Church Of St Thomas Of Canterbury

HUNTINGTON CP HUNTINGTON SO 25 SW 1/109

Church of St Thomas of Canterbury

16.10.67

II*

Parish church. Circa 1300, altered early C17 and restored in 1892 and mid- C20. Rubble with ashlar dressings and slate roofs with decorative ridge tiles and slate-hung bell turret. Continuous two-bay nave and single-bay chancel with west bell turret and south porch. Nave and chancel: north elevation has a C14 ogee-arched light at the eastern end, a central pair of C19 lancets, and a loophole at the western end. South elevation has a circa 1600 window of two lights with a square head at the eastern end and a similar window (C19 externally) east of the porch. At the east end is a pair of circa 1300 lancets and to the left of them are two corbels. The west bell turret is C17 and square in plan with rectangular louvred bell chamber openings, a pyramidal roof and weathervane. The south porch is C19. It is gabled and timber-framed on a rubble base. The roof has overhanging eaves on shaped brackets, moulded bargeboards and a pendant finial. There is a moulded arch-braced tie-beam and four cusped pointed openings in each side elevation above four rendered panels. The C14 doorway has chamfered jambs and a pointed head. Interior: there is no chancel arch. The chancel has a chamfered pointed arched organ recess in the north wall. At the west end the bell turret stands on moulded posts; the eastern posts forming a cusped pointed archway and are flanked by similar narrower archways to form a screen with exposed timber-framing and rendered panels above.

Nave roof has arch-braced collar and tie-beam trusses alternating with arch-braced collar trusses. There are two tiers of cusped wind-braces and moulded wall- plates. Chancel roof is similar but only has arch-braced collar trusses. There is a C19 cusped ogee-arched arcaded rood screen with linenfold panel- ling. The font is probably C14 and has an octagonal bowl with curved under- sides on an octagonal stem and C19 base. The four-sided timber pulpit is C19. In the nave are some C16 pews with trefoiled heads to the bench-ends.

Memorials: there is an early C19 memorial with a swan-necked pediment and fluted pilasters in the nave to Mary Watkins, died 1801, by Richard Burgoyne with addition at base to John Watkins, died 1891, by R Davies. Also memorials to Elizabeth Watkins, died 1846, and William Watkins, died 1833 (possibly also by R Davies). Floor-slab in nave to Thomas James, died 1713?.

Listing NGR: SO2494653380