Description

BISHOPSTROW BISHOPSTROW VILLAGE
ST 84 SE
(off east side)
Church of St. Aldhelm
3/1 (formerly listed as St Aldhelms
Parish Church)
17.8.81

GV II*

Anglican parish church. C14, chancel of 1842, restored 1876 by
Scott Champion. Dressed limestone, Welsh slate roof with ceramic
ridge cresting. Consisting of nave, west tower with recessed
spire, chancel and north east vestry. C19 pointed west doorway and
door with highly ornamental hinges, C19 plate tracery and trefoiled
lancets in chamfered pointed arch over. Three-stage C14 tower has
diagonal buttresses, cusped lancets to second stage, offset
bellstage has pair of cusped lancets with square hoodmoulds to each
face, string course with gargoyles to battlemented parapet,
recessed octagonal spire has crocketed capping. Restored nave has
offset buttresses, string course at sill level, two 2-light
Decorated style windows with hoodmoulds, reset early C18 bolection-
moulded tablet. Chancel with more steeply pitched roof, two 2-
light Decorated style windows with hoodmoulds, reset C17 wall
tablet with good lettering, east end has diagonal buttresses and 4-
light C19 window with flowing tracery and hoodmould, north side has
one Decorated style window and lean-to vestry with cusped lancets
and pointed doorway. North side of nave has two 2-light Decorated
style windows as to south. Coped verges to roof, cross finials.
Interior: Late C19 carved screen and double doors between porch in
tower and nave; nave side has fine floral carving and traceried
panels in tympanum of C14 cyma and hollow-chamfered arch with
attached shafts. Former roof line visible on wall at west end of
nave. Nave has 5-bay C19 roof with tie beam and cusped collar on
foliated corbels. C19 cyma and hollow-chamfered chancel arch with
fine Arts and Crafts wooden chancel screen in Perpendicular style,
with fan coving. Three-bay chancel roof with arch-braced collar
trusses on foliated corbels, C19 pointed doorway to vestry and
pointed archway to organ chamber. Pulpit and font of 1877, C19
pews, brass communion rail, carved wooden reredos in same style as
screen. C17 copper plaque on south wall of chancel to Elener(sic)
Seaman died 1633, marble tablet on north side to Anne Fisher died
1783, classical marble to Temple family of Bishopstrow House
(q.v.), 1840. Classical marbles in porch to Frances Elderton died
1829 and Benjamin Everett died 1816, Gothic marble and stone
tablet to Griffith family, 1839 etc. East window stained glass by
Hughes, 1879, north east window by Kempe, 1892 and some good
unsigned glass in nave to Temple family, c.1875. Hanoverian Royal
Arms in nave. Church rebuilt in 1757 and prior to chancel
restoration of 1840 east end was apsidal, possibly Saxon. (N.
Pevsner, The Buildings of England, Wiltshire, 1975).

Listing NGR: ST8951143764

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17546034

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings