Church Of St Bartholomew

TL 87 SE INGHAM THE STREET (EAST SIDE)

2/26 Church of St. Bartholomew 14.7.55

GV II*

Parish church of C14 and earlier origin, much restored in 1861. Flint, with freestone dressings, and plaintiled roofs with diaper patterns in black tiles. The west tower, nave and south porch are in black knapped random flint, with a very small admixture of other stone. Tower in 4 stages on a base of narrow flushwork panels with .trefoil heads. A high, plain embattled parapet and stone-faced diagonal buttresses. A simple early C14 west doorway, with a large 3-light window with reticulated tracery above, and 4 2-light windows with cusped plate-tracery to top stage. The south porch was rebuilt as part of the extensive restoration of the church by the Rev. E.R. Benyon in 1861 and is used as a vestry. Its 2 windows are filled with fragments of medieval stained - glass. All other windows in the building have clear glass. The C14 south doorway, damaged, has one order of nook shafts. The nave has 2-tier stone-faced buttresses, adn 2 3-light windows in Decorated style to each wall. Wide chancel, rebuilt in C19: faced in kidney flints, 2-light windows, angle buttresses: 5-light east window in Perpendicular style. Inside, the interior of the tower forms part of the nave, with a very high arch replacing the internal wall. Nave roof boarded, with embattled cornice. C19 benches and pulpit, 2 doors to the rood stair in the north east corner, with a wide lodge, jutting out from the chancel arch in front of the upper door, which gave access to the rood loft. High C19 replaced chancel arch. 3-bay arch-braced collar roof, with carved windbraces to the purlins which may come from an earlier roof. Below at the west end of the nave, a plain square late C12 font with unusual moulded bases to the angles, resembling a waterleaf form. Four C15 poppyhead bench ends survive. Although much restored in 1861, the church was clearly not rebuilt entirely at that time, as stated e.g. by Pevsner.

Listing NGR: TL8552570546