Church Of St Quiricus And St Julietta

Church of St Quiricus and St Julietta

This is a Grade I parish church with origins in the 11th century. The building was substantially expanded in the early 13th century with the addition of aisles to the nave and chancel, a south chapel and south porch. The south chapel was probably rebuilt around 1300. The south aisle west window and north aisle windows date to the mid-14th century, with further alterations in the 15th century and 19th-century restoration work.

The church is constructed principally of limestone rubble, with the tower and south chapel built in sandstone rubble. The east end of the south aisle and lower west part of the tower are faced in limestone ashlar. Limestone dressings and parapets throughout, with slate roofs featuring raised coped verges and cross finials. The architectural style is predominantly Decorated with some Perpendicular elements.

The plan comprises a west tower, nave, north and south aisles, north vestry, south porch, chancel and south chapel. The 3-stage tower features a pointed-arched west door with wave and hollow-moulded surround and hood mould. The 4-light Perpendicular west window has pointed arch, fine tracery and continuous hood mould. The 2nd stage has a cusped single light with hood mould to north and south, and a similar blind 2-light opening to the west. The 3rd stage contains a 2-light Perpendicular window with stone bell louvres to all sides, hood mould and mask stops, and below the east window a pointed-arched recess with moulded head and hood mould. A cornice and gargoyles—including an anthropophagus (man-eating figure) to the east—run below a blank-arcaded cusped parapet embattled with a central Perpendicular image niche with ogee hood and crocketed pinnacles. Crocketed pinnacles ornament the corners. A north-east octagonal stair turret with lancets and similar parapet rises against the tower. The spire above features crocketed ribs, a ball finial and weathervane. Diagonal buttresses, plinth and string courses complete the tower treatment.

The 4-bay south aisle has a tall narrow 2-light west window with trefoil heads and quatrefoil above under hood mould. Along the south elevation, from left to right, are a 3-light Perpendicular window with flat head, hood mould and relieving arch (restored in the 19th century), a similar early 2-light window, and a pointed-arched 3-light Perpendicular window with hood mould and mask stops. The aisle has a parapet and blank cusped arcade. The second bay from the left contains a gabled porch with a trefoil-headed opening, hollow-moulded surround, jamb-shafts with chevrons on capitals and a sundial at the gable apex (gnomon missing).

The 4-bay north aisle features a 3-light Perpendicular east window with hood mould and limestone quoins, and a tall trefoil-headed east lancet. Along the north elevation are a similar lancet to the right, two 2-light windows with cusped heads and reticulated upper tracery under square heads and hood mould. A gabled vestry attaches at the second bay from the left, with an east door and single trefoil-headed light, a similar 2-light west window with hood mould, and a small flat-roofed addition with door and single light. A small ashlar sanctus bellcote of 19th-century date sits on the east gable of the nave.

The chancel has a 3-light east window with wide trefoil heads and upper tracery in plain reveal, and two 2-light north windows with trefoil heads. The south chapel has a taller 3-light east window with relieving arch of stepped cusped lancet lights, and a similar but smaller 2-light south window with quatrefoil in upper tracery and a cusped lancet to the left, both with relieving arch.

Interior

The tower has a pointed segmental arch to the west door and a pointed-arched chamfered door to the stair tower, with a heavy door featuring raised fillets. A 19th-century framed ceiling in 9 panels spans the tower interior. A tall pointed tower arch with two broad wave mouldings opens beyond.

The nave has a 6-bay wagon roof ceiled with moulded ribs, carved bosses and brattished wall-plate, ridge purlin and one row of purlins. The north and south walls have been cut through for the aisles, forming a north arcade of 3 pointed chamfered arches with carved stops at the bases, and a 3-bay south arcade with an east pier featuring 2 shafts with stiff-leaf capitals carved at the west face. A carved image stand sits on the east side of the north arcade. The chancel arch, dating to around 1100, is plain round-headed with simple imposts. A segmental-headed opening for a former rood stair is visible at upper level to the right, with a small lancet (squint) to the left.

The north aisle has a 5-bay roof of 19th-century construction in the same style as the nave. The west lancet has an irregular pointed rere-arch, and the wall steps back above the outer curve of the stair tower, possibly indicating alteration of the original roof-line. Two windows to the east have segmental-headed rere-arches, and the west lancet has a pointed rere-arch. A piscina stands to the east.

The south aisle has a 5-bay roof of very shallow pitch, mostly 19th-century construction with arched-braces rising from stone mask corbels (one pair replaced in wood), principal rafters, one row of purlins and ridge purlin. Along the south wall, two windows to the west have cambered rere-arches. The central window has a recess in the cill with remains of a quatrefoil piscina. A south door features a plain pointed-arched reveal. A 19th-century vestry is attached.

The porch has a 19th-century arched-brace and collar roof. The inner door has roll-moulding and chamfer, pointed arch, hood mould and mask stops. Two consecration crosses appear on the jamb to the right, with a small image niche above and a holy water stoup to the right with octagonal bowl. Stone benches run to both sides.

The chancel has a 4-bay wagon roof with moulded ribs of 19th-century date. The rear of the rood stair extends the wall masonry to the south of the arch, and a recess to the north possibly accommodates a former squint. North windows have segmental rere-arches, and a pointed-arched piscina stands to the east. Two similar arches cut through the south wall to the chapel.

The chapel also has masonry extending around the roof stair. Its 4-bay wagon roof is of early construction with fine bosses. It retains a restored cusped piscina on the south wall and pointed rere-arches to the windows. The chapel was formerly known as the Bave Chapel after the Bave family of Barrow Court.

Fittings

The font in the south aisle dates to around 1300 and consists of a square bowl with blank trefoiled pointed arch-heads, a central shaft and four slimmer Purbeck shafts. A hexagonal Jacobean carved wooden pulpit stands in the nave. Royal Arms hang over the chancel arch. The chancel altar and chapel altar are supported by columns of Elton ware, a gift of Sir Edmund Elton in 1895. An oak screen across the south chapel dates to 1911.

A row of three effigies in the north aisle comprises two knights—one dating to around 1240-50 and the other cross-legged of the later 13th century—and a lady of around 1300. A monument in the south chapel with Ionic pilasters, pediment, shield above and cherub below commemorates Samuel Bave, undated, and was created by M. Sidnell of Bristol, active in the early 18th century. 18th-century ledger stones appear in the chapel and early 19th-century ledger stones in the nave, alongside a possible brass matrix. A marble monument in the porch to John Hillyard, dated 1842, was carved by J. Thomas of Bristol.

Small early 14th-century stained glass figures of Christ Crucified and Christ in Majesty survive in the south aisle, alongside later 14th-century fragments in the north aisle windows.