Church Of St Edmund

Church of St Edmund

This parish church at Mansfield Woodhouse dates primarily to 1310, though its spire was completed in 1304. The building underwent major restoration in 1847 by Sir George Gilbert Scott, with further restoration in 1859. The chancel was restored in 1878, and twentieth-century additions include a chantry chapel (circa 1920) and clergy vestry (1930).

The church is constructed of snecked stone and dressed stone with ashlar dressings. Its roofs are slate, concrete tile and lead, arranged as gabled and lean-to forms. The plan comprises a west tower with spire, nave, north and south aisles, chancel, vestry, chantry chapel, and north and south porches. The building features moulded plinths, eaves and parapets throughout.

The west tower is of 13th-century date, standing in two stages. A single string course divides the stages. Four pairs of corner buttresses with three setoffs rise along the angles; those to the east are engaged with the aisles. The first stage contains a small lancet to the south. To the west stands a shouldered 19th-century door with sill band. Above this is a restored 14th-century double lancet with hood mould and mask stops. A lancet appears to the north. The second stage features four double cusped ogee-headed bell openings with hood moulds, and clock faces to the south and east. The octagonal broach spire rises above, adorned with four gabled lucarnes containing double ogee-headed openings and crosses. Above these are four smaller similar lucarnes, a finial and weathercock.

The nave displays a coped east gable with cross and a single round window. The north aisle was restored in the 19th century in 15th-century style, comprising four bays with a single corner buttress and four intermediate gabled buttresses (two with setoffs). Four gargoyles ornament the aisle, and a side wall stack rises to the west. The west end features a 14th-century double lancet with Decorated tracery. The north side has three triple ogee-headed lancets with Tudor-arched reveals.

The north porch, of 14th-century date and restored in the 19th century, has two corner buttresses to the north and a cove and roll-moulded doorway with filleted shafts, round bases and capitals. The hood mould is adorned with mask stops. A large 19th-century hanging lamp hangs within. The interior contains a single wood bench and scissor-braced roof. The inner door is double-chamfered and rebated with a moulded head and 19th-century door.

The vestry and organ chamber are 20th-century additions with a single corner buttress and single side wall buttress. A single gargoyle appears to the east. The north side has a shouldered door to the east and, to the west, a small lancet, trefoil light and paired lancet.

The chancel comprises two bays with a coped east gable and cross. The east end features a string course and sill band, and a 14th-century style five-light lancet with geometrical tracery, shafts, hood mould and mask stops. The south side contains a single corner buttress to the east and two lancets with hood moulds.

The chantry chapel is a 20th-century, single-bay addition with a sill band and coped east gable. A single corner buttress appears on the south side. The east end features a 14th-century style triple lancet with geometrical tracery, coved Tudor-arched head and hood mould. The south side has a triple lancet with geometrical tracery, coved square-headed reveal and hood mould.

The south aisle, comprising four bays, has a moulded parapet with four gargoyles. A corner buttress stands to the west; four gabled buttresses with two setoffs line the south side. Three late 14th-century triple lancets with cusped ogee heads and Decorated tracery, featuring chamfered Tudor-arched reveals, appear on the south side. The west end has a 14th-century double lancet with cusped ogee heads and Decorated tracery. The south porch mirrors the north porch.

The interior contains nave arcades of 14th-century date (restored), comprising four bays. Each bay has three filleted clustered piers and two matching responds with water-holding bases and moulded capitals. The arches are chamfered and rebated with hood moulds. A 19th-century kingpost roof features foliate corbels, arch braces, collars and spine beam. The tower arch is 14th-century, double-chamfered and rebated with hood mould and filleted responds. The tower chamber contains a west window with 19th-century stained glass (restored 1919). The bell stage features three trefoiled corbels and foliate bosses.

The north aisle has a panelled dado and 19th-century lean-to roof with arch braces. The south aisle features a similar roof and, to the east, a 14th-century arch with moulded octagonal imposts and two mask corbels (one 14th-century). An oak screen in 15th-century style dates to 1909. The south side has an east window with 1879 stained glass and a west window with a stained glass panel and arms to Roland Dand dated 1617. A fragment of 14th-century Flemish stained glass survives. The chantry chapel contains to the east a panelled dado incorporating an earlier piscina as an aumbry. Its east window features 20th-century stained glass, and the south side has a window with stained glass and brass dated 1932. The roof is low-pitched in 15th-century style.

The chancel arch is 19th-century work in 14th-century style, featuring a moulded arch, pair of filleted shafts with water-holding bases, hood mould and mask stops. The chancel north side has a 19th-century arcade of two bays with foliate capitals, hood moulds and angel stops. The left bay contains the organ; the right bay has a timber screen. Above is a central pair of shields with arms. The east window contains 19th-century stained glass. The south side has a 19th-century piscina and aumbry with hood mould to the east, followed by an elaborate triple-gabled sedilia with carved tableaux in the tympani dated 1877, and an arch with a traceried wooden screen.

The church contains numerous monuments, including a wall monument to Sir John and Lady Lucy Digby (1684) with a shouldered ogee-headed frame, inscribed panel and draped cartouche with arms above, containing two life-size effigies. An arch-topped wall tablet of 1731 in classical style is dedicated to John Digby and features Corinthian pilasters and scrolled arms. A monument to Johannis Neale (1725) has a tablet with Corinthian pilasters, apron with arms and broken pediment with bust. A classical wall monument to John Digby (1747) features a scrolled and draped cartouche with putti and skull. Additional wall tablets date to 1761 and the 19th century. An early 19th-century charity board and 19th- and 20th-century brass remain.

Fittings include a pillar piscina with round stem, flanking shafts, square top and base; a 14th-century octagonal font (restored) with stem featuring a water-holding base, round tub and 19th-century conical wooden cover; a 19th-century ashlar octagonal pulpit with traceried panels on a figure-carved corbel; a 19th-century wooden lectern; shaped, moulded 19th-century mahogany benches with fleur-de-lys finials; early 20th-century panelled stalls; and a mid-17th-century armchair with chip-carved back. A pair of sculptured heads from a 14th-century gravestone also survives.