Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

Church built in 1859-60 by Benjamin Wilson of Derby, with the tower added in 1902 by Naylor, Sale and Woore for Sir Francis Wright. The building is constructed in coursed squared rock faced sandstone with ashlar dressings, slate roofs with lapped stone coped gables on moulded kneelers, and ridge crosses.

The church comprises a 4-bay nave with north and south aisles, a north tower, and a 2-bay chancel. A double chamfered plinth runs throughout the building.

The west elevation presents a gabled front with a central moulded pointed doorcase featuring inner keel moulding on nookshafts and a hoodmould with head stops. A continuous stepped stringcourse runs across, above which is a large pointed 4-light Geometrical traceried window. The gable is topped by a large head corbel supporting the ridge cross. Stepped angle buttresses occupy the corners, with recessed aisles beyond either side, each containing a 2-light Geometrical traceried pointed window and stepped corner buttresses.

The south aisle contains four 2-light Geometrical traceried pointed windows along its south side, one to the east, and stepped buttresses between bays and at either end. The chancel south elevation features a similar 2-light window with two flat-headed 3-light windows below having ogee-headed lights. The east elevation of the chancel displays a pointed 3-light window with Geometrical tracery flanked by stepped corner buttresses, with a small Geometrical traceried pointed window above in the nave gable. All windows feature hoodmoulds with head stops, and all except the north aisle windows sit beneath relieving arches.

The north elevation of the chancel contains a similar 2-light window to that on the south, with a matching 3-light flat-headed window below. To the west stands the vestry, accessed by steps up to a pointed east door with a Caernavon arched doorcase below. The north aisle includes a pointed 2-light Geometrical traceried window with hoodmould and head stops, plus two similar windows further west.

The tower is three stages with a 20th-century gabled addition to the east containing a 4-light mullion window. Stepped full-height angle buttresses and a deep moulded plinth define the tower base, with chamfered stringcourses between stages. The north side features a deeply moulded pointed doorcase with continuous hoodmould adorned with a large foliage ogee finial, double doors with Art Nouveau ironwork, and pairs of shields either side. The buttresses carry 1902 lanterns in Art Nouveau style. The west side contains a circular staircase tower with slit windows rising to the second stage. The second stage west side has a trefoil-headed lancet with hoodmould and a clockface; the north side has a matching clockface with a pointed 2-light Geometrical tracery window below an ogee hood. The bell stage displays 3-light louvred openings with shields set in trefoil-headed panels at the base, all within wide double-chamfered surrounds with hoodmoulds featuring large foliage stops. An eaves stringcourse with angled corner gargoyles and central angel corbels supports triangular pilasters with pinnacles. Embattled parapets terminate the tower with crocketed corner finials.

The interior contains 4-bay north and south arcades of moulded pointed arches resting on octagonal piers with moulded capitals. A wide chamfered chancel arch and a moulded semi-circular arch with soffit on nookshafts and large keystone open into the tower. A cavetto-moulded door connects the chancel to the vestry. Late 19th-century fittings include an octagonal stone font. A notable wall monument to Francis Wright, featuring a Gothick aedicule, dates to around 1880.