St Issell's Church

St Issell's Church

The church stands on sloping ground with a considerable rise to the north and east. The tower is positioned at the west end on the lowest ground level. The building comprises a high-roofed nave with a chancel only slightly lower in height; a north aisle running the full length of nave and chancel with a roof almost as high; and a lean-to south aisle extending only the length of the nave, its roof continuing the south slope of the nave roof at a slightly lower pitch. A vestry wing is attached to the north and a porch to the south.

The tower is the only externally medieval part of the church, built in informally coursed gritstone. The remainder of the building dates from the 1864 restoration or later, constructed in slightly rock-faced local Carboniferous sandstone in snecked courses. The roof is covered in thick slates with tile ridges and gritstone gable-copings, finished with carved stone cross-finals, of which one is missing.

The 1864 restoration adopted early English style fenestration, predominantly lancet windows, some paired or stepped, with plate tracery, label moulds and a continuous string course running throughout.

The tower itself is plain and unbutressed, with a crenellated parapet projecting slightly on a string course. A stairs turret at the northwest corner rises higher and is similarly crenellated. Paired belfry openings on each face of the tower contain slate-covered louvres. The west wall of the tower features a group of three squared-headed lights under a square label mould, which formerly lit a gallery, with a pointed door beneath having a square mould carried down to the string course.

Medieval work survives in the tower, the north arcade and the chancel arch. The lowest course of stones in the south arcade may also be original, though the arcade itself is a restoration. The arcade piers are octagonal with plain caps and pointed arches. The single arch continuing the north arcade into the chancel is a depressed pointed arch. The chancel arch displays large round corner mouldings carried down through the caps.

The chancel is short, raised by three steps at the arch with a further step up to the sanctuary. The east bay of the north aisle, opposite the chancel, is also at raised level and has been extended northwards to contain the organ and vestry. Within the tower base, a flight of nine steps leads up to the nave, inserted during the 1864 restoration. Corbels in the north wall mark where a former gallery stood, and marks of its staircase remain in the southwest corner.

The high altar and the altars of each aisle are all from the mid-twentieth century, with a carved crucifixion on the high altar reredos. The three lancets of the east window share a common rear-arch and wide reveals. The pews are modern, as is a modern steel and timber screen at the change of level in the north aisle.

The church contains good stained glass of various dates from 1865 to 1925. The oldest is the east window of the north aisle, commemorating E R Stephenson, dated 1865. A south window of the chancel, to the Reverend John Jones, Vicar from 1888 to 1912, depicts the restored church held as a model in the hands of St Issell. The east window contains a portrait of Lady Anne Lewis in one corner. The east window of the south aisle or Lady Chapel commemorates C R Vickerman and his wife and sister-in-law, created by Kempe and Tower in 1912.

After the Great War, a new pulpit was constructed by Caroe as a war memorial, incorporating the roll of honour. It is carved in Perpendicular style with St George and the dragon, and includes a sounding-board canopy.

The font is a square bowl of oolitic limestone with a similar but slightly varied design incised on all four faces, featuring raised scroll motifs and irregularly placed stars and crescents. The limestone pillar appears to comprise two reused twelfth or thirteenth century column caps, each with a primitive carved "tete coupee" face on one corner.