Church Of St Denis

SP79 NW STONTON WYVILLE

3/106 Church of St. Denis 7.12.66 (Previously listed as Church of St Denys)

GV II*

Small Parish Church. Largely C17, restored by Goddard of Leicester in 1869. Coursed ironstone rubble with Welsh slate roof, stone tiles to chancel roof. Nave with western bellcote, clerestory and chancel. West wall and bellcote, and south porch by Goddard. The 3 south windows are small y-traceried lancets the spandrel of the central one filled with a floral motif in stone. Clerestory lights each consists of paired trefoils, above a continuous sill band. Tiny memorial stone to William Brudenall, d1636 towards the east. Fabric of chancel south wall apparently re-built above a few feet, but probably in the C13 or C14: the 21ight window appears to be medieval. East wall however probably entirely Victorian: certainly its 3-light window is by Goddard in the Decorated style. North wall of chancel probably C13: poorly coursed rubble with moulded sill course, 3 paired lancet windows, with a narrow 2 centred arched priests doorway. North wall of nave has 3-light Victorian windows in the Perpendicular style flanking medieval lancet. Ashlar bands as sill courses.

Interior reveals blocked early C13 arcade of 4 bays concealed in south wall: tall bases to cylindrical shafts and abaci, and outer 2-chamfered arches with hoodmoulds. Eastern respond has stiff-leaf decoration as capital. Victorian curved principle roof with pierced trefoils at the apex. Later C13 chancel arch with clustered shafts. Chancel windows apparently late C13: Paired lancets in shafted recesses, those to the north more deeply recessed, and with splayed sills. Memorials to Brudenall family in chancel include tomb of Edmund d1590 the inscription is on a wall tablet and below Edmund lies as a marble effigy on a tomb chest. The sides of this are decorated with pilasters and strapwork, and portray his wife and three of his offsprings in high relief. Along side the recumbent effigy is a tiny one of his fourth child, swathed, and lying on its own miniature tomb chest or altar table. Early C17 floor tablets, and on the south wall the tomb of Dorothy Brudenall d1653 and Thomas, d1661. A small aedicule ornamented with shields surrounds a double inscription plate. Also on the south wall the memorial to Thomas Brudenall dl707: an oval wall tablet is capped by his shield and emblem and superimposed on low relief military regalia. Thomas Brudenall was in the service of William of Orange, and fought at the Battle of the Boyne and in Spain. He died in Gibraltar and was buried there "betwixt 2 guns". Stained glass in chancel east window of 1869 is by Drury of Warwick. Plain octagonal font. Victorian fittings include fine wood pulpit which incorporates a small eagle lectern. Victorian timbered chancel roof with steep trusses with short king posts and crossed wind braces between the purlins.

Listing NGR: SP7354695092