Description

SD 9828 SE
9/76
1.11.66

HEPTONSTALL C.P.
HEPTONSTALL
Church of St. Thomas à Becket (formerly listed as Old Church air St Thomas a Becket)

G.V.
II*

Church, Ruin lacking roof. Founded 1260, fabric of this date survives in tower,
raised mid C15 when bells were inserted c.1440. C14 nave and south aisle, north
aisle replaced C15 by another nave and north aisle having the unusual feature of
2 chancels and 2 chantry chapels. In 1617 a gable with domestic style window
was inserted to light one of 2 lofts. South porch rebuilt with 2 new buttresses
1927. Large well coursed finely dressed stone. West tower, double nave,
chancels and aisles, south porch. Perpendicular plinth with chamfered weathered
course runs round the whole church. Embattled tower has east stair turret.
Sheer wall with angle buttresses. West face has 2-over-3 light pointed arched
window with cusped heads and quatrefoil to apex. Hoodmould has beak head and
human mask stops. North and south faces have smaller 2-light traceried window
with clear break in stonework over. This added stage has slightly flatter
arched 2-light windows to each face with traceried heads to belfry. False
machicolation to embattled parapet with chamfered moulded castellation of
similar section to plinth. North and east face has wide circle for clock of
1809 now in new church (q.v.). Stair turret breaks forward and is clasped by
south aisle which has 2-light window with quatrefoil. Similar window to north
aisle is set in deeper chamfered surround. Diagonal buttresses to aisle of 4
bays articulated by offset buttresses. 2-light windows with traceried heads set
in square deeply chamfered surround. Porch set in 1st bay has diagonal
buttresses, richly moulded pointed arch doorway, coped gable. Some of roof
slates are reused gravestones. Diagonal buttress at junction with 2-bay chancel
which had lower roof than nave with sanctus bell cote set at junction of 2
roofs. Pointed arched priests door, 2-light windows. East end has 2 gables
(with lean-to roofs to aisles) which have identical 3-light windows with
traceried heads. Original east window has elegant plain 2-centred arched window
retaining only 2 tall mullions and transom. Added chancel window (the northern
most) has flatter arched window mullioned and transomed with 5 arched lights to
lower part. Hoodmould has devils' face stops and shield to apex. Buttress with
carved crocket to offsets. To right, 3-light arched window to north aisle has
cusped lights with cavetto mullions with 4 cusped lights over and quatrefoil to
apex, possibly early C16. North return wall has windows in double chamfered
surrounds with straight lintels of 2 and 3 lights. One survives with arched
lights with sunken spandrels similar to east window, one other earlier with 2
cusped lights carved on lintel. Buttress at division of nave and chancel has
many offsets. Set in 4th bay of nave is gable with 3 over 5-light mullioned and
transomed window with hoodmould with decorative label stops. Coped gable,
kneelers and ball finials. North door in 1st bay of nave has semi-circular
arched doorway with broad chamfered surround.
Interior: 4-bay naves with octagonal piers. Those to south aisle and nave rise
from square bases with chamfered corners decorated with carved faces, shields
and hearts. Moulded capitals decorated with alternate squares and circles in
high relief. North arcade differs with octagonal bases and moulded capitals.
Chancel arches of differing angles. One capital engraved with chi-rho.
Northernmost chancel arch has cable moulded capital. Lower 2-bay chancels have
similar columns. Corbel with carved grotesque. Piscina to original chancel.
Tower arch rises from moulded capitals, chamfered surround with broach stop of
similar design to northernmost chancel arch. 2 rooflines may indicate the tower
arch was altered when tower was raised and original north aisle was altered.
Pointed arch doorway to south inner wall of tower with 3 others at various
stages of tower. Porch has trefoiled pointed transverse arches to roof.
Scheduled Ancient Monument. N. Pevsner, Yorkshire West Riding (London 1979),
p.262.

Listing NGR: SD9866228059

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17542335

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

• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)