Description

SCAMPSTON A 64
SE 87 NE
(north side, off)
Knapton
4/42 Church of St Edmund
- II
Church, now redundant. c1870. Dressed sandstone with reused earlier
masonry in south wall; sandstone ashlar dressings. Moulded and chamfered
plinth to all sides except the south. Slate roofs with pierced terracotta
cresting. Polygonal west baptistry, south porch: 4-bay nave, north aisle
and south vestry: chancel. 5-bay buttressed baptistry on moulded plinth.
Pointed west window beneath gable, of single foiled light with form of
Decorated tracery. Flanking bays contain similar smaller windows and the
north bay a foiled lancet. North aisle has diagonal buttress and tall
pointed western window,with curvilinear tracery, beneath hoodmould. Gabled
porch in south bay has pointed arch beneath corbelled hoodmould. South door
on strap hinges beneath 2-centred arch and corbelled coved hoodmould.
Bellcote, on moulded plinth,at west end of nave has tall trefoil-headed,
gabled opening beneath pyramidal roof with gablets to north and south. 3
pointed windows of paired foiled lights in nave south wall, beneath
hoodmoulds, the westernmost on reset corbel heads; offset buttresses
between. Half-octagonal vestry on high moulded plinth at east with square-
headed east door and foiled lancet on south. Octagonal spire with finial.
North aisle eastern window of 3 stepped, foiled lights. Remaining windows
paired lights with curvilinear tracery or quatrefoils; offset buttresses
between and diagonal buttress at east end. Foiled roundel beneath hoodmould
in east end. North side of chancel partly masked by pent building on
chamfered roll-moulded plinth, with square-headed, shouldered doorway on
east side and quatrefoil light to north. Windows to chancel are foiled
lancets beneath hoodmoulds. At east end, 3-light curvilinear window beneath
corbelled hoodmould, with reset corbel heads above. Roll-moulded sill band
and diagonal buttresses. Eaves cornice; coped gables with terminal gablets
and crosses, wrought iron on baptistry, broken terracotta on nave, stone on
porch and chancel.
Interior: tall pointed baptistry arch of 2 orders dying into the sides.
Arcade of 3 double-chamfered pointed arches on round piers with moulded
capitals. Fourth bay forms pew of Tindall family, C19 squires, with pointed
roll-moulded arch of 2 orders, the inner corbelled on paired short shafts.
Chancel arch formed by ribs supporting panelled roof (see below), on slim
columns with annulets which continue to form chancel sill band. Pointed
roll-moulded vestry arch closed by panelled and open-traceried screen filled
with stained glass. C17 pew panelling reused along north aisle wall.
Original carved pulpit, lectern and prayer desk. Painted altarpiece is
traceried triptych of The Last Supper. Small octagonal carved stone font.
1676 Royal Arms over baptistry arch. Good stained glass throughout. Fine
wrought-iron door hinges throughout, and lamp holders in the form of
coronets. All roofs richly painted. Baptistry rib-vaulted and painted with
waterbirds standing in water with vegetation, fishes and insects; sky
overhead with butterflies. Nave hammer-beam roof, with 2 levels of purlins
and angels with heraldic shields, painted with patterned bands. Chancel
tunnel-vaulted with ribs rising from colonette corbels west of chancel arch,
and corbels at east end. Above sill band walls and window recesses are
painted with leafy fronds and flowers. Roof panels painted with episcopal
arms. North aisle: collared principals on corbelled arch braces, with ridge
piece, all painted with floral motifs. Painted texts on nave wall plates
and a Blessing around the baptistry arch. This prettily-decorated little
church is badly in need of restoration at time of resurvey.

Listing NGR: SE8803375651

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26442551

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

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)