Church of St Denys

Church of St Denys, Stanford-in-the-Vale

This church comprises a nave and chancel with north aisle (which continues as a vestry), north and south porches, and a west tower. The building dates from the late 12th century, with significant additions in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, and further development in the early 15th century. It is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings, topped with a lead roof and stone slate roof to the north porch.

The chancel contains an early 14th-century four-light east window of Kentish tracery. The south wall of the chancel features two early 14th-century two-light windows, one early 14th-century three-light window of Kentish tracery, and a scratch dial. A similar two-light window in the north wall adjoins an early 14th-century priest's doorway with pointed arch and moulded architrave. The north aisle extends the full length of the nave, adjoining the priest's door. To the east of the porch it contains one early 14th-century two-light window with carved heads to label mould terminals, two early 14th-century two-light windows, and one three-light window, much restored in the late 19th century. To the west of the porch is one early 14th-century two-light window with restored right jamb, and in the west wall a late 13th-century stepped three-light window.

The north doorway dates to around 1300 and has a pointed arch with moulded architrave and stiff-leaf capitals, with a late 18th-century plank door. The early 14th-century gabled north porch has a pointed arch with chamfered architrave to the doorway and two-light windows in each side wall. The south wall of the nave contains two early 14th-century one-light windows and two early 14th-century two-light windows, with the top of the east window blocked in the late 19th century. Above the porch is an early 15th-century four-light flat-headed window. A late 12th-century architrave with scalloped capitals to engaged columns remains visible, with a late 18th-century plank door.

The early 15th-century south porch features a crenellated parapet, two-light windows with label moulds in side walls, and a four-centred arch with moulded architrave and carved heads to label mould terminals. The early 15th-century clerestory contains three three-light mullioned and double-chamfered windows beneath an early 15th-century crenellated parapet.

The west tower rises in three stages. Offset corner buttresses reach the top of the first stage, which contains late 13th-century one-light windows. The late 13th-century second storey features two-light windows and is separated from the early 14th-century third storey by an original corbel table. The third storey has early 14th-century two-light windows, a crenellated parapet, and gargoyles. Gabled roofs cover the tower and a lean-to roof extends over the north aisle. The steeply pitched north porch stands clear of the north aisle. A fleur-de-lys surmounts the nave parapet.

Interior

The chancel contains late 19th-century stained glass, including some reset 14th-century glass. The floor features 18th and 19th-century ledger stones, with three 17th-century ledger stones in the south-east corner, notably to John Heigham (died 1623). A brass to Roger Campdene, rector (died 1398), occupies the north-east corner, with a mid-18th-century wall tablet also present. Two early 17th-century carved doors to an aumbry are set in the north wall, alongside an early 14th-century piscina and Decorated-style pyx canopy in the south wall.

A late 13th-century doorway leads to the vestry, and a late 13th-century squint opens to the north aisle. The chancel roof dates to the late 15th century and comprises three bays with moulded beams and joists, arch-braced to corbels. A late 13th-century chancel arch separates the chancel from the nave.

The nave floor contains 18th-century ledger stones and features a richly carved five-sided Jacobean pulpit set on a late 19th-century base. Late 19th-century benches and late 19th-century stained glass are installed throughout, except for the east and west windows of the south wall and the west window, which retain some reset 14th-century glass. The nave roof dates from the 17th century and comprises seven bays with king posts, arch-braced with traceried spandrels, set on original 13th-century corbels. A late 13th-century triple-chamfered arch opens to the west tower, while a late 13th-century three-bay arcade with double-chamfered arches dying into octagonal piers connects to the north aisle.

The north aisle contains a richly carved Jacobean font with cover and a doorway with splayed and pointed arch leading to the rood loft stairs. It is roofed with a late 19th-century lean-to structure. Three 13th-century stone coffin lids are housed within the porch.