Church Of St Matthew

Church of St Matthew

This is a parish church in the village of Morley, dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. It is built of coursed squared gritstone with gritstone dressings, with roofs concealed behind parapets. The building comprises a west steeple, an aisled nave, a south porch, a chancel with a south aisle, and a north chapel.

The west tower, dating from 1403, has two stages with diagonal buttresses to the west. The west doorway features a moulded surround, hoodmould, and plank doors, with a window above having a cusped four-centred arch under a square head. A clock face sits above, with 2-light Decorated bell openings visible on this face and similar openings on the other three sides. A curved staircase projection rises to the right, with a matching stair projection on the south elevation and a small rectangular window.

The south elevation shows a lean-to aisle with a square-headed west window of two ogee lights and returned hoodmould. The gabled south porch has a doorway with six orders of moulding, head stops, and triple filleted responds. The inner doorway has two orders, chamfered and concave, with plank doors and iron hinges. Small arrow slit windows flank the porch. To the right are two windows matching the aisle design, followed by a buttress, a priest's doorway with chamfered and concave order, and a 3-light window.

The clerestory contains a plain ovolo-moulded 2-light and 3-light window. The south aisle east window has three ogee lights under a square head. The main east window displays three lights with cusped intersecting tracery and filleted nook shafts. The north chapel east window has four lights with ogees and cusping under straight heads.

The north aisle contains five bays. Four 4-light Perpendicular windows with ogees and cusping under straight heads are closely spaced with thin buttresses between them. In the western bay is a gothic doorway with moulded surround and plank door, alongside a window with square head and two ogee lights. The west end of the north aisle has similar 2-light and 3-light windows and a blocked four-centred arched window. The clerestory here has two 2-light ovolo-moulded mullion windows.

The moulded plinth runs around the entire building.

Interior

The nave has two-bay arcades. The south arcade, dating from the 12th century, has a circular pier with scalloped capital and unmoulded arches. The north arcade has a circular pier and elementary moulded capitals. The chancel arch is double-chamfered on semi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals.

The chancel has an unequal two-bay north arcade with four-centred arches and octagonal piers with concave moulded capitals. The north aisle was added in 1380. The south chapel, added in 1453, has an irregular arcade and features a corbelled-out piscina and a second piscina with cusped and trefoiled arch. The tower arch is double-chamfered, with the inner order carried on corbels.

Monuments

The church contains an exceptional collection of monuments. In the north chapel is a brass to John Statham (died 1453) and his wife. A brass to Thomas Statham (died 1470) and his two wives sits on a tomb chest in the south aisle. Henry Statham (died 1480), with three wives and children, has brasses on a tomb chest under a cusped depressed arch between the chancel and south chapel. John Sacheverell (died 1485) and his wife and children are commemorated by brasses in the south chapel. Henry Sacheverell (died 1558) and his wife have brasses on a tomb chest between the chancel and north chapel.

Katherine Babington (died 1453) is memorialised by a tomb chest with recumbent effigy in the north chapel, considered the finest monument in the church. Four incised slabs to Sacheverell children in the north chapel floor date from 1625, 1626, 1638, and 1639. Jacynth Sacheverell (died 1656) has recumbent alabaster effigies in the north chapel. Henry Sacheverell (died 1662) is commemorated by a large tomb chest without effigies in the north chapel. Jonathan Sacheverell (died 1662) has a wall monument with two frontal demi-figures in the south chapel. William Sacheverell (died 1691) is memorialised by a large tomb chest with polished marble top and no effigies in the north chapel. Robert Sacheverell (died 1714) has a Baroque pedestal with free-standing urn in the north chapel.

Tablets commemorate Jane Sacheverell (died 1746) and Elizabeth Sitwell (died 1769), located in the north aisle. Several early 19th-century Grecian tablets by Hall of Derby are also present, along with sculpture to Jacynth Sacheverell Wilmot-Sitwell (died 1916).

Medieval Tiles and Glass

The north chapel contains medieval tiles from Dale Abbey. Extensive medieval stained glass survives in the easternmost windows of the north chapel, from Dale Abbey and dating from 1482. These were repaired and added to in 1847 by William Warrington. Windows at the west end of the north aisle are early 20th century, while other windows are by Hardman and by Burlison & Grylls, forming a good collection overall.

Fittings

The church contains 19th-century pews and choir stalls. A 17th-century (possibly) octagonal font with cover is present. Three benefaction boards occupy the west end of the south aisle. Re-used box pews serve as panelling around the baptistry.