of north arcade Frosterley limestone; waggon roof to nave and choir, panelled to sanctuary. 4-bay double-chamfered nave arcades, with continuous drip moulds; round piers with moulded capitals on south; more slender columns with octagonal capitals and on high square bases on north. 2-centred chamfered chancel arch and inner arch on head-carved corbels, and double-chamfered tower arch on octagonal half-columns, with drip- moulds. 2-centred rere-arches to aisle windows. C17 reredos, resited in tower, has arcaded panelling under richly-carved entablature. Tub font, with wide roll moulding, not used. Early C20 Jacobean-style chancel screen and altar furnishings and screen; C17 poppyheads to bench ends. One tier of C17 pulpit survives in north aisle. Fragments of painted medieval glass in west window. Plaques in tower give details of restorations. Memorials include classical- style white marble on black mount, signed by Sanders, New Road, Fitzroy Square, London, to Isabella Arnison, daughter of John Brumwell, surgeon R.N. and widow of Christopher Arnison, surgeon: died 1846 aged 79. Jacobean royal arms over door. 2 oval high-relief panels in chancel of Adam and Eve with the serpent, and Christ walking on the water, in Flemish style; high quality, perhaps C17. Victorian royal cipher in glass in south aisle east window. Painted panels of Creed, Commandments and Lord's Prayer now in vestry. Roman altar, found in Bollihope Common, temporarily removed from vestry.

Listing NGR: NY9970039229