Church Of St Matthew

1664/0/10023 CHURCH STREET 09-MAY-03 Church of St Matthew

II

Also Known As: Church of St Matthew, MARKET STREET Church. 1865. By EG Paley. Coursed rubblestone with ashlar dressings and slate roofs with stone-coped gables with finials. Early Decorated style with buttresses and angle buttresses with set-offs. Chancel, north vestry, south east tower, nave and transepts, west porch. East end has 3-light window with plate tracery. Chancel has small 3-light window to south and 2 lancets to north over vestry. South-east tower of 4 stages with parapet and pinnacles. Stair turret in south-east corner and small lancets. 2-light louvred bell-openings with shafts. Transept ends have paired lancets with cinquefoils over and single-light round-arched windows to sides. Nave has 2-light windows with plate tracery. West end has massive buttresses, gabled west porch and rose window over formed of sexfoil with circle of trefoils around. INTERIOR. Fittings include in chancel a stone reredos with stone creed and commandment panels to the side, double sedilia, scissor brace roof. Elaborately carved choir stalls, organ front and screen. Minton tile floor. Wide nave and transepts have carved stone pulpit, openwork pews, and west gallery with arcaded front and original pews. Carved stone font on colonnettes. West end is now screened off under gallery with glazed screen but stairs to gallery survive. Nave and transept roofs of arched braces to collars rising from stone corbels. Richly coloured and finely detailed stained glass to east end, transept ends and nave rose window. A well-designed church with fine quality fittings and glass.