Description

SK 94 NW NORMANTON MAIN STREET

Parish Church of 3/111 St Nicholas 20-9-66 II*

Parish Church now vested in Redundant Churches Fund. C11, C12, C13, C14, C15 and alterations and additions of 1845. Ashlar, coursed limestone and iron- stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Lead, plain tiled and slate roofs. The unbuttressed rather squat ashlar tower has 3 unequal stages with a splayed base. 2 moulded plinth hands, a moulded stringcourse to first stage and a plain one to the second. The plain parapet has a finally carved corbel table and moulded top. The large central stage of the tower has a small trefoil headers window to each face. The south face also has a small quatrefoil. The 3 light west window is C19 but incorporates some C14 ball flower ornament. Set in the centre of the tracery is a C19 carved head. The hood mould and decorated label stops are C14. The belfry openings to all faces are 2 light C14, deep inset, with hood moulds and label stops. The ashlar north aisle wall, rebuilt 1845, has a lead roof and 2 bays marked by buttresses. The west window is a lancet, the north side has 2 two-light windows. The north clerestorey, in coursed limestone rubble, has a richly panelled embattled parapet with 2 lines of shields in cusped lozenges. 2 gargoyles drain the lead roof. Pinnacle bases but no pinnacles remain. 2 C15 4 centred windows with tracery removed. The ashlar and slate vestry dates from 1845, when the chancel was also largerly rebuilt. It is in coursed limestone rubble, with some ironstone and ashlar to the upper part of the east end. The plain tile roof has a stone coped gable and cross fleury to the ridge. At the east end are 3 C19 lancets under a continuous hood mould. The south side has one recut C13 plate tracery window and a single C19 lancet. The east wall of the nave has a battlemented parapet which terminates with an angel figure at the ridge. A C19 cross stands on the C15 pinnacle base. A reused Saxon cross shaft fragment bearing tight interlace decoration is inset near the south wall. The south aisle is in coursed limestone to the lower part and coursed ironstone to the upper, and has a lead roof. The east window is C14, 2 light with reticulated tracery and has a hood mould with human mask label stops. The south window is 2 light late C14 with recut reticulated tracery and heavy hood mould with block stops. The west window is a C13 lancet. The south porch is in ashlar with a lead roof and stone coped gables. The opening is round arched with plain imposts. Over the door is an inscription 'L Pollard CW 1789', probably referring to the reroofing of the porch. The porch has stone side benches. The south doorway appears to have been recut in the C17 and is a plain pointed chamfered opening with slightly moulded imposts. The south clerestorey is as the north but has 3 windows. Inside; late C12 south arcade of 2 bays with short circular piers on large square bases with waterleaf capitals. Plain responds. Stepped and chamfered arches with dog tooth hood mould and added C19 head over central pier. Arches may have been recut in 1845 restoration. Over the easternbay is a blocked opening cut by the C12 arcade which seems to be evidence of an earlier C11 phase. In the rear arch to the south aisle western lancet is some dogtooth decoration. On the south arcade is an incised geometric consecration cross. The 2 bay north arcade is late C13 with octagonal piers and responds and nail head decoration to the top mouldings of the capitals. The double chamfered pointed arches have hood moulds. The massive double chamfered tower arch is late C12 with keeled responds and sprigs of stiff leaf decoration to the capitals. It has a billet moulded hood as the south arcade. The tower stair door is in small C14 arched opening and the door has original decorative ironwork and keyplate. In the splayed sill of the tower window is an inscribed lead plaque 'T. Pollard C.W. 1802' The nave roof is C17, oak tie beams with moulded purlins. The chancel arch is C13 recut in C19, with semicircular responds and double chamfered arch, it is almost 4 centred. The chancel has C19 piscina, aumbry, roof and corbels. Fittings: The hexagonal pulpit is C17 and has 2 tiers of plain panelling; a back piece and tester over with fretted edge, dentillated cornice and pendent knobs. The pews are C19. The oak chest is probably C14 and has traceried pointed arches on the front. Above the tower arch are the Royal Arms of George IV (1830). On the tower walls are mid C19 commandment boards and a benefactors board of 1758, on the south tower wall. The font is a plain C12 circular tubs on a round columnar base. There are fragments of C14 glass in the west window.

Listing NGR: SK9489346249

External Links

• St Nicholas' Church, Normanton at Wikipedia
• St Nicholas' Church, Normanton official website
• Wikidata Q7594929

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 and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)