Church Of St Andrew

Church of St. Andrew, Bolton upon Dearne

This is a church of Saxon origin with significant later medieval additions. The building comprises a Saxon nave, an arcade dating to around 1200, a 14th-century chancel and north aisle, a 15th to 16th-century tower, a 19th-century north chapel and vestry, and a 20th-century addition. The structure is built predominantly of sandstone: the tower is faced in ashlar, the nave in irregular rubble with ashlar and dressed stone used elsewhere. The roof of the nave is covered in 20th-century tile, though the chancel roof is not visible.

The plan consists of a 3-stage west tower, a 2-bay nave with north aisle, a 2-bay chancel, and a north chapel with further additions to its north side.

The tower is designed in Perpendicular style. It has a chamfered plinth with a wave-moulded band above it. Diagonal offset buttresses support the lower two stages. The west door sits within a deeply-chamfered round-arched surround with a hoodmould. Above this is a 3-light window with panel tracery, its dripmould raised over the window head. A clock occupies the returns of the second stage. Below and above the belfry openings are string courses; the belfry lights are uncusped, with a transom and crude panel-tracery heads. The parapet is embattled and topped with crocketted corner pinnacles.

The south side of the nave displays the most visible Saxon work. Long and short quoins appear at the lower part of the west corner and at most of the east corner. A blocked Saxon doorway with a quoined surround retains its imposts and the lowest voussoirs; within this opening, the lower part of a later medieval doorway can be seen. The heads of both openings were destroyed when a 2-light Y-tracery window with hoodmould was inserted. Traces of a narrower Saxon doorway exist to the right, its upper part destroyed by a large 4-light Perpendicular window (now heavily cemented over but retaining some cusped lights). Between these windows sits a small Saxon window pierced through a single slab, featuring a round-headed opening with shallow rebated moulding. The upper wall of the nave is finished with a cavetto-moulded course beneath an embattled parapet. Saxon quoins are also visible at the north-west corner of the nave.

The north aisle has four offset buttresses, the easternmost of which dates to the 19th century. A blocked doorway to the right features a quadrant-moulded arch, now much rendered. Two square-headed 3-light mullion windows to the left probably date to the 17th century.

The chancel is set lower and stepped back on its south side. Its lower wall is built of irregular snecked rubble with coursed dressed stone above. A central buttress and a diagonal buttress at the east end were added later. A blocked priest's door to the left of centre has a 4-centred arch with hoodmould. To the left and right are tall square-headed 3-light mullion windows with deeply-chamfered reveals. The lower wall is finished with a cavetto-moulded course beneath a parapet with moulded copings. The east window dates to the 14th century and has been restored; it comprises 3 trefoil-headed lights with 3 quatrefoils above. To its right is a corniced wall monument, much weathered.

The north chapel was reconstructed in the mid-19th century with an east window matching the chancel design. Its north side has a 2-light Y-tracery window, with a 20th-century addition to its left and a 19th-century vestry to its right, beyond which is a doorway. A medieval slab inscribed with a circled cross has been built into the vestry gable.

Internally, the tower arch is tall and pointed with chamfered edges. The 2-bay arcade comprises semicircular responds with half-octagonal abaci and a circular pier with an octagonal abacus decorated with primitive crockets. The arches are recessed-chamfered and pointed. The chancel arch is double-chamfered. A broad 4-centred archway leads to the north chapel, with short circular responds and moulded capitals, and a double-quadrant moulded arch. A pointed doorway to the west, leading to the chapel, has a broad chamfer on the chapel side. A simple trefoil-headed piscina sits at the east end of the south wall, its semi-octagonal bowl heavily plastered over.

According to P. F. Ryder's 1982 study, the tower contains several pieces of medieval sculpture re-used in its construction, as well as an unusual lozenge frieze in the ringing chamber.

An 18th-century pulpit, hexagonal in form with marquetry panels, survives within the church.