Church Of St Luke

Church of St Luke

Parish church of 13th and 15th century date, restored in 1793, 1887 and 1900 by Bassett Smith. The building is constructed of ashlar and red brick with plain tile roofs to the nave and chancel, and a lead roof to the south aisle.

The church comprises a tower, nave with north and south aisles, chancel with vestry, and south porch.

The tower is a 15th century structure set on a triple chamfered plinth with a moulded band above. It rises in four stages with bands and is embattled, featuring single corner gargoyles. The tower was partly rebuilt in 1900. The west wall displays a moulded four-centred arched doorway with carved spandrels and a quatrefoil frieze above, topped by a Tudor hood mould with label stops. Above this is a single 15th century arched four-light window with cusped panel tracery, hood mould and human head label stops. Two quatrefoils set into rectangles appear on the west and north sides above. The west side has two stair lights, while the south side contains a single stair light and clock face. The bell chamber is defined by four arched openings, each with three lights above and below single transoms, featuring cusped panel tracery, hood mould and label stops.

The north aisle was rebuilt in 1793 and stands on a chamfered plinth of ashlar with brick bands to the north wall. Its west wall contains a single 15th century pointed segmental arched three-light window with cusped tracery, hood mould and label stops. The north wall has a similar three-light window with cusped tracery. A pointed chamfered arched doorway is located to the left, with two further arched three-light windows with cusped tracery beyond it. An ashlar plaque dated 1793 appears to the right of the left window. The east wall holds a single 19th century arched two-light window with reticulated tracery. The 19th century clerestory features a pair of arched lights with cusped tracery, a large cinquefoil set within a circle, another similar pair of lights with a matching cinquefoil, and a single cusped tracery light at the far left.

The east wall of the nave shows evidence of a former roof line to the chancel.

The 19th century chancel has a north wall with a single arched two-light window with reticulated tracery, hood mould and label stops. The projecting 19th century lean-to vestry adjoins this, featuring a pointed moulded arched doorway in its north wall. The chancel's east wall contains a single pointed arched two-light window with single transom and cusped tracery. The east and south walls stand on a chamfered plinth with a band above. The east wall displays a single large arched five-light window with cusped tracery, hood mould, label stops and a stepped continuous sill band that extends around the south chancel. The south chancel contains two 19th century arched two-light windows with reticulated tracery, hood mould and label stops.

The south aisle, which has a parapet, stands on a chamfered plinth. Its east wall contains a single 15th century arched three-light window with cusped tracery, hood mould and label stops. The south wall has two pointed segmental arched three-light restored 15th century windows with cusped tracery, hood mould and decorative label stops. The gabled porch, rebuilt in 1887, adjoins to the left with a parapet. It features a moulded arched entrance with hood mould and label stops; both east and west walls contain single trefoil arched lights, and two 14th century gargoyles are present. The porch interior has three transverse ribs and an inner 14th century moulded arched doorway with 19th century hood mould and decorative label stops. A single 15th century pointed segmental arched three-light window with cusped tracery, hood mould and decorative label stops appears to the left. The west wall holds a single larger similar three-light window with matching hood mould and label stops. The south clerestory corresponds to the north design.

The interior contains a four-bay late 13th century nave arcade with double chamfered arches, quatrefoil piers and responds with fillets. The north arcade capitals and the south arcade west respond are decorated with nailhead detail. A tall triple chamfered 15th century tower arch spans above. The 19th century chancel arch is moulded and chamfered, supported on circular responds with nailhead-decorated capitals. A moulded arched vestry doorway with hood mould and label stops is present, with a continuous sill band extending to the south and north chancel windows. The chancel contains a 19th century reredos and tripartite sedilia. The south aisle features a single arched piscina. An octagonal 19th century font with blind cusped tracery stands in the nave. The 19th century nave and chancel roofs are supported on eight 15th century human head corbels in the nave.