Church of St. Andrew

Church of St. Andrew

A church comprising an early 14th-century north aisle arcade, a 16th-century tower, and substantial restoration and additions carried out in 1847–1848 by Sir George Gilbert Scott in an early 14th-century style. The building is constructed of flint with Bath stone dressings, faced inside with chalk, and features a west tower of brick with flint panels and some stone dressings. The roofs are tiled, running separately over the nave and aisles with the north aisle chapel roof slightly higher. The rooflines terminate in parapeted gable ends with footstones, kneelers, and capstones.

The plan comprises a west tower, nave, north and south aisles, north porch, north aisle chapel, north vestry, south transeptal chapel, and apsidal chancel.

The west tower has three stages and is marked by diagonal buttresses to the west inscribed W.A. and S.H, a plinth, string courses, a parapet string with gargoyles, a coped battlemented parapet, and a weathervane. The bellchamber openings are two-light and louvred on all faces, with clocks positioned to the north, south, and west. The second stage to the west contains a 19th-century lancet with hoodmould, while the first stage to the west displays a three-light 19th-century window with hoodmould. An octagonal four-stage newel turret rises from the south-west corner with string courses and a coped battlemented parapet. Three rectangular openings face south, with a boarded door below.

The north aisle's east end features a diagonal buttress and a circa 1300 lancet. The south side displays three 19th-century cusped lancets to the left and one circa 1300 lancet to the right. Between the first and second windows from the right is a 19th-century chamfered arched doorway with a boarded door and good ironwork. A 19th-century gabled porch with diagonal buttresses rises here, its east and west faces pierced by three-light windows and its entrance marked by a chamfered arch with hoodmould and a boarded door bearing good ironwork.

The north aisle chapel's south side features a cill string and two two-light windows with hoodmoulds and carved stops. The east end contains a three-light window with intersecting tracery and hoodmould.

The north vestry's south side holds a two-light window with a quatrefoil above and, to its right, a boarded door with chamfered arch, hoodmould, and carved stops. The east end displays a pair of cusped lancets.

The chancel's apsidal east end is articulated with lesenes, a cill string, and five lancets with hoodmoulds, carved stops, and shafts carrying moulded bases and capitals. The north side shows a cill string and three lancets with hoodmoulds and carved stops. A chamfered arched doorway to the left features a hoodmould, imposts with carved stops, and a boarded door.

The south transeptal chapel's east end displays two lancets to the right with chamfered sides, imposts, hoodmoulds, and carved stops, with a vesica piscis set in the gable end above. To the left is a lancet with hoodmould and carved stops. The south side contains clasping buttresses and a three-light quatrefoil window with hoodmould in the gable end.

The south aisle's east end features a group of four lancets to the right with chamfered sides, hoodmoulds, and carved stops; an identical lancet stands to the left. An off-centre moulded arched doorway between the first and second windows from the left contains a boarded door, hoodmould with carved stops, imposts with carved stops, and shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The west end shows a pair of lancets with chamfered sides, imposts with carved stops, moulded arches, and hoodmoulds with carved stops, topped by a quatrefoil window with carved cusps above.

Interior

The interior preserves an early 14th-century three-bay north aisle arcade with octagonal piers, moulded bases and capitals, and chamfered arches. The 19th-century south aisle arcade comprises three bays with square piers and chamfered arches. Shafted lancets punctuate the north and south aisles. A large moulded arch connects the south aisle to the south aisle chapel.

The nave and south aisle feature single framed roofs, while the north arcade carries a tie beam roof with collars. A large moulded chancel arch rises on short wall shafts with hoodmould and two low walls.

A two-bay south chancel arcade features a central shafted round pier with foliated capitals, moulded arches, and hoodmould. The arch to the south aisle chapel displays nook-shafts, foliated capitals, toothed ornament, and hoodmould, with three shafted lancets to the south-east. A five-bay wagon roof rests on foliated corbels.

The apse is entered through a rich arch of three orders with shafts and short wall shafts, carved capitals, carved saints set within the arch, and hoodmould. The apse itself is rib-vaulted with toothed ornament, attached shafts, and shafted lancets. Three-arch sedilia sit to the south, with a two-arch piscina and a shouldered-arched aumbry to the north.

19th-century fittings include a tapered square font with marble shafted corners and carved panels, an octagonal pulpit reached through a passage cut through the south-east aisle pier, with marble shafted corners and carved decoration. Carved choir stalls and wrought-iron railings to the south aisle chapel and apse are also 19th-century additions. A carved panel above the north door, dating circa 1700, derives from an old Thompson family pew. A wall tablet in the north aisle commemorates Mary Box, 1729, by William Box, and displays rich carving including cherub heads, skulls, and an hour glass.

The church was rebuilt for the Reverend Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor, as a memorial to his father, Henry Stevens.