Church Of St Denys

CHILWORTH A27 SU 41 NW 8/2 Church of St Denys

II Parish church. 1812, completed by 1820, on site and having bells of older church dating back possibly to C12. Brick, stuccoed on stone plinth, slate roof. Plan of short chancel with little transepts, and later N vestry, to aisleless nave with squat W tower incorporating porch. Chancel has E 5-light slender Perp. window. Tall diagonal buttresses at corners and to ends of transepts, having panelled sides and top raised to form 4 gables. Coupled pointed lancets to transepts. 4 bay nave with pointed lancets and short stepped buttresses at W end. Walls have deep weathering mouldings at eaves and cill level, plain stone plinth. Tower has crenellated parapet, narrow openings to bell stage, string courses, short buttresses on corners. W face has plain doorway with 4- centred chamfered arch, above band with arcaded panels and cusping, pointed coupled lancet window on bell-stage, with hoodmould. Parapet taller in centre. Inside chief feature is the plaster lierne vaulting. In chancel it rests on slender attached octagonal shafts, with closely spaced ribs, rising to foliated boss. Either side of E window are original text boards. Delicate wrought iron communion rail. Vaulting in nave has shafts shortened on carved corbels. Again closely spaced ribs and foliated bosses, with traceried panels at E and W carried over with vaulting. Originally there was a W gallery and 2-decker pulpit. Open contemporary pews with Gothic panels on ends. Family pews used to be in transepts, with fireplaces. C12 font of square-panelled bowl, cut down. Monuments on walls of 1819, 1825, 1826 and one 1883 to sculptor R C Lucas, carved by himself 1840. 2 bells from old church, possibly C12, small, uninscribed with domed crowns, straight sides and sound bow of angular section on inner face. Very rare if genuine.

Listing NGR: SP3187223056