Church Of St Swithun

Church of St Swithun

A Grade I listed church with a mid-13th-century nave and chancel, late 13th-century north transept, and early 15th-century south aisle and west tower. The building was substantially restored in 1892 by the architect Temple Moore for Reverend H.G. Morse, rector from 1878.

The walls are constructed of coursed slatestone rubble, with the later 15th-century masonry being squared and coursed rubble with a chamfered plinth. The roofs are gabled and covered with late 19th-century slate and plain tiles.

The chancel features a Perpendicular 3-light east window with trefoiled heads and two quatrefoil lights above, protected by a hood mould with head stops. A 13th-century lancet window lights the north side, alongside a late 19th-century four-light Perpendicular-style window with hood mould. The 3-bay south wall of the aisle contains, from east to west, a chamfered round-arched doorway, then five, four and three-light windows with cinquefoiled heads and restored mullions. The west gable of the south aisle has a Perpendicular 2-light window with quatrefoil in the head and cinquefoiled lights. A late 19th-century south porch has been added.

The three-stage west tower is 15th-century, with offset diagonal corner buttresses rising to the second stage and string courses throughout. It has a 3-light cinquefoil-headed window with panel tracery above a moulded pointed-arched doorway. A north-east stair-turret with slit lights serves internal access. The upper stage displays 2-light cinquefoil-headed windows with louvres to the belfry, and the tower is finished with a crenellated parapet.

Interior

The walls are rendered. A 13th-century trefoiled piscina survives in the chancel. The roofs throughout the south aisle, nave and chancel are 15th-century waggons with moulded ribs and brattished cornices; the ceiling panels were painted with stencilled decoration in the late 19th century. The east end of the south aisle roof has foliate-carved ribs. The 15-bay arcade comprises moulded depressed arches set on quatrefoil piers with foliate, vine and brattished carved capitals. The north transept contains a round-arched doorway leading to stone newel-type rood stairs. The west tower has a 15th-century studded and ribbed door.

Fittings and Furnishings

Communion rails and choir stalls were installed in 1924. The nave contains late 16th-century bench ends carved with Renaissance dolphins and arabesques; some moulded top rails are 16th-century but most are 19th-century replacements. A 15th-century square font with quatrefoil panels has an 18th-century lid. A 13th-century parish chest, constructed from a hollowed-out log with a solid slab lid, is strengthened by iron bands and hinges with three locks.

The late 19th-century fittings, installed during the 1892 restoration, are of fine quality and include an altar, communion rail, choir stalls with linenfold panelling and carved bench ends, a lectern with crocketed pinnacles, and a panelled pulpit. The floor is marble. A finely-carved and painted rood screen by Temple Moore was executed after the example at Patricio in Monmouthshire. Fine 17th-century Dutch chandeliers were also installed during the restoration. The floor contains 15th and 16th-century tiles.

Wall Paintings

During Reverend Morse's restoration, several medieval wall paintings were uncovered and painted over due to lack of resources for proper conservation. A round-arched recess in the north transept contains an early 14th-century coloured figure of St Swithun with his right hand raised in blessing, flanked by vine trails, with the arch intrados patterned with coloured decoration.

Monuments

A late medieval style marble chest tomb commemorates Lieutenant-General H.H. Crealock (died 1891) and was created by Temple Moore. The reclining figure has his hand resting on a sword, with feet on a lion and angels flanking the pillow beneath his head. The sides of the chest are carved with figures of saints and angels beneath crocketed canopies. Two mid-18th-century tablets to Grace Guard and Anthony Welsh (died 1744) are set in architectural frames in the west tower.

Stained Glass

Fine glass by Kempe dated 1894 fills the east window and south windows of the aisle with saints. The south chancel window is dated 1892.