Church Of St Chad

Church of St Chad, Wishaw

A church of 13th-century origin with significant alterations and additions spanning the 14th, 15th, and early 18th centuries, and restored in 1886–87. The building is constructed of dressed sandstone blocks with a plain tile roof featuring stone coped verges.

The church comprises a west tower, a 3-bay nave with side aisles, and a 2-bay chancel with a south vestry. The west tower, dating to around 1700 in the Gothic Revival style, rises through 4 stages. The third stage is marked by a moulded offset string and parapet string, above which stands a crenellated parapet with continuous moulded coping around the merlons and embrasures. The west door features a raised keystone and bolection moulded surround enclosing a fanlight with radiating glazing bars. A large pointed window above has similar mouldings with glass set within a network of lead cames. Circular windows appear on the north and south faces of the first stage, while the belfry level contains paired pointed windows, all with similar mouldings.

The north aisle dates to the 15th century and displays a square-headed window at its centre containing 2 trefoil-headed lights beneath a 4-centred arch with sunken spandrels. To its right is a blocked pointed doorway. The east window is pointed, containing 3 lights arranged as graded lancets, with the central light rising to the soffit of the arch while the flanking lights are lower with Perpendicular tracery above. The south aisle, dating to the mid-14th century with some 19th-century renewal of stonework, has a 2-light south window with truncated reticulations beneath a square head and a pointed east window of 3 trefoil-headed lights with reticulated tracery incorporating Perpendicular elements. A late 15th-century clerestory comprises paired trefoil-headed lights beneath semi-circular heads. The former roofline is discernible in the east gable of the nave.

The chancel, dating to the early 14th century, features a pointed east window of 3 lights with reticulated tracery and a keel-moulded hood with stops carved as human heads. In the west bay of both north and south sides is a single-light window with a trefoiled ogee head cut from a single stone. The vestry, a 19th-century addition aligned north–south, displays 3 trefoil-headed lights to its south gable and a lateral stack.

Internally, the 13th-century north arcade was remodelled in the 15th century with pointed arches of 2 chamfered orders, the outer bearing broach stops. The westernmost of the 2 columns is 13th-century and cylindrical; the other is 15th-century and octagonal, as are the 2 responds. Each column and respond has an appropriately moulded capital. The mid-14th-century south arcade features octagonal columns with moulded capitals and pointed arches of 2 chamfered orders. A tall pointed tower arch of around 1700 has an outer hollow segment moulded order and an inner semi-cylindrical order, both interrupted by moulded imposts. It is fitted with a 19th-century wooden screen containing pointed windows at second stage level. An acutely pointed early 14th-century chancel arch comprises 2 continuous chamfered orders. The chancel windows have segmental pointed rere-arches, and a cupboard in the north wall features a pointed arch. A squint between the south aisle and chancel allows occupants of the aisle a view of the altar.

Fittings include an 18th-century baluster font with a gadrooned basin and a 19th-century octagonal font on a cylindrical pedestal with waterholding base. A 19th-century Gothic pulpit, removed from St. Mark's Church, Ladywood following its demolition in 1947, is also present.

The church contains numerous monuments. In the south aisle are memorials to Andrew Hacket (died 1709), featuring a cartouche surmounted by an heraldic shield; John Lisle (died 1673), with a large aedicular wall monument with Ionic columns on brackets and a scrolled pediment with central urn; Lisle Hacket, Bishop of Lichfield (died 1728), featuring a central panel with side scrolls and brackets flanking heraldic shields, a broken pediment containing an achievement of arms with an obelisk behind, and urns spouting flame at each corner; and Mary Lisle (died 1676), with a draped cloth surmounted by an heraldic shield garlanded with flowers.

The north aisle contains monuments to Thomas Lander (died 1809), an oval tablet surmounted by an urn; Howard Procter Ryland (died 1905), an aedicule with fluted Corinthian columns and semi-circular pediment containing an achievement of arms; John Hacker (died 1718), a tablet with scrolled sides and broken segmental pediment with achievement of arms; and Lady Hacker (died 1716), an aedicule with fluted Corinthian columns and semi-circular pediment with achievement of arms in front. The nave contains a First World War memorial tablet featuring images of St. George and St. Chad within niches.