Description

DOLTON CHURCH STREET, Dolton
SS 5612 + 5712
13 + 14/64 Church of St Edmund
4.10.60
GV II*
Parish church. C13 with early C16 additions restored and apparently partially
rebuilt in 1888. Coursed rubble walls, rendered to top stage of tower. Gable-ended
slate roof.
Plan: nave, chancel, north and south aisles, west tower and south porch. The
evidence of a C13 date is in the 2 lancets to the chancel and the early form of the
arcades although they may have been partially rebuilt. Tower added in circa early
C16 and porch probably at the same time but rebuilt in C19. Kelly's Directory
records that the greater part of the church was rebuilt during the restoration of
1888 but it is difficult to discern the extent of this from its fabric.
Exterior: 3 stage west tower with diagonal buttreses, crenellations and chamfered
plinth. Granite west doorway has Tudor arch, roll moulded, with recessed spandrels
and square hoodmould. Rebuilt 2-light trefoil-headed window above it. Square slits
to stair turret on north side of tower. West end of each aisle has C19 Decorated
style windows. North aisle has small Tudor headed doorway towards west end and 2 3-
light Decorated style windows with a similar 2-light one at the east end. North
side of chancel has 2 probably C13 lancets. East window is a large C19 copy of a
C14 window. 3-light Perpendicular style window at east end of south aisle. On its
south side it has 2 similar Decorated style C19 windows to the north aisle. Small
Tudor-headed priest's door. Rebuilt south porch has pointed arch and small lancet
on either side wall.
Interior: porch has C19 arch-braced collar beam roof. Possibly original pointed
arch chamfered sandstone south doorway to Church. Both arcades have very wide
pointed arches which are chamfered resting on massive chamfered piers with stopped
capitals. Pointed and chamfered tower arch. Old wagon roofs to nave and aisles
with chamfered ribs and carved bosses. Carved wall-plate to chancel and south
aisle. Chancel roof renewed in 1862. Some old bench ends survive in the south
aisle of Renaissance style with the initials I. S. and date 1581 commemorating John
Stafford. In the east window some old glass has been preserved also with the
Stafford arms. On the north chancel wall is a memorial to Barbara Lister dated 1696
consisting of a marble plaque with elaborately carved decoration around it.
The font is particularly interesting because it consists of 2 intricately carved
Saxon stones, the original purpose of which is unclear although it is suggested they
may have been formed a cross.
Sources: Kelly's Directory 1906; Beatrix Cresswell - Churches in the Deanery of
Torrington

Listing NGR: SS5700312012

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536333

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

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990