Church Of The Holy Rood

Church of the Holy Rood

A parish church of medieval origins, primarily dating from the 12th, 14th and 15th centuries, with later additions and alterations spanning to the mid-20th century. The church stands on Village Street in West Bridgford. Built of coursed and squared rubble with dressed stone and brick, it features ashlar dressings and slate, lead and plain tile roofs, both gabled and lean-to in form. The building comprises a west tower, nave, chancel, vestry and south porch.

The west tower dates to the mid-16th century and is constructed of brick with a dressed stone plinth, eaves band and parapet. It is a single storey structure with a pair of diagonal buttresses to the west and paired lancet windows in 19th-century style on the west face, reflecting 15th-century designs. Above these are single chamfered lancets on each side.

The nave is of coursed rubble with brick additions from the 16th century. The south side contains a clerestory with two square-headed mullioned casements, the right one partly blocked. The north side has two rendered brick buttresses on stone plinths, along with a double lancet window with chamfered mullion. A blocked 12th-century doorway with chamfered imposts and tympanum is also present on the north, with a central 16th-century mullioned casement above it.

The chancel was substantially rebuilt by architects Brewill and Baily in 1894, though parts were re-skinned in 1983. It displays a chamfered plinth, string course and corner buttresses. The east end features a five-light Perpendicular-style lancet with panel tracery. The north side has a square-headed Perpendicular-style triple lancet with matching tracery. A Tudor-arched door is positioned to the left of the south side, with another triple lancet to the right. A central buttress rises on the south side.

The vestry, built in the mid-20th century by architect L. W. Nunn, is L-shaped, measuring three by two bays, with a chamfered plinth and two coped gables. Metal casements are fitted throughout, and a segmental-headed door stands to the west. The north side bears a stone inscription reading 'L.W. Nunn, Archt.'

The south aisle has a restored chamfered mullioned casement of 16th-century date at its east end. The south side of the aisle contains three bays with buttresses at each end; the right buttress has been restored and carries an incised sundial. Restored and chamfered mullioned windows occupy the remaining positions, the right example also featuring an incised sundial.

The south porch dates to the 18th century and has dentillated eaves and a coped gable. Its south-facing entrance is a rebated doorway with elliptical head, flanked to the left by an ornate iron scraper. The interior contains stone benches and a restored inner doorway with four-centred arch and 16th-century half-round hood mould embellished with mask stops.

The interior of the tower chamber contains a west window with late 19th-century stained glass, complemented by a panelled dado and a 16th-century cleft ladder.

The nave's south arcade is early 14th-century work comprising three bays supported by two octagonal piers and matching responds. These rest on square chamfered bases surmounted by octagonal capitals, with double chamfered arches spanning between them. The roof is a restored low-pitched design in 15th-century style. A stained-glass window to the Thurman family (1906) by Heaton, Butler and Bayne adorns the north side. The tower arch, chamfered and rebated, carries a 15th-century-style traceried screen installed in 1949.

The chancel arch is similarly chamfered and rebated, containing a 15th-century-style traceried screen with rood dating from 1886. The north side features an organ opening with adjoining doorway and stained-glass windows by Heaton, Butler and Bayne (1910 and 1913). The east end has panelled dado, an aumbry, marble gradine and tabernacle. The east window contains stained glass to the Turner family by William Morris & Co., executed in 1918 and 1924. The south side displays a 15th-century-style aumbry, piscina and triple sedilia with Latin memorial inscriptions to three clergy members. The roof over the chancel is supported by principal rafters with arch braces and collars. A lean-to roof covers the south aisle, which has a stained-glass window to the Halford family (circa 1923) on the south side and circa 1960s work at the east end. A commemorative window to A. W. Brewill, RIBA, the architect of the chancel, dates to 1923.

Fittings include a chamfered rectangular font bowl of 16th-century date resting on four 19th-century marble shafts with square base; the bowl is covered by a hipped wooden cover with re-used fleur-de-lys finial. A traceried octagonal skeleton pulpit stands on an ashlar base. A brass eagle lectern dates to circa 1920. Two 18th-century carved panel-back chairs and 19th-century traceried panelled stalls and desks are present, together with two late 20th-century oak collection boxes on stands and two 18th-century painted canvas commandment boards. Memorials include a Gothic alabaster tablet to the Freeth family (1823-47) and a bronze War Memorial tablet (circa 1920).