Church Of St Luke

Church of St Luke, Ullingswick

A parish church of 12th-century origin with a chancel dating from around 1300. The building was restored in 1856 and underwent major restoration work in 1862–3 by architect F.R. Kempson, with stained glass supplied by Clayton & Bell.

The church is built of local rubble sandstone with freestone dressings and has a tile roof. It follows a rectangular plan comprising a nave with a lower chancel, a west belfry, a south porch, and a north vestry.

The nave contains two small round-headed Norman windows set towards the east end. Other windows date from the 19th century, including three pairs of cusped windows in the north wall, one similar pair in the south wall, and a two-light south-east window with a mullion carried up to the apex of the arch. Below the central north window is a blocked doorway, possibly of Norman date. The wider, stepped south doorway is mainly 19th century in its present form, though the lower courses appear medieval with a continuous chamfer to the inner order. The porch has a similar pointed entrance. A lancet window in the west wall appears to be part of a 19th-century rebuild with a battered base. A pretty timber-framed bellcote with louvres and quatrefoil sound holes features a pyramid shingled roof. The chancel windows are 19th-century restorations of circa 1300 windows, comprising two south windows and one north window with Y-tracery. The east window has three stepped lights under a super arch, a local type also found at Hereford Cathedral. Cast-iron rainwater heads are said to be of a type designed by Henry Woodyear.

Inside, the restored chancel arch is double-chamfered with the inner order on corbelled shafts with square abaci. The nave has a trussed-rafter roof of 1863 and an arched-brace truss near the west end supporting the turret. The chancel has a canted boarded ceiling of 1856 with transverse ribs on a moulded cornice. A pointed north priest's doorway and a pointed window now open into the vestry. A blocked Tudor-headed fireplace in the south wall probably indicates a former box pew. The nave walls are plastered, but stonework is exposed in the chancel. The nave floor is parquet and the chancel floor is of 19th-century tiles, including encaustic tiles.

The plain octagonal lead-lined font is probably 15th century, though its round stem and base may be earlier. The screen and pulpit were installed in 1904–5 and share 16th-century-style details. The polygonal pulpit has intricate openwork, Gothic panels, a foliage cornice, and linenfold panelling on the pedestal. The tall screen features linenfold panelling on the dado, main lights with intricate tracery, a foliage-trail cornice, and brattishing. Simple pine pews date from 1863. Later choir benches are of oak with foliage bench ends, possibly also from 1904–5. The wooden altar has a front decorated with painted angels in arcaded panels. Either side of the altar are grave slabs laid on the sanctuary floor; one bears a floriated cross of the 13th century but is also engraved 1699, suggesting reuse. In the nave south wall is an unusual painted stone memorial to John Hill (died 1590), depicting the deceased on a tomb chest with kneeling family members in mourning. The chancel contains windows of the 1860s by Clayton & Bell. The east window shows the crucifixion, with a small demi-figure of the Virgin Mary and Child above it, attributed to the 15th century. North and south windows show the Last Supper (in a window opening into the vestry), Christ's sufferings foretold, the Three Marys at the sepulchre, and doubting Thomas. The south-east nave window shows Christ healing the sick and dates from 1862 by Hardman of Birmingham.

The restoration work was undertaken by contractor Niblett & King at a cost of £600. The chancel was restored and re-roofed in 1856, and the remainder underwent major restoration in 1862–3 under architect F.R. Kempson (1837/8–1923), who appears to have completely rebuilt the west wall and added the present belfry and porch. The screen and pulpit were designed by Kempson and added in 1904–5. The vestry was added in 1945 as a war memorial.