Description

OWSTON

SK 70 NE MAIN STREET (West Side)

2/78 Church of St. Andrew

29.12.66

GV I

Parish church, fragment of former Priory. Partially C13 or earlier, with
some early C14 and Perpendicular features, conservatively restored in 1861.
Square and finely coursed ironstone rubble with white limestone dressings
and some ashlar work. Unusual plan partially accounted for by its history;
nave, chancel and north aisle virtually a single space, though aisle is roofed
separately. This was the chancel of the priory church. Tower forming porch
on north west angle, circa 1300 buttressed and of two stages, with embattled
parapet and paired trefoiled lights to bell chamber. Short recessed spire.
North doorway with three shafts. In west wall of aisle one single splayed
lancet and former steeper roofline visible. Nave itself also buttressed to
west and with coped parapet with finial, 3-light trefoiled window set in a
recess marked by white ashlar dressings, which also form two string courses.
South wall very high with windows set high up in a slightly projecting section
of masonry marked off by string courses above and below the windows. Parapet
above. Buttresses, that to west decorated with blank traceried panels. East
and west windows in Decorated style, with triple quatrefoiled lights, the
central window Perpendicular, three square headed lights. The east window
is Victorian in a late Decorated style, five lights with reticulated tracery
forming 3 wheels or roses. Small doorway to aisle with squared hood mould
and two memorial tablets above it, one 1755, the inscription plate flanked
by Corinthian pilasters adorned with floral motifs and capped by a scrolly
broken pediment. Buttressed north aisle with Perpendicular windows. Parapet
with gargoyles. Tower forms north porch and the inner doorway is set in a
triple arched opening, rounded inner arch, stiff leaf capitals to middle shaft
with outer hoodmould with corbel heads. Way above this and advanced slightly
to form a recess between south wall of tower and north wall of aisle is another
archway. Inside one massive space, subdivided only by an arcade of two bays
with wide and very lofty double chamfered arches on round piers with roll
moulded capitals. Windows in south wall set very high up, and over the central
light, traces of a round headed archway, blocked. Blocked south door with
round arched head. To the east the masonry is disrupted suggesting that this
wall is not a single build. C19 roof; tie beam and king post construction.
North door has unusual fretwork to inner face, roughly shaped lattice work
resembling branches nailed to the door. Tomb recess of c1300 in north wall
with fleurons and ornate finials. Various C18 wall memorial tablets on north
and east walls of aisle. Chancel distinguished only by being raised up two
Victorian steps. Victorian fittings including simply chamfered altar rails.
Most other fittings are of a piece with these, including pews and pulpit.
The font is also Victorian, octagonal basin with simple geometric motif on
each side, supported on a chamfered squared base. Victorian stained glass
of particular quality in the west window with scenes from the life of St.
John the Baptist, by Heaton, Butler and Bayne .

The Church represents a fragment of the Augustinian Priory founded by Robert
Grimbald sometime before 1161.

Listing NGR: SK7744607964

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q99644810

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)