Church Of St Bartholomew

Church of St Bartholomew, Ducklington

A Grade I listed church of considerable architectural importance, originating in the late 12th century with significant 13th-century alterations and early 14th-century remodelling. The building was substantially restored in 1871 by E.C. Bruton. It is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings and has a gabled stone slate roof.

The church comprises a chancel, aisled nave, and west tower. The chancel's 3-bay south wall contains a 15th-century Perpendicular east window; a 15th-century chamfered square-headed door flanked by two mid-13th-century lancets; and a late 13th-century three-light window with plate tracery to the west. The north wall contains three mid-13th-century lancets.

The south aisle features a late 13th-century three-light trefoil-headed east window; a 15th-century three-light cinquefoil-headed window in the south wall; two late 13th-century trefoil-headed lancets; and a plain 13th-century pointed chamfered south doorway. A 17th-century south porch with a heavy arched lintel shelters a mid-19th-century door.

The north aisle represents exceptional early 14th-century Decorated work and was completely remodelled during this period. A continuous string course forms hoods over four windows of elaborate curvilinear tracery: a 4-light east window, three 2-light north windows, and a 3-light west window. The gabled wall and corner buttresses feature trefoiled statue niches. The north porch contains a mid-13th-century pointed moulded doorway with moulded capitals to shafts, and an early 14th-century pointed convex-moulded north doorway with ballflower ornament; the door itself is an 18th-century plank door with original fittings.

The 3-stage west tower has an upper string course, a 15th-century three-light west window, and 2-light belfry windows. A stair turret with two slit lights projects to the south. The tower is topped with an embattled parapet, incorporating some renewed stonework.

Interior

The interior is rich in medieval detail. A reset late 16th-century Belgian reredos depicts scenes of the Last Supper and Trial of Jesus. The chancel contains two statue corbels, a 13th-century trefoiled piscina and sedilia, a pointed chamfered recess, and an aumbry with roll-moulded surround and triangular head. An early 14th-century chancel arch sits on shafts with moulded capitals and bases and stiff-leaf stops to the hood.

In the nave, a late 12th-century drum font has a roll-moulded rim and intersecting round arches. A late 17th-century polygonal pulpit displays finely carved cartouches on each face. A 17th-century parish chest survives. A mid-13th-century double-chamfered archway with stiff-leaf corbels provides access to the west tower.

The north arcade exemplifies two distinct periods. The late 12th-century Transitional L-bay section features double-chamfered pointed arches on round piers with square bases and moulded capitals; the carving includes stiff-leaf work to the west and interlacing nailhead arcs to the east. The early 14th-century three-bay section has moulded arches on piers of quatrefoil section with moulded capitals and bases. Hood-moulds feature coiling serpent stops to the south and elaborately carved heads (including king and queen) to the north. The north aisle contains a trefoiled piscina and preserves an early 14th-century painting of the Trinity in the jamb of the east window.

The north aisle's early 14th-century Decorated work is particularly fine. The upper string course employs ballflower ornament as hood-moulds to the east and west windows. Tomb recesses to the north-east have ogee canopies elaborately carved with heads, vine trails, and sleeping figures in the spandrels; the cusping beneath displays carved heads set in foliage sprays. Two carved figures depicting the Coronation of the Virgin are set in the tracery of the east window, alongside statue niches and damaged figures depicting the Life of the Virgin at the east end of the aisle.

Fittings include mid and late 19th-century works. The stained glass ranges from late 19th-century and early 20th-century memorial glass to 14th-century foliate and star patterns in the east window of the north aisle, which also contains two birds in a central mouchette.

The north aisle stands as a fine example of the flowing curvilinear phase of early 14th-century Decorated architecture.