Description

BISHOP AUCKLAND

NZ22NW CROWN STREET, South Church
634-1/5/142 (North side)
21/04/52 Church of St Andrew
(Formerly Listed as:
SOUTH CHURCH
(East side)
Church of St Andrew)

GV I

Parish church, collegiate at one time. Existing collegiate
church reconstituted in 1293 by Bishop Bek. C13 with C15 top
stage of tower, and some C16 alterations. C19 restoration and
1881 organ chamber.
MATERIALS: sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings; snecked
stone S transept S bay. Roof not visible except for
stone-flagged porch roof.
PLAN: chancel with N organ chamber and vestry, aisled nave
with transepts and S porch, W tower clasped by choir vestry in
S aisle.
EXTERIOR: clasping buttresses to chancel, angle to transepts,
aisles, porch and tower. Sill strings, flower and head stops
to dripmoulds. Y-tracery to most windows, cusped to nave
clerestory.
Chancel has bar tracery to 5 lancet-shaped lights in E window
under pointed arch; low-pitched gable; S lancets and 2-light
windows alternating in 4 bays defined by stepped coped
buttresses.
S transept has 3-light renewed S window, under battlemented
parapet. Transept has C16 two-light window at W. 2-storey
porch has pointed arch with drip mould, 2-light window above
recessed in double-chamfered surround. Sundial in gable peak.
Porch returns have high buttresses and plain chamfered lights,
with square stair turret at W. 2 bays of S aisle W of porch,
with central chimney and W end lancet.
N aisle has old door in recessed chamfered pointed arch.
4-stage tower has shallow W buttress flanked by tall lancets;
shouldered heads to first stage lights; 3rd stage round heads
to 2 shafted lights and plain spandrel recessed under round
arch; corbel tale above. Tall pointed arches to 2-light belfry
openings under battlemented parapet. SW polygonal stair turret
with slit lights has stone coping set against belfry stage.
INTERIOR: porch has side stone benches and quadripartite
vaults with fillets on ribs. Upper storey, reached by stairs
from inside church, has truncated principal roof trusses. Old
ledged boarded door from porch to church in nookshafts
(restored) and pointed arched surround without capitals, under
head-stopped drip mould. Recessed holy water stoup, basin
lost, to right of door.
Church interior rubble with ashlar dressings; low pitched roof
on beams resting on stone corbels. High chancel arch 1864
restoration on corbels with nailhead and stiff leaf
decoration. 5-bay arcades, E arches to transepts, have shafted
and octagonal piers alternating. Chancel has aumbry at floor
level on N, double piscina on S with fluted basins. 2 sedilia
on S with roll moulded pointed arches on filleted shafts and a
third with cusped head; blocked priest's door.
N wall has blocked roll-moulded arch partly surviving, S has
arcaded rear arches to windows. C19 floor tiles. N transept
has cusped piscina, S transept a pointed arch over piscina
adjacent to chancel arch. Aisle windows have sill strings and
rear arches with restored pointed arches on N, straighter
pointed arches on S; clerestory rear arches. Blocked pointed
arch over SW vestry door. Tower arch triple chamfered on
moulded capitals and polygonal shafts; blocked door above
arch. Ledged boarded door, probably medieval, to tower stair.
FITTINGS include 1939 stone font and C19 pulpit. C19 altar and
carved and painted wood reredos on red marble plinth. High
quality C15 chancel stalls with carved foliage on misericords,
blind tracery panels and poppyheads. Cusped Communion rail
possible of same period. At W end a late C8/early C9 cross,
reconstructed in 1931, with inhabited vine-scroll on sides, a
Crucifixion on one face with inscription AND.. probably for
Andreas, and other figures.
In N aisle medieval grave covers and other fragments of
sculpture, and c1340 wood effigy of knight and C14 stone
effigy of lady. Large brass c1380 to a priest. Many wall
monuments of C18 and C19.
STAINED GLASS includes much high quality C19 glass: in chancel
in style of Kemp; in N transept to Joseph Reay d1821; S
transept and S aisle first by Barnett of Newcastle c1870. 3rd
windows in both aisles c1932 with mark of Wippell Mowbray
Church Furnishing Co.
This is said to be the largest parish church in Co. Durham.
(Publications of the Surtees Society: Fraser C M: The records
of Antony Bek (1947 vol.): Durham: 1953-: 35, DOC 37).

Listing NGR: NZ2175028470

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529835

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

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)