Church Of St Chad

Church of St Chad, Stockton

This cruciform church with shallow transepts, west tower, and lower narrower chancel represents a typical parish church plan, but with a notable history of architectural evolution. The church is likely of 12th-century origin, though the only surviving medieval element is the tower. The remainder was substantially rebuilt in 1858–59 by Richard Yates, a local builder, for T.C. Whitmore of Apley Park.

The tower, constructed in the 15th century with upper stages completed before 1651, is the dominant architectural feature. Built in red and grey sandstone, it rises in three stages and displays Tudor-Gothic characteristics. Diagonal buttresses support the structure, while the embattled parapet incorporates large gargoyles and the bases of corner pinnacles. The three-light transomed bell openings have louvres. The pointed west doorway, fitted with nook shafts, is set beneath a stepped gable and rose with the 4-light west window above it; both were rebuilt in 1858 following the removal of a porch. On the north side, a Tudor-arched doorway provides access to the stair turret, with a small straight-headed window lighting the second stage.

The remainder of the church, rebuilt in 1858–59, employs local ashlar red sandstone under tile roofs and exemplifies Victorian restoration of historic fabric. The nave and transepts display Perpendicular style with buttressed walls and embattled parapets on moulded cornices. Gargoyles punctuate the exterior. The nave is arranged in two bays with 2-light windows and a continuous sill band. The transepts feature segmental 3-light windows. The narrower chancel employs Decorated style, with a trefoil frieze below the eaves and a coped gable. Its south wall contains two 2-light windows with a sill band carried over a pointed south doorway; a blocked straight-headed opening on the left possibly represents an entrance from the earlier church. Triple pointed east windows with trefoil tracery lights are topped by linked hoods, with a blind trefoil in the gable. The lean-to vestry, crowned with corner pinnacles, has a pointed east doorway set beneath a straight hood mould with quatrefoil spandrels. Windows in the north wall feature cusped pointed lights under square hood moulds.

Internally, the tall tower arch exhibits polygonal hollow-moulded responds with moulded capitals. The nave roof, spanning seven unequal bays, is a boarded wagon roof with pendants supported on corbelled brackets with terms. Bracketed beams cross the transepts on angel corbels, enriched with quatrefoils and additional angel carvings. The tall pointed chancel arch carries an inner order on semi-circular responds, fitted with moulded capitals and hood moulds with head stops. The chancel roof is cambered with a tie-beam, divided into panels by purlins and subsidiary beams whose main members are moulded. It rests upon a moulded cornice above shafts supported on angel and knight corbels. East and south chancel windows have shafted rere arches. The pointed north vestry doorway features shafts with foliage capitals and a stilted segmental-pointed head. Beside it stands a window into the vestry, furnished with an over-elaborate neo-Norman rere arch. Tower walls expose dressed stone; the chancel likewise displays exposed stonework, painted white above sill height. The tower is fitted with panelled wainscot, whilst the nave and transepts have plastered walls. The nave floor is laid with 19th-century tiles, with raised wood floors for pews. Encaustic tiles pave the chancel.

The church retains substantial furnishings of quality. A Perpendicular octagonal font has a panelled stem and base. The Jacobean pulpit is profusely decorated. A later panelled reading desk occupies the south side of the chancel arch. Pews feature panelled ends and backs. Choir stalls have plain ends with carved arm rests, short carved poppy heads, and relief carving of quatrefoils in the bench backs. The communion rail displays open Gothic arcading. Other furnishings likely date to the 1859 rebuilding.

The stained glass deserves particular note. The east window depicts the life of Christ and is attributed to David Evans of Shrewsbury. The south windows show the Evangelists, executed by Frederick Preedy. Transept windows depict a priest and an angel, with plain glass incorporating coloured margins featuring foliage trails. Other nave windows follow this pattern. The west window, showing the Presentation at the Temple, was made in 1907 by Powell's.

A stone wall tablet with brass inscription plaque, no longer legible, stands in the nave's south wall. In the nave's north wall, a brass plaque commemorates Henry Wilkinson (died 1903) with archaic lettered relief against a marble surround.

The churchyard includes a stone wall on the west side incorporating pinnacles probably removed from the church during rebuilding. On the south side stands a sundial combining a 19th-century pedestal with an 18th-century plate and gnomon.