Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew is a parish church located on Church Street in North Kilworth. The building dates from the 13th and early 14th centuries, with mid-19th century additions and a restoration undertaken in 1864-5 by architect Joseph Clarke.

The exterior is constructed of rubblestone with limestone ashlar dressings, and is covered with lead and slate roofs. The building comprises a west tower with recessed spire, nave, north aisle, south aisle, north porch, and chancel with organ chamber.

The west tower is three stages high, with the lower stage dating to the early 14th century. It features a plinth, angle buttresses, an embattled parapet and three string courses. The west elevation contains a chamfered, pointed arch 2-light window with hoodmould and headstops. Above this, in the second stage, is a 20th century clock face, and above that in the third stage is a chamfered, four-centred arch 2-light louvred bell-opening with transom and hoodmould. The north elevation has a similar clock face and bell-opening, the south elevation has a tall, thin lancet in the second stage with a bell-opening above, and the east elevation also features a similar bell-opening. The octagonal spire was rebuilt in 1862 and features stone banding and 2-light lucarne with a single light lucarne above on all four sides, both with pointed hoods, and is topped with a weathercock.

The nave has a lead roof, coped parapets and a gable. The clerestory contains three quatrefoil lights in square frames on both north and south sides; the north side dates to the 14th century, whilst the south side is 19th century work. The 19th century south aisle is constructed of Charnwood granite and features a lead roof, tall plinth and plain cornice with a continuous band. Its west wall has a chamfered, pointed arch 2-light window with hoodmould and stops, and there is a polygonal chimney on the north-west corner. The north wall contains three chamfered, pointed arch windows with hoodmoulds and stops, and the east wall has a similar window with headstops.

The 14th century north aisle has a lead roof, plain cornice and continuous string course. Its west wall contains a chamfered, pointed arch single-light window. The north wall includes a 19th century north porch with a lead roof and coped gable with kneelers and cross finial. The porch doorway is heavily moulded with a pointed arch and double gates. The east and west walls of the porch each contain a strip of five trefoiled lights within a chamfered rectangular frame, and there are stone benches inside. A double-chamfered, pointed arch south doorway with double plank doors leads into the main building, and to its east are two moulded, pointed arch 2-light windows with reticulated tracery and hoodmoulds with headstops. The east wall has moulded, pointed arch 3-light windows with intersecting tracery and hoodmould.

The 13th century chancel has a graded slate roof and coped east gable with kneelers and cross finial. Its north wall features a tall plinth and, from west to east: a chamfered, pointed arch 2-light window with plate tracery and hoodmould, then a 19th century heavily moulded, pointed arch priest's doorway with shafts with capitals and bases, hoodmould with stops and plank door, followed by another similar 2-light window and a buttress. The south wall has a string course and, from west to east: a chamfered, pointed arch 2-light window with transom and plate tracery, a 19th century organ chamber with coped gable, a similar 2-light window to those on the north wall, and a buttress. The east wall has a low plinth and sill band, and contains a chamfered, pointed arch 3-light window dated 1856 with headmould and stops, flanked by two buttresses.

The interior features a 14th century triple-chamfered, pointed tower arch with keel-moulded responds with capitals and bases. The nave contains three bays of arcading: the 14th century north arcade has double-chamfered, pointed arches with continuous hoodmould and polygonal piers and responds, whilst the 19th century south arcade has moulded, pointed arches with continuous hoodmould and compound piers and responds with annulets, foliage capitals and bases. A plain, segmental arch doorway to a former rood loft is located on the north wall near the chancel arch. The north aisle contains a chamfered, trefoiled piscina in the south-east corner.

The double-chamfered, pointed chancel arch features polygonal responds with capitals and bases. The chancel contains four windows, each with detached nook-shafts with annulets; in the south-west and south-east corners are sill seats. A piscina in the south-east corner has a moulded, pointed arch. The north-west and north-east windows are similarly treated with nook-shafts. A double-moulded, four-centred arch north doorway features shafts with capitals and bases. The 19th century east wall contains a tall, plain niche to the north, and the east window features polished marble shafts with capitals and bases and hoodmould with carved stops. The chancel is furnished with a 19th century reredos, altar table, altar rails, chairs, pews, stalls and lectern. The font has a square bowl supported on five short marble shafts with foliage capitals and bases. A 16th century polygonal wineglass pulpit features traceried panels and a stem with moulded capital and base.

The church contains various monuments: in the north aisle, a 20th century stone wall memorial and a 20th century stone tablet carved with names of rectors of North Kilworth near the north doorway. The south aisle contains a marble wall memorial to Lieutenant Hyde Parker Dobson (died 1836), a marble memorial to Admiral Dobson (died 1847) with shrouded cannons in relief, and two early 20th century brass memorial plaques including a First World War memorial. In the chancel, a marble wall memorial to Mrs Jane Belgrave (died 1800) with urn and shroud in relief is located on the south wall, with four 20th century brass memorial plaques to the Belgrave family on the north wall. A late 19th century brass plaque to another Belgrave is positioned below the north-west window. A marble wall memorial to Elizabeth Pochin (died 1831) also appears on the north wall.

The 19th century roofs are covered with Minton tiles in the sanctuary and red tiled floors throughout. The stained glass includes work by Hardman (west window 1869 and south-east window in the south aisle 1878) and the east window of 1856 by Holland of Warwick.