Church of St Bartholomew

Church of St Bartholomew is a parish church dating from the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. In 1474, Lord Mountjoy of Elvaston provided funds for the church's completion. An early 18th-century addition was made, and the chancel was restored and extended by the architect Bodley in 1904. The building is constructed of ashlar and coursed squared stone with shallow pitched copper roofs and moulded stone copings to the gables. It comprises a clerestoried nave with south aisle, north chapel and vestry, chancel, and a large west tower.

The Tower

The three-stage 15th-century ashlar tower has full-height clasping buttresses with gableted first steps, a deep moulded plinth, and chamfered bands between the stages. The west elevation features a deep moulded four-centred arched doorcase with a lantern above and small shields to either side of the jambs. Above this is a large three-light panel tracery window set within a deep moulded segment-headed surround with hoodmould. The second stage has a small chamfered louvred opening to the west and two similar openings to the south, one above the other. The bell stage displays similar facades to all sides, each with odd tapering pilaster strips to the sides and a large louvred bell opening. These openings consist of two tall pointed two-light openings with central transoms and cusped tracery, set below a continuous ogee-headed hoodmould with a large gargoyle finial. Above each gargoyle is a plain pilaster strip rising into the parapets. Between the pilaster strips to either side is a coved eaves string course. The embattled parapets have crocketed corner pinnacles with gargoyles at the base of each.

North Elevation

The north nave elevation has two pointed three-light cusped panel tracery windows with straight-sided arches and two smaller similar two-light windows above. Between the windows is a stepped buttress. To the east is an early 18th-century addition with a double transomed two-light flush mullion window on its west side. Beyond this to the east is a low single-storey vestry dating from around 1904, with a pointed moulded doorcase and hoodmould to the west and two three-light flat-headed windows to the east with cusped pointed lights and incised spandrels. There is a similar two-light window beyond to the east with an angle buttress at the corner and another similar two-light window to the east elevation. All windows except the eastern one are linked by a continuous hoodmould. Above is a plain parapet with ridgeback copings and a blank clerestory wall.

East and South Elevations

The east bay of the chancel is an addition from around 1904 and has a three-light geometric tracery window with hoodmould to both north and south sides. The east elevation features gableted buttresses to either side and a wide central buttress with a figure of Christ below an ogee-headed canopy. To either side are crocketed ogee-headed niches containing figures of saints. The south chancel elevation has the 1904 window to the east with a gableted buttress, a three-light four-centred arched window with trefoil-headed lights, and a large stepped buttress to the west. Above the latter two openings is an odd piece of string course.

Beyond to the west, the nave has a 13th-century aisle with a two-light four-centred arched window with panel tracery to the east face, and two 13th-century intersecting tracery three-light windows with carved label stops to hoodmoulds on the south face, plus a continuous sill band. The south aisle also has clasping buttresses to either corner and to the west of the south face. A gabled porch has a pointed outer doorcase on attached shafts with moulded capitals, plus small lancets to either side and a small 13th-century inner door with hoodmould. The west wall of the aisle has a single lancet. Above are three similar two-light windows to those on the north clerestory.

Interior

The interior features a three-bay south arcade with pointed double-chamfered arches on octagonal piers with moulded capitals. The chancel arch is in similar style on polygonal responds, with a further moulded arch to the east end of the chancel into the 1904 bay. The tower has a very tall deeply moulded arch, and to the north side of the nave is a wide depressed segmental arch with raised keystone into the chapel. The northern windows and southern clerestory windows all have inner roll mouldings.

The nave roof is a well-restored cambered 16th-century roof with moulded tie beams and gold-leafed bosses, also with a 19th-century cornice to the edge with gold star motifs. The south aisle has a similar roof. The chancel has a painted 1904 pointed roof and a painted north wall with a small pointed stone doorcase to the centre and a moulded 1904 door to the east. The east wall of the chancel has a full-height carved and painted stone reredos with figures of saints set in crocketed ogee-headed niches at the top and painted shields below.

To either side of the altar are carved wooden seats, that to the north from around 1904 in Decorated Style, and that to the south of similar date but with re-used 14th-century bench ends. The choir stalls are in similar style with carved poppy heads and bench ends, probably also dating from 1904. Above the northern stalls is an ornate 19th-century organ set into the wall, and on the southern side of the chancel is a rough ogee-headed piscina.

Screens and Furnishings

Across the chancel arch is a fine medieval rood screen with crocketed ogee-headed open panels at the top with panel tracery over, also with a 19th-century cross in similar style to the centre. A similar, less elaborate screen encloses the former chantry chapel at the east end of the south aisle, with a Jacobean family pew inserted later. This pew has panelled sides and small doors with pierced fan-like tops, and a rampant lion finial to the western corner. Hanging from the ceiling above are two large carved flying wooden angels.

The nave has an octagonal carved wooden pulpit on the north side with ogee-headed crocketed panelled sides and an octagonal tester above. The pews have linenfold carving to the bench ends; both these and the pulpit date from the 1904 refurbishment. At the west end of the nave, the tower arch has a 19th-century screen, a copy of that across the chancel arch, and above is a large painted and carved organ.

The stone font in the tower has a moulded octagonal base and stem with a circular bowl above, and a 20th-century cover. The west wall of the nave has a bracketed painted stone charity plaque with steeple finials at the top and a brass plaque to the centre dated 1621. Below is another brass plaque of 1821 noting the reorganisation of the funds from the above donation. Below again is another brass charity plaque dated 1648, recording the donations of Elizabeth Wilcocks. On the south wall of the aisle is a painting by Pasinelli from 1693.

Monuments

There are a large number of wall memorials and tombs, including some very fine examples. At the west end of the nave is a slate and white marble memorial to Henry and Margaret Robinson, both of whom died in 1829. On the north wall of the nave is a white marble wall memorial with a weeping figure below a carved pediment, to Charles, third Earl of Harrington, who died in 1829, by Canova—one of only three by this sculptor in England.

Beyond to the west, the 18th-century chapel houses a large white, grey and black marble memorial to John Stanhope at the centre, a memorial from around 1898 with gothick stone aedicule to Elizabeth, Countess of Harrington, and two painted plaques recording all the past clergy. The monument to John Stanhope is most impressive, with an elaborate sarcophagus base and a recumbent armour-clad figure looking forward and leaning on his elbow at the top. Behind is a deep base of black marble with the corners breaking forward, topped by pairs of gadrooned urns, over which is a large wall plaque with moulded open pediment and a central shield with Latin inscription recording that the monument was erected to John Stanhope, who died in 1638, and was restored by Charles Stanhope in 1731. Both the monument and the elaborately moulded plasterwork ceiling cornice appear to date from around 1731.

In the south chapel is a white marble chest tomb to Leicester Stanhope, who died in 1862, with painted shields to either side of a long inscription to the base and a life-size effigy above clad in the uniform of a soldier. Above is an alabaster wall memorial to Talbot Stanhope, who died in 1915. On the south side of the chancel is an unusual wall memorial to Seymour Hyde, third Earl of Harrington, who died in 1866, with his figure set in a crocketed canopy, all in enamelled inlaid brass. Also on the south side of the chancel is a chest tomb by Westmacott to Algernon Stanhope, who died aged nine in 1847. The base has painted shields to either side of a central inscription, and above is the marble effigy of the boy.

Opposite is a magnificent painted marble monument to Sir John and Lady Catherine Stanhope, erected by Lady Stanhope who died in 1610. This has a deep moulded base with a semi-circular headed niche above with a coffered ceiling. To either side of the niche are pairs of attached Corinthian columns, and above is a wide ovolo moulded frieze which breaks forward over the columns, with a large central achievement above plus corner finials. The niche houses the painted effigies, and behind them is strapwork decoration around a central plaque.

The eastern bay of the chancel has a brass plaque to Charles and Dorothy Prodgers, who erected the extra bay in 1904 and furnished the nave and chancel. The nave has two simple stone floor slabs to Jane Crawford and her daughter, who died in 1794 and 1791 respectively.

Stained Glass

The stained glass is all 19th-century or later. The west window of the tower has a late 19th-century figurative window, and the nave has early 20th-century stained glass to both upper and lower windows on the north side. The south side of the chancel has brightly coloured stained glass from around 1852, and the north window of the 1904 chancel bay has contemporary figurative stained glass.