Parish Church Of St Andrew

ST 11 NE CLAYHIDON CLAYHIDON 2/21 Parish Church of St Andrew 5.4.66 - I Parish church. Fabric of nave and chancel probably late C13. South aisle and west tower C15. Coursed rubble chert and limestone; roughcast west tower; limestone and Ham Hill stone dressings; slate roof, with crested ridge tiles to nave only. Plan: west tower, nave, south aisle and south porch, chancel. Exterior: west tower: 3 stages, moulded stringcourse and plinth, battlemented with corner pinnacles (some truncated), south-east square-section stair turret with separate south porch with gable-ended roof. 2-light belfry openings; 3-light west window, Perpendicular; west doorway with chamfered arch, the door itself possibly contemporary, albeit heavily restored. South side: 5 bays including porch; all 3-light Perpendicular windows, largely replaced externally by Ham Hill stone in the C19. Porch, diagonal buttresses, moulded outer arch with sundial in gable wall, dated 1782. Inner doorway, C15, composite moulded arch, square-headed above with foliated spandrels. Stair turret to rood loft between bays 4 and 5. Chancel: blocked priest's door; 2- and 4-light windows, Perpendicular, heavily restored. North side: tall square-headed window, probably early C16, lighting screen and pulpit; two 3-light Perpendicular C19 windows; concave moulded stone wall plate. Interior: Chancel arch, double chamfered and possibly late C13. Also of this date the font, Ham Hill stone, circular bowl, moulded with fleurons to its base, with an octagonal stem, moulded plinth with separate bases for detached shafts which have now disappeared. A tomb recess with half an effigy of a priest (presumably reset in the 1840's) is also late C13 and possibly represents one of the 2 members of the Hydon family who provided the first incumbents. C13 encaustic tiles now set under alter table. South arcade of 5 bays, wavey moulding to piers, capitals to principal shafts only; tower arch with concave moulding; wagon roof to nave and chancel, that to the nave unceiled in the 1960's, with ribs, bosses and wall plate all of the C15. Door to rood loft (now destroyed) early C16. Piscina and credence table under pointed arch looks C15. Some of the inner tracery and window arches look original C15 work. Mid-C18 panelled west gallery. A complete set of 1840s furnishings (benches, stalls, sanctuary rails, commandment boards, sanctuary floor tiling and patterned glass to chancel and coloured glass to west window, forms an important group. References: Pevsner, S.D; Guidebook by Ian Wakeling.

Listing NGR: ST1613415597