Church Of St. Andrew

Church of St. Andrew

Parish church of Late 12th and Early 13th century date, with significant additions around 1300, 15th century, and 19th century restoration. The building is constructed of coursed ironstone rubble with limestone ashlar and some render. The roofs are of plain tile with decorative red ridge tiles, and the gables are stone-coped with cross finials.

The church comprises a west tower and spire, a nave with north and south aisles, a south porch, a chancel, and a north chapel.

The west tower dates to around 1300 and features ironstone and limestone banding. It has a plinth, moulded string course, and four-stage angle buttresses with a stair turret in the south-west corner containing four slit stair lights. The west face contains a small pointed window with Y tracery and lower, barely pointed lights, with hood mould and head label stops. On the east side is a doorway giving access to the nave roof, with flat head, chamfered surround, and plank door. The recessed bell stage has bell openings on all four sides, each with a pointed head and two cusped, pointed lights divided by a single shaft with rich foliate capital, quatrefoil above, and hood mould with head label stops. Moulded eaves with numerous corbel heads run above. A 15th century parapet features a frieze of circles inscribed with diamonds. The recessed octagonal spire sits above with four polygonal pinnacles at its base, each with gabled sides and finials. Three tiers of ornate lucarnes appear on alternating sides, each with crocketed gable, two cusped pointed lights, and quatrefoil. The spire is topped with a finial and weathervane.

The late 15th century north aisle has a plinth, moulded string course, and regularly placed two-stage buttresses with upper gabled set-offs. The west end contains a window with shallow pointed head, three cusped, pointed lights, and hood mould. On the north side is a doorway to the west with flattened triangular head, continuous moulded surround, hood mould, and plank door. Two windows to the east each have shallow pointed heads, three cusped, pointed lights, and hood mould. The 15th century clerestory above contains three windows, each with flattened triangular heads and two cusped, pointed lights. Moulded eaves and battlements run above.

The late 15th century north chapel has a plinth, moulded string courses, and regularly positioned two-stage buttresses with upper gabled set-offs. The easternmost buttress contains a plain empty niche. A basket arch to the west has bowtell moulded surround and is divided into three by two thick moulded mullions rising from ground level. Two narrow cusped, pointed lights flank single cusped pointed lights, whilst below, between the mullions, is a pointed doorway with continuous moulded surround and plank door. Two windows to the east have basket heads, bowtell moulded surrounds, and four cusped, pointed lights. The east front of the north chapel has three-stage buttresses with upper gabled set-offs, flanking a window with basket head and three pointed, cusped lights. Moulded eaves and parapet run continuously along the full length of the north aisle and chapel.

The east front of the chancel has a moulded string course running under a pointed late 14th century window, restored in the 19th century, with four cusped, ogee-headed lights, panel tracery, and hood mould. A cusped oculus appears above, with a two-stage diagonal buttress to the south. The south side of the chancel shows ironstone and limestone banding, a plinth, and two two-stage buttresses. A window to the east has a basket head, three cusped, pointed lights, and hood mould. A mid-12th century blocked doorway to the west has a semi-circular head and chamfered surround. A long 17th century rectangular window to the west is surmounted by a smaller rectangular window above.

The 15th century south aisle has a plinth and moulded string courses. At the east end is a window with shallow pointed head, three cusped, pointed heads, and hood mould. The south side features two-stage buttresses with upper gabled set-offs, alternating with two windows with shallow pointed heads, three cusped pointed lights, hood mould, and label stops. The 15th century gabled porch to the west has a plinth and moulded string course with large battlements and cross finial. The west and east walls have single pierced quatrefoils and two fragmentary finials on each interior window sill. A pointed south doorway has a moulded head, semi-circular jambs with moulded capitals, and polygonal abaci. The porch interior is flanked by stone benches. A 15th century interior doorway has a flattened triangular head, continuous moulded surround, rectangular hood mould with frieze of quatrefoil in spandrels below, and large label stops containing shields. The west end of the south aisle has a shallow pointed head, three cusped, ogee-headed lights, hood mould with label stops. Moulded eaves and parapet run the full length of the aisle. The 15th century clerestory has three windows with flattened triangular heads and two cusped pointed lights.

Interior: The tower arch dates to around 1300 and has a quadruple chamfered head with two outer orders dying into rectangular jambs and two inner orders having continuous chamfers running down the jambs, with hood mould. In the south-west corner of the tower is a doorway with rectangular head, chamfered surround, and plank door.

The early 13th century nave has three-bay north and south arcades with polygonal responds, round piers on polygonal plinths, and moulded capitals. The arches have double chamfered pointed heads, hood moulds, and heads in spandrels. The south aisle contains an early 15th century piscina with ogee-shaped head, continuous rolled surround, and a freestanding, crudely carved bowl with slender roll mouldings at each corner. The east wall of the south aisle has a fragmentary corbel. The 15th century roof over the nave has tie beams resting on ashlar castellated corbels; the aisle roofs were heavily restored in the 19th and 20th centuries.

A pointed 13th century chancel arch has a double chamfered head and polygonal responds with polygonal moulded capitals and abaci running into a string course on either side. A four-centred 15th century tomb recess in the north wall of the chancel gives access to the north chapel, with soffit decorated with blind panel tracery, hood mould, and shield label stops. A doorway to the left has a pointed head and rectangular hood mould with foliage and shields in spandrel below, with plank door. An aumbry in the north wall has a square, roll moulded surround and double plank doors. The south wall of the chancel contains a piscina with ogee-shaped head and continuous chamfered surround. A blocked doorway to the west has a brass plaque inserted as a monument to Samuel Hopkinson, died 1841, and his wife Elizabeth, with an ornate pair of canopies featuring black, red, and blue detailing designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and made by Hardman and Iliffe.

The north chapel has stone benches running round the north and east walls. The mullions of the windows are carried down below the level of the windows to the benches, with blind traceried panels between. A doorway is flanked by mullions running down from the window above. The south wall of the chapel contains a piscina with ogee-shaped head and continuous moulded surround.

A late 14th century chest has a richly traceried front including simple foliate motifs and eagles entwined, with two flanking bands carved with winged dragons. The panelled lid retains locks and studded iron bands. A 15th century panelled chest has studded iron bands and various locks. A 14th century polygonal pulpit has a painted panels removed for restoration and a polygonal wooden spreading base. A late 12th century drum font has a round 20th century plinth, round pedestal with small shafts at each corner, and square plan. An 18th century altar rail features turned balusters and moulded handrail; two central sections have been removed from in front of the high altar and relocated to a similar position in the north chapel. 19th century lectern and choir stalls and 20th century chairs are also present.

An 18th century altar rail has turned balusters and moulded handrail, with two central sections removed from in front of the high altar to a similar position in the north chapel. A monument in the north wall of the tower consists of ashlar set on corbels to John Audeley, died 1648, with rhyming acrostic.