Church Of St Simon And St Jude

HOCKWORTHY HOCKWORTHY ST 01 NW 4/78 Church of St Simon and St Jude - 5.4.66 GV II* Small parish church. Norman font. The tower is probably C15 but was heavily restored 1848, the rest was rebuilt in 1865 by the young architect Charles Durnford Greenway. Local chert stone rubble to the tower, the rest of the same stone but snecked; limestone detail; slate roof. Plan: nave with lower and narrower chancel, north aisle, south porch and west tower. Vestry on north side of chancel. In the C19 the tower was converted to the baptistry. The style is a mixture of Early English and Early Decorated. Exterior: plain unbuttressed tower of 2 stages with embattled parapet. The belfry windows are lancets and the west window is 2 lights with Perpendicular tracery and a hoodmould. C19 stair turret only to the ringing floor projects square from south side with an external shoulder-headed doorway. The rest of the church is in the same style with plate tracery windows. The south porch is gabled with a 2-centred outer arch and south doorway is a similar smaller version. Interior: dates from 1865. Nave and aisle have tall open scissor-braced common rafter truss roofs. The chancel is also open and has arch-braced common rafter trusses. Plain tower arch to the baptistry. Chancel has a double-chamfered arch ring springing from moulded imposts. The 3-bay arcade has marble piers with moulded limestone capitals. The walls are plastered. The floor is a chequer pattern of red anti black tiles and some encaustic tiles, including some representing the Evangelists, are included in the sanctuary. The Beerstone reredos is a blind Early English style arcade enriched with some marble. To left a trefoil-headed piscina. Oak altar rail on twisted wrought iron standards. Pine stalls. Beerstone reading desk and pulpit, the latter on a marble stem. Both have good brass fittings. C19 pine box pews. Simple font of circa 1200; built of volcanic it has a cushion bowl which has since been planed down. Cylindical shaft and C19 square plinth. C17 oak chest. No memorials. Painted Commandment boards flank the tower arch. C19 stained glass in chancel.

Listing NGR: ST0398219533