Church Of St Albans

BEAWORTHY BEAWORTHY SX 49 NE 2/38 Church of St. Albans - 22.2.67 GV II

Parish Church. The main fabric of the church dates from a rebuild of 1871 although the base of the tower is medieval. Slate and limestone rubble walls with limestone dressings. Gable ended slate roof to nave and chancel with decorative C19 ridge tiles. Conical slate roof with sprocketted eaves to tower. Plan comprises nave and chancel with west tower and south porch. The earliest feature of the church is the Norman imposts which have been re-used in the south doorway. The base of the tower may be C14 on the evidence of a lancet window and the lack of buttresses, it appears however to have been partially reconstructed in the C19 possibly subsequent to a lightning strike in 1810 which caused its spire to be replaced by the present conical roof. The front is also medieval but otherwise the church appears to have been virtually rebuilt in 1871. In 1849 mention was made of there being no demarcation between nave and chancel which there now is. The screen was removed in 1810. Unbuttressed 2 stage tower which has C19 pointed arched doorway on north side. C19 2-light arched belfry opening with small earlier square light below on north side. There is no west doorway, the 2-light west window is C19 in Decorated style. Low down on the south wall is a single lancet which may be C14. The C19 nave has 2 windows on each side which are 2-light cusped lancets apart from the east window on the south side which is 1-light. Buttresses at either end of nave and diagonal buttresses to chancel. The chancel has a similar single light window on each side and the 3-light east window is in the Decorated style. Gabled south porch has pointed arched doorway. Interior: south doorway incorporates 2 Norman imposts carved as ram's heads and 2 contemporary pieces of stone at the base with bands of saltire and pellet carving. The nave and chancel are very plain with a C19 chamfered arch to chancel and plain arch to tower which has simple late C19 castellated screen below. The benches and pulpit all date from the late C19 rebuild. The roof has arch-braced collar beams to principal rafters. The small granite font has a circular bowl which has been subsequently cut away on the outside to be octagonal below. Source: Beatrix Cresswell: Churches in the Deanery of 0kehamnton

Listing NGR: SX4611599443