Church Of St Guthlac

Church of St. Guthlac

This is a parish church of exceptional architectural importance, with fabric dating from the 11th century through to the 19th century. It comprises a nave, chancel, south porch, north aisle and vestry. The church is constructed of coursed and squared limestone rubble with ashlar dressing, and is roofed with plain tiles, slate and stone slate.

The west end of the nave is particularly distinctive. It has a coursed limestone rubble plinth and an ashlar gable wall with a chamfered offset. A 19th-century 2-light window sits above a shouldered opening containing a single bell. Carved human head corbels flank and rise above this arrangement. The gable bears the raised inscription "Anno D 1657", marking significant rebuilding work of that date.

The north aisle was added in 1856. It is constructed of squared limestone rubble with slate roofing and contains a single 19th-century lancet and a pair of 2-light 19th-century windows with cusped heads to the lights and trefoils over, all executed in late 13th-century style. The vestry to the north has a pair of lancets.

The east window is of 3 lights with a shallow 4-centred head, set within its original 15th-century surround with hood mould and human head label stops. However, the tracery itself was renewed in the 19th century. Above are two trefoil heads and a pierced roundel beneath a pointed hood mould.

The chancel is of coursed limestone rubble with stone slate roof. It retains a single late 13th-century 2-light window with cusped heads to the lights and trefoil over, alongside a single plain lancet.

The south wall of the nave, of plain tiles, shows evidence of former structural changes. It contains a blocked pointed arch to what was once a south aisle, now occupied by a 15th-century 3-light window that was largely recut in the 19th century. Above the blocking to the east is a blank rectangular opening. The rebuilding in ashlar of the west end is clearly visible at this point. A 17th-century 2-light cross-mullioned window with cusped heads to the transoms and chamfered mullions is positioned here.

The south porch is gabled and features a double-chamfered pointed opening with reset 12th-century imposts and side benches. The early 14th-century inner doorway has a roll-moulded pointed surround with hood mould and human head stops. Above the door is a 2-light pointed-headed window.

Internally, the north arcade is a 19th-century work of 3 bays with double-chamfered round arches, circular piers and responds. A blocked 14th-century single-bay south chapel arch has been recut in the 19th century.

The chancel arch is of mid-11th century date and is of exceptional importance. It features a low roll-moulded rounded arch with square-cut responds. These responds are fitted with angle shafts bearing crudely carved decorated capitals with scrolls and roll-moulded run-out imposts. This is the principal reason for the church's Grade I listing.

A 19th-century archway connects the north aisle to the vestry. In the chancel, a 19th-century archway leads to the organ chamber. The south wall of the chancel contains a pointed-headed aumbry and a piscina with trefoil head.

On the west wall stands a 14th-century octagonal statue bracket with pendant finial. The 19th-century nave roof is supported on re-used corbels, one of which is a re-used piece of Anglo-Saxon interlace. Above the chancel arch is 19th-century painting executed directly onto the stonework.

The furnishings, including the font, are entirely of 19th-century date. The chancel contains two marble wall plaques of circa 1740 commemorating members of the Daye family, and two further early 19th-century plaques to the Pennyman and Towne families. In the south wall of the chancel is an inscribed stone slab to William Thorold, died 1725, with the Thorold coat of arms above. Both the coat of arms and slab have stone bolection mouldings. Little Ponton Hall was probably built for this Thorold family.