Church Of Holy Trinity

Church of Holy Trinity

This is a well-documented parish church on Mill Road, Ingham. The building has a complex architectural history spanning several centuries.

The chancel dates to approximately 1340–44 and was founded by Sir Oliver de Ingham. In 1360, Sir Miles de Stapleton (Sir Oliver's son-in-law) founded a Trinitarian Priory to the north of the church and rebuilt the nave and aisles under a licence to rebuild the church granted between 1358–61. The tower was commenced in 1456 and the battlements were completed in 1533, according to wills held at Norwich Record Office. The south porch dates to 1440. Significant restoration work was undertaken in 1875–76 by J.P. Seddon and Ewan Christian, during which the clerestory stage was entirely rebuilt and the south aisle was remodelled. Minor restorations were carried out in 1969, and the tower was restored in 1986.

The church is constructed of flint with ashlar dressings and has slate roofs. The three-stage tower is supported by flushwork diagonal buttresses and features a flushwork plinth course with an ogee arcade. A three-light Perpendicular west window is present, along with square traceried ventilation panels to the ringing chamber. The belfry windows are two-light openings, now without tracery. A double crenellated flushwork parapet sits above octagonal turrets with angle finials.

Three-light cusped reticulated windows light the aisle to the west. The square three-storey south porch has diagonal buttresses and is entered through a sunk quadrant moulded arch leading to a lower porch chamber with a stone vault of two bays with tierceron ribs. The inner south doorway is double wave moulded. A two-light first-floor window was added to the porch in 1969, above a blocked two-light mullioned second-floor window. A polygonal stair turret projects to the north-east.

The south aisle is supported on stepped buttresses, angled to the east. Three three-light flowing aisle windows were designed by J.P. Seddon, as were four Flamboyant circular clerestory windows on the south and north sides. The south aisle east window is blocked. The chancel has three three-light south windows of mid-14th-century date, still retaining their original character despite restoration. The central window is of early Perpendicular lozenge type. The others display tracery of two four-petalled flowers. At the west end of the chancel under the eaves are two-light rectangular windows on the south and north sides. Stepped side buttresses flank the Priests' door, with diagonal buttresses oriented to the east. A fine five-light flowing east window and one three-light 14th-century vesica window to the north chancel complete the fenestration scheme.

The north side of the church, which adjoins the priory buildings, now shows only ruins and fragmentary remains, with walls and staircases rising and intersecting at various levels. Parallel with the north aisle, remains of the south walk of the cloisters survive, their arches now blocked.

The interior contains a five-bay arcade of lobed piers with filleted rolls between the lobes. Round moulded bases rest on polygonal plinths, balanced by round moulded abaci beneath polygonal capitals. The arches are double wave moulded. A string course runs below the clerestory windows. The nave roof is a 19th-century King post design on false hammerbeams, with King posts and arched braces to the collars. The tall tower arch comprises two orders of engaged columns. The chancel arch is plain and double hollow chamfered.

An octagonal 13th-century Purbeck marble font features two incised arches on each facet of its bowl, with a stem and eight orbiting marble columns added in 1876. The aisle roofs are of plain rafter type and date to the 19th century. The north aisle has no windows, but at its east end a blocked segmental doorway below a chamfered window arch both originally opened into the priory buildings. A four-centred wave moulded recess appears at the east end of the south aisle, alongside another blocked doorway.

Central piers of a stone chancel screen survive. Late 15th-century chancel stalls, heavily restored, remain in place. The chancel roof is a 19th-century hammerbeam design. A vestry is entered through an arched door in a square surround, with encircled quatrefoils in the spandrels.

A wall monument to Sir Oliver de Ingham (died 1344) stands immediately east of the vestry door. Originally a tomb chest with a reclining effigy beneath an elaborate vaulted canopy, only the western piers of the canopy and a fragment of vault remain. The plinth of the tomb chest displays a row of encircled quatrefoils. Above runs an arcade of twelve weepers, each within cinquefoiled niches. On the tomb chest lies the effigy of Sir Oliver in crossed-arm pose, resting on a bed of pebbles, with two angels holding his helmet behind his head. To the west are remains of the canopy buttressing, elaborately fitted with subsidiary vaulted statuary niches with cusped tracery under nodding ogee arches with crockets and finials. Cusped vaulting springers of the canopy survive.

A nave south aisle altar tomb commemorates Sir Roger and Lady Margaret de Bois (died 1300 and 1315 respectively), though costume details suggest a date of approximately 1340. The rectangular tomb chest features alternating large and small panels, the large ones with quatrefoils enclosing shields, the small ones with figures under canopies. At the west side is a scene of the Resurrection of Christ. The effigies, badly weathered and rigid in pose rather than cross-legged, represent both figures.

Two indents of brasses survive: one to Sir Brian Stapleton under a canopy with some brass work remaining, the other to a Knight and his wife, equally fragmentary. A brass inscription commemorates Lady Elizabeth Calthorpe, died July 1536.