Church Of St Oswald

DURHAM AND FRAMWELLGATE CHURCH STREET NZ 2741 NE (West side)

17/50 Church of St. Oswald 6.5.52 GV II*

Parish church. Late C12; probably on site of earlier church; extensively rebuilt 1834 by Ignatius Bonomi (chancel, south aisle, west part of north wall, clerestory). Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings; roof damaged by fire at time of survey. West tower, aisled nave, chancel with 1864 north vestry, by Hodgson Fowler.

4-stage tower has renewed 4-light west window and blank north and south first stage; small 2-light windows above with cusped ogee heads; very small square windows in third stage; tall 2-light belfry openings with 2-centred heads. Diagonal buttresses with offsets; battlemented parapet with corner gargoyles and pinnacles. Buttressed south aisle has renewed moulded 2-centred arch in first bay under ogee-headed niche with blind tracery above; (plainer door in first bay of north aisle); 2-light windows in 2-centred arches; parapet with sloped coping. Tudor arches over clerestory windows with 3 cusped lights; battlemented parapet on shafts. 3-bay chancel has 3 cusped lights; east front has high gable containing 4-light window with reticulated tracery flanked by large diagonal buttresses; niches in these contain statues under crocketed gablets; spirelets have acanthus finials. North aisle windows: Decorated in 2 west bays separated by large buttress from 2 east bays with Perpendicular windows, all of 2 lights. Interior: plaster with sandstone ashlar arcades and dressings; low-pitched roof has king posts flanked by 4 queen posts each side; re-used purlins: alternate trusses rest on re-used braces with angels and masks, said to be from earlier hammer-beam roof. Nave arcades have chamfered round arches on keeled shafts and 3 round columns at east end; 2 octagonal columns and octagonal half-columns at west end; 2-centred slightly-chamfered chancel arch on water-leaf capitals and square piers with broach-stopped chamfers. North aisle of 2 stages: eastern 3 bays end in transverse arch and have C16 panelled roof with moulded beams and bosses,now with decoration removed. Tower has tall double-chamfered arch with moulded square capitals; square-headed door to stone spiral stair, formed from medieval grave-covers; 8- ribbed vault with wide circular central rib. Glass in west window 1864-6 by Morris and Co. with panels by Ford Madox Brown; other windows by Kempe and Co. and by Clayton and Bell. Undergoing repairs at time of survey.

Listing NGR: NZ2758541915