Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

Parish church in Radbourne, on Church Lane. The building dates from the 13th century, with work continuing through the early 14th, 15th and 17th centuries. A porch was added in 1792 and the church underwent repairs in 1844. It is constructed of ashlar and coursed squared sandstone with stone dressings and plinth. The roofs are shallow-pitched, covered in plain tiles and hidden behind low projecting parapets with ridgeback copings. The plan comprises a two-stage tower at the north-west corner of the nave, a north nave aisle, a lower chancel and a south porch.

The west elevation of the nave has a central cusped Y-tracery window of early 14th-century date and a large stepped buttress to the south side. To the north side stands the Perpendicular tower with stepped, full-height diagonal buttresses to its western corners and clasping buttresses to its eastern corners. The tower's west face contains a central trefoil-headed lancet with a narrow staircase window and a moulded string course above. The second stage has pointed, louvred bell openings with rectilinear tracery and returned hoodmoulds set in deep chamfered surrounds on all sides; the opening to the south is blocked to its base by a clock face. Above this rise embattled parapets with ridgeback copings and corner pinnacles rising from the buttresses, with that to the north-west being crocketed. The tower is surmounted by a wrought iron weathervane, reputedly by Robert Bakewell.

The nave aisle has a blocked chamfered pointed doorcase to the west, a cusped Y-tracery window of 14th-century date, and a massive later buttress to the east, together with a three-light window of 15th-century date to the east. The chancel has a 17th-century two-light window with chamfered mullion to the west and to the east a 19th-century polygonal vestry with chamfered pointed doorcase and chamfered single light windows. Beyond this, to the east, is a single 14th-century Y-tracery window. The east chancel elevation has full-height corner buttresses and a central 15th-century panel tracery window in a deep moulded surround with hoodmould, the lower part of which was blocked in the 19th century. The south elevation displays two tall 17th-century windows with chamfered mullions to the chancel and one three-light cusped intersecting tracery window of 14th-century date flanked by stepped buttresses to the nave. A gabled porch of 18th-century date stands to the west, featuring a semicircular headed raised doorcase with raised imposts and keystone, and its original panelled door. Above this is a clerestory of three 17th-century two-light windows with chamfered mullions.

The interior contains a three-bay north arcade of 15th-century date with hexagonal piers, moulded capitals and double-chamfered pointed arches. There is no chancel arch or tower arch, the tower being separate from the aisle with only a blocked pointed doorcase and a deep four-centred arched window above. All roofs are 16th-century but have been much restored. A 19th-century rood screen in Decorated style separates the nave and chancel.

The chancel contains 19th-century choir stalls and reredos, and an early 13th-century double sedilla with nailhead moulding to its arches and a mutilated carved capital to the central column. To the east side of the sedilla is a 14th-century arched piscina. The nave contains a variety of pews: early 19th-century box pews at the back of the nave, late 19th-century ones in the body of the nave, and three lower pews comprising 14th-century carved bench ends from Dale Abbey. The linenfold panels to the front of the box pews are reputedly also from Dale Abbey. At the west end of the nave stands a 19th-century octagonal stone font on coloured marble columns, surmounted by a sumptuously carved Jacobean weighted cover. A 19th-century pulpit stands at the east end of the nave.

The church contains numerous monuments, including several to the Pole family of Radbourne Hall, now placed in the north aisle. The most impressive is a full-height wall memorial of 1684 to German Pole, generally attributed to Grinling Gibbons. This features a deep moulded base with a large gadrooned sarcophagus on lions feet, flanked by gadrooned urns, and above again a tall segmental pediment with putti topped by achievements. Illegible inscriptions to either side rest on folding drapery. Below are the remains of a 15th-century alabaster table tomb with weepers in crocketed niches to the sides and an incised figure of a lord and lady to the top. Also in the north aisle are two re-set 15th-century effigies of either Peter or John de la Pole and his wife. On the floor are two slabs: one in marble of 1676 and one in slate with a coat of arms to top of 1710, both to the Pole family. The north side of the nave also has an alabaster table tomb with shields to the base and incised figures with a Latin inscription to the edge, dated 1454, to Ralph de la Pole. The west end of the nave contains an oval wall memorial with a flaming urn finial to Mary Parker of 1708, and the south side of the chancel has an elaborate Gothick 19th-century wall memorial to the Hunt family.

A pair of 18th-century hatchments hangs at the west end of the church. The east window contains 19th-century stained glass and the south nave window has a small 20th-century stained glass panel; otherwise the windows are glazed with clear glass.