Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

Parish church with a complex building history spanning from the mid-11th century to the 15th century, with significant later restoration. The church comprises a mid-11th century nave (reworked around 1150 and again in the 15th century), a late 14th century south aisle, a central tower dating to around 1120 with later 15th century work, and a late 14th century chancel. The chancel was restored in 1866 and the remainder of the church in 1874.

The exterior is constructed of rubblestone and flint with ashlar dressings, beneath various roof coverings: lead to the south aisle and porch, corrugated asbestos to the nave, and slate to the chancel. The west end features diagonal buttresses to the north and flat buttresses to the south, both reaching to arcade level only. A 3-light transomed window of around 1470 occupies the west position.

The south aisle displays three 2-light windows with branching mouchette tracery over pairs of cusped semi-circular sub-arches, all featuring hood moulds and moulded jambs. A gabled south porch with re-used ashlar quoins and low parapet on kneelers is notable for kneelers decorated with ball flower motifs, a theme repeated at the aisle west parapet above the diagonal buttress. The porch has a plain arched entrance with lancet side lights. The inner south door carries double wave and wave moulding with hood on head stops. A 3-light aisle east window dates to around 1470. A clerestory was added around 1470, comprising five 2-light 4-centred windows with continuous hood moulds to the south (four to the north). The south clerestory wall is of knapped flint with flushwork initials between the windows: I.S. (Jesus Salvatur), MR (Maria Regina), a crowned T (representing the Trinity), and AT (unidentified). A timber wall plate cornice runs along the wall.

The four-stage tower has diminishing clasping buttresses, with the north-west buttress elaborated into a square stepped stair tower reaching to parapet and pierced with lancet lights. The lower first stage south displays a blocked late 12th century Norman door (blocked with flint) and a 2-light mid-14th century lozenge tracery window. The base on the north is of knapped flint with one 13th century lancet. The first stage north and south continues with two large round arches on square pilasters and responds. The second stage south and east displays two groups of three arches divided by an undifferentiated pillar, each group carried on two columns with cushion capitals elaborated with single scallops at the corners. The west side has one round arch at each side of the nave roof apex. The north side has two groups of two arches, all stages symmetrically disposed to accommodate the stair turret. One or two lancet lights occupy the ringing chamber within the second stage arcading. The third stage has paired blocked windows also with cushion capitals. The top stage contains two belfry windows divided by a pilaster strip and responds with cushion capitals. A 15th century flushwork crenellated parapet crowns the tower.

The chancel south wall features a low side window, a moulded priest's door, a flat buttress, and two renewed windows: a 2-light window with petal tracery to the west and a 3-light mouchette window under a 4-centred arch to the east. Diagonal east buttresses flank an elaborate 5-light east window of 1866 with amorphous Decorated design. A lean-to 19th century vestry to the north has one renewed 2-light mouchette window.

The north nave wall is pierced by a tall 2-light 15th century panel tracery window at the east. A blocked north door of around 1150 features one order shafts with single incised scalloped cushion capitals and squared imposts carrying a zig-zag arch below a billet arch. Further west is one double-splayed Anglo-Saxon circular window of the mid-11th century.

Interior

A four-bay south arcade contains quatrefoil piers with fillets running north and south into polygonal abaci, arches carrying hollow and wave mouldings. Clerestory windows are irregularly placed above. The nave roof, dating to around 1470, is a false hammerbeam design with both wall plate and hammerbeam crenellated. Arched braces rise to crenellated collars which carry short king posts to a moulded ridge piece. One tier of moulded butt purlins runs through the roof. A 14th century font features traceried panels to the bowl and stem, surmounted by a 17th century crown cover with baluster finial. Bench sedilia and an angle piscina occupy the east aisle chapel. The 15th century aisle roof comprises tie beams on arched braces. Crossing arches to east and west carry roll moulding on shafted responds with cushion capitals, all dating to around 1120. The north-west pier displays a cinquefoiled ogeed statuary niche. Wall arches occupy the north and south sides. The crossing roof is similar to the aisle and chancel. The chancel contains stepped sedilia and an angle piscina. An excellent set of 15th century bench ends in the crossing pews features carved traceried ends with finials of figurative and animal motifs.