Description

SJ 86 NE GAWSWORTH C.P. CHURCH LANE

5/7 Church of St James

14.4.67

GV I

Church. C15 and C16. Yellow and red sandstone ashlar with lead roof
Western tower, nave and chancel. Perpendicular. Tower: of red
sandstone and c.1497 - 1536. West Face: moulded plinth with diagonal
buttresses. Central western doorway with 4-centred arch with
quatrefoils and daggers to spandrels. Row of square panels above
containing pointed quatrefoils. Cyma-moulded string course above.
Three-light window above with hood mould and figurehead stops.
Canopied niche above supported by angel bearing a shield. Crocket to
canopy. At this same level are similar, smaller canopied niches to
the outer faces of the diagonal buttresses, crockets to canopies.
Three shields in relief above central niche with circular clock face
above them. String course below belfry stage which has 2-light
louvred openings with hood moulds and figure head label-stops.
Further row of square decorated panels below battlemented parapet
which has gargoyles to centres and angles, above which rise panelled
piers with crocketed pinnacles. South and North faces have shields
and similar belfry stage and above. Nave: of yellow sandstone
indicating earlier date than tower and chancel. Moulded plinth common
to rest of nave and chancel. Three bays with windows of three lights
gradually widening towards east, each having hood mould with label
stops of human and animal form. Buttresses between bays terminating
in square panelled piers and crocketed pinnacles. Diagonal buttresses
at right and left indicating original termination points before tower
and chancel were added. Later Perpendicular porch of red sandstone
imposed between first and second bays from left with diagonal
buttresses. Door with four-centred arch and circular panels to
spandrels with canopied niche over. Large gargoyles to sides
supporting octagonal panelled and crocketed pinnacles. Plaid
parapet between these with chamfered coping. Porch reveals have
2-light windows, that at left having label stops of paired heads.
North face similar save for absence of porch. Door at first bay to
right. Chancel: Yellow sandstone, lower courses re-used from western
end of nave when tower arch was introduced. Upper courses of red
sandstone. South face: two bays. Windows, wider than those to nave,
of three lights with buttress between and angle buttress at right.
Priest's door to right of left hand bay. North side is similar.
Eastern end: 5-light central window with figurehead label stops to
hood-mould. Sanctus bellcote to gable apex with panelled sides and
cross to summit.
Interior: Panelled ceiling to nave with moulded principals supported
on wall posts and arched braces rising from figurehead corbels.
Chancel ceiling of square panels. Remnants of sides of original
Eastern window evident in nave. Chancel screen of 1894 by J Oldrid
Scott, based upon that at Elvaston, Derbyshire. Octagonal C16 panelled
ashlar font on C19 stem with wooden cover, probably by J Oldrid Scott.
Monuments to Francis Fitton of 1608, a table tomb with effigy above
and skeleton below. Sir Edward Fitton and wife of 1619: two recumbent
effigies with children kneeling along the tomb-chest and with a
wall-plate behind to east wall. Dame Alice Fitton of 1627 seated
figure in widow's garb. Children kneeling in front of and behind her.
Sir Edward Fitton of 1643 and wife. Tomb-chest with recumbent effigies
and figure of girl. Wall plate to eastern wall and trophy to south
wall. Originally having a canopy over.

Source: Nikolaus Pevsner & Edward Hubbard - The Buildings of
England:Cheshire.

Listing NGR: SJ8901069688

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St James' Church, Gawsworth at Wikipedia
• St James' Church, Gawsworth official website
• Wikidata Q7593437

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

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  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)