Church Of St Chad

Church of St Chad

Church on Greengate Street, Stafford. The building is primarily 12th century in date, with the chancel's east end rebuilt in the 14th century. The tower is 14th century with significant rebuilding around 1500. The church underwent major restoration campaigns: Henry Ward of Stafford undertook work around 1864, followed by Sir Gilbert Scott from around 1870 onwards, who rebuilt the west front in 1873–4 and the south aisle walls in 1874–5. Robert Griffiths of Stafford completed the work between 1880 and 1886, rebuilding the south aisle walls in 1880 and the north transept in 1886. A south vestry was added in 1955.

The church is constructed in ashlar with tile roofs and slate to the north aisle. It displays Norman styling with a Perpendicular tower. The plan is cruciform, comprising a three-bay chancel with crossing tower, north transept and south vestry; a four-bay nave with lean-to aisles.

The chancel features a three-light east window with Geometrical tracery and hood with head stops. Large offset angle buttresses flank the east end, which terminates in a coped gable. The returns have shallow buttresses and a corbel table to the two western bays, along with two small round-headed windows with nook shafts. A sill course with cable mould and impost bands runs across.

The tower has offset angle buttresses and two-light triangular-headed traceried bell-openings with sill courses, hoods featuring head stops and louvering. The top displays a traceried frieze, a cornice with gargoyles and an embattled parapet. The north side has a parapet with details similar to the chancel returns. A round-headed north entrance with five round-headed lights above (two blind) leads into the church, with a wheel window and Celtic gable cross above; windows light the return.

The nave's west end has shallow angle buttresses and a round-headed entrance of two orders, richly moulded including beak head ornament, with paired doors bearing rich iron strapwork. An impost course sits above, followed by a blind arcade containing three lights with a sill course. At the top is a niche containing a statue of St Chad, surmounted by a coped gable. Clerestory windows are small and round-headed with deep splays. The aisles have offset buttresses and round-headed windows.

The interior is richly detailed. The chancel contains intersecting blind arcading with rich capitals and a piscina with sharp pointed arch. The roof features arch-braced collar trusses. The east crossing arch has Norman responds with rich capitals, one bearing a carving of a fox and birds with the inscription "ORM VOCATUR QUI ME CONDIDIT" (dating to the 13th century), and is a double-chamfered arch. A similar arch opens to the north transept; the south transept has a blocked arch with a smaller arch beside it providing access to the organ and stairs. The nave has four-bay arcades on round piers with simply moulded capitals; the two eastern bays are richer, featuring wall shafts and zig-zag moulding. The crossing arch is of two orders with richly moulded shafts and arch, including extensive beak head ornament, with a double-chamfered arch immediately behind. Deeply splayed clerestory windows rest on a sill course. The 17th-century roof features moulded beams and purlins.

Fittings include encaustic tiles in the chancel, a timber altar rail and altar with painted triptych reredos. The north transept contains a screened-off vestry and an early 20th-century open screen with altar and canopy on posts. Crossing stalls feature tracery fronts. A timber pulpit and rood beam with figures date to 1922, designed by Sir Charles Nicholson. The font, dating to 1856, is round in Norman style with beast heads influenced by 11th-century manuscripts; its cover of 1922, also by Nicholson, is a tall octagonal tower with recessed traceried finial. The inner porch, also by Nicholson, is timber with an enriched frieze and brattishing, and a canted traceried upper part.

The church represents a good example of Norman work, possibly showing Byzantine influence.