Description

NORTHMOOR SP40SW 11/210 Church of St. Denys 12/09/55

GV I

Church. Early C13: mostly late C13 and early C14, except C15 west tower. Rendered over limestone rubble, except chancel of uncoursed limestone rubble; artificial stone slate roof, except stone slates to chancel roof. Cruciform plan with west tower. C13 chancel has offset corner buttresses; 3-light geometrical east window; late C13 trefoiled lancets with hoods to north; south wall has 2 similar lancets, string course forming hood over C13 hollow-chamfered doorway and mid C13 two-light window of plate tracery. South transept has late C13 trefoiled lancet (west) and 2-light windows (east), and early C14 three-light reticulated windows (south). South wall of nave has late C13 Y-tracery window with trefoiled heads, west of C17 timber-framed and rendered porch with arched timber head to plank door. North transept has late C13 trefoil-headed 3-light window (east) and early C14 reticulated window (north). North wall of nave has two 2-light Y-tracery windows with cinquefoiled heads; hood over hollow-chamfered door. West gable has offset corner buttresses and early C14 three-light window of intersecting and cusped tracery. C15 tower has trefoiled lights and 2-light square-headed belfry windows; embattled parapet. Nave walls have late C18 and early C19 wall tablets. Interior: trefoiled piscina with credence table. Three late C13 trefoiled sedilia with hoods and jamb shafts. Fine late C17 communion rail with pierced scrolls of leaves and roses. Late C13 double-chamfered chancel arch, with moulded capitals to half-quatrefoil responds. Double-chamfered arches to transepts, which both have trefoiled piscinae. North transept has late C16/C17 two-bay tie-beam roof with stop-chamfered purlins. South transept: fine early C14 crocketed canopy frames C20 statue of Virgin and Child; parish chest dated 1721. C17 parish chest in blocked south door of nave. Late C17 gallery at west end of nave has bolection-moulded panels and turned balusters. C12 tub font with carved leaf sprays. Nave windows have early C14 hollow-chamfered rere-arches with short jambs stopped on head corbels and fine naturalistic leaf capitals. C15 tie-beam roof, with arch braces stopped on shield and foliate capitals; moulded ashlar plate and tie-beams; arched hollow-chamfered truss at east end. Mid C19 benches, fittings and pulpit. C15 hollow-chamfered and casement-moulded archway to west tower. Monuments: ledger stones and C14 slab with cross set in chancel floor. Chancel: has wall tablets to John Nalder, d.1797, Anne Ledwell, d.1764, with epitaph; also Richard Kent, d.1761 and family, a slate inscription slab set in white marble architectural frame with scrolled sides and figure weeping over urn set in open pediment. South transept has late C17 Baroque cartouche. North transept has wall tablet to Anna Warcup, d.1713, with flaming urn surmounting architectural marble frame and with cherubs' heads flanking heraldic achievement; memorial below to Anna-Maria Pryce, d.1732, has epitaph set in architectural marble frame and heraldic achievement set in broken pediment; similar memorial with bracketed pediment to her daughter Anna-Maria Pryce, d.1735; memorial to Richard Lydall, d.172i; has bewigged bust set in nowy-headed pediment with ball finials; tomb chest to Edmund Warcup d.1712; has 2 Panels of drapery swags over skulls and floral swag with cherub set in end panel; late C17 ledger stone and defaced C14 cross slab set in floor; chamfered arches in north wall over fine late C14 stone effigies of Sir Thomas de la More and wife. Wall painting: of heraldic shields, 2 souls being raised to Heaven, and Christ's hand raised in blessing, in north-west corner of north transept. Stained glass: good chancel window of 1866 and south wall of nave, 1871. The shaft capitals in the nave are an important illustration of the mere naturalistic forms of leaf carving of mature early C14 Gothic. (Buildings of England: 0xfordshire, p.722; National Monuments Record; Bodleian Library, Oxford, M.S. Top, Oxen, especially for early C19 drawings by J.C. Buckler and Henry Hinton).

Listing NGR: SP4211102873

External Links

• Wikidata Q17529227

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