Church Of St Ebba

NZ 1055 CONSETT FRONT STREET

(East side, off) Ebchester 17/48 Church of St. Ebba 6/6/51 (Formerly listed as St Ebba's Church) GV II* Parish church. C12, extensively rebuilt in 1892 by C.H. Fowler; tower added and nave extended and other work done in 1910 by G.T. Wilson. Sandstone rubble, except for lower course of massive blocks; some blocks and quoins of coarse sandstone; tower snecked sandstone; ashlar dressings; stone-flagged roof. Restorations in Romanesque style with round-headed windows, except for Perpendicular-style west window. Nave with north tower and boiler-room; chancel with south vestry, choir-vestry and organ chamber. 3-stage tower with single buttress has double doors in triple-chamfered round-headed surround. Small window above; clock in raised surrounding mould in next stage and belfry opening above, all under dripmoulds. Top cornice and parapet, stepped up at corners, with roll moulding. 4-bay nave and lower 3-bay chancel have mostly small windows in north and south walls, slightly chamfered except in west. Original windows survive in east bay of chancel, and some others in north wall; large east window; and large Perpendicular west window. Part of Roman altar built into west wall. Gabled bellcote has paired 2-centred-arched openings. Stone cross finials. Interior: sandstone rubble except for large blocks in first course and patches of coursed masonry, with ashlar dressings; collar-truss roof; low-pitched panelled chancel roof with painted decoration on ribs and frieze. East window has moulded round arch on shafts with scallop capitals; other windows have deeply-splayed reveals and stepped sills with inserted lintels in chancel; restored windows copy originals. Plain semicircular chancel arch on impost bands. Wide rectangular aumbry in wall to left of altar has top hinge-pins and rebated surround. Rerearch to west window. Round-headed tower-arch has chamfered head. Glass in east window to Robert S. Surtees, died 1864, and Anthony Surtees died 1871; Gothic style. Later C19 glass in west window. Font in style of Norman pillar has moulded narrow bowl on stout irregular pedestal which tapers towards base. Monuments include 2 in chancel; in memory of Anthony Surtees of Hamsterley Hall died 1838, and his wife Alice died 1837; white marble, with drapery and Prince of Wales feathers, on black mount; and a white marble slab in black marble frame, signed Davies and Jopling, with guttae, and draped urn, commemorating Robert and Ann Surtees of Milk Well Burn, died 1811. Painted Creed, Commandments and Our Father panels on east wall. Re-used Roman altar built into porch wall. The church is built within the Roman fort Vindomora.

Listing NGR: NZ1036555450