The Church Of St Boniface

SJ 55 NE BUNBURY C.P. BOWE'S GATE ROAD

2/12 The Church of St Boniface 12 January 1967 I

Parish Church, circa 1343 remodelled 1527 (Pevsner) with alterations 1863 by Pennington and Bridgen and new roof 1950 by Marshall Sisson. Red sandstone with lead and slate roof. Nave, two bay chancel. Mainly Perpendicular in style but with some earlier features remaining. Two stage moulded plinth. Curvilinear windows in chancel but perpendicular windows in chancel chapel, nave and clerestory. The nave has large buttresses between the eight windows. The north aisle parapet is openwork, with crocketed pinnacles, whereas the south parapet is crenellated. The north nave entrance is in Perpendicular style and flush with the wall but the south entrance is it a C14 porch surmounted by niche with mitred bishop. The square west tower has a C14 opening with curvilinear window above. There are lancets to two faces at second stage and, at bell stage, louvred Perpendicular windows. There are three times reducing buttresses to the quoins and crenellated parapet with crocketed pinnacles. Interior: Slender compound piers support the 6-bay arcade which separates the nave from the aisles. Chancel chapel screen (south east) 1527 of painted stone with twelve ogee headed openings. The screen carries an early inscription and the date. The pair of oak chapel entrance doors have linenfold panelling and carved wooden grilles in the upper parts of the doors. Communion rail of heavy oak turned balusters dates from 1717. Triple stepped ogee headed sedilia and piscina in south wall of chancel. Linenfold panelled reredos with carved vine cornice and brattishing. Several memorials. Carved Oak choir stalls with poppyheads. Oak chancel screen 1921 by F H Crossley supports a gallery. Carved Oak pulpit on stone base. Brass chandelier 1756 in Baroque style. A number of stone coffin lids and mainly defaced effigies dating from C13 to C15 in the rear (north-west) corner of the nave. Octagonal stone font of 1662 with simple motifs carved on the side. The replaced nave ceiling is of oak panels, with bosses, supported by canted beams and curved brackets from stone angel corbels. The chancel ceiling is similar to the nave but with smaller panels and plain corbels. There are carved gargoyle-like corbels in the arcade wall facing into the aisles.

Listing NGR: SJ5690858089