Church of St Olave

SP52NW 3/24

FRITWELL Church of St Olave

07/12/66

GV II* Church. C12, C13 and C14, restored and partly rebuilt 1864 by G.E Street. Coursed squared limestone rubble with limestone ashlar and some marlstone ashlar dressings; lead, Stonesfield-slate and plain-tile roofs. Chancel, nave, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch.

Restored C13 chancel has a C19 east window, but retains a small lancet to north and an ogee-headed C14 lancet to south; the buttresses incorporate C15 carved panelling. The narrow lean-to south aisle has a small lancet to east and a restored lancet to west, but has square-headed C14 and C15 windows to south of two and three lights; the fine C12 doorway, sheltered by a C19 porch, has chevron ornament surrounding a tympanum carved with two beasts devouring a tree. The north aisle, which is also parapetted in marlstone, has similar windows to north but the east and west windows are traceried; the C12 doorway is plainer but has a cable mould around the arch. The rebuilt pyramid-roofed tower incorporates tall two-light C13 bell-chamber openings with plate tracery.

Interior: chancel has a re-sited column piscina or stoup of c.1200, and the north wall contains the Romanesque former chancel arch of two orders, the outer with chevron decoration. Chancel arch is C19, but the four bay nave arcades of two chamfered orders are probably C13 on the south, with round columns and some nailhead ornament, and C14 on the north, with octagonal columns. The roofs, including a crown-post roof in the nave, and all the fittings are C19, except for a panelled C14 font which tapers towards the base, and the western gallery, made up from Jacobean woodwork in 1901.

Listing NGR: SP5245229301