Description

TOWN OF DONCASTER THORNE ROAD SE 5703 SE (west side)

7/105 Christ Church 12.6.50

GV II*

Church. 1827-9 by William Hurst, chancel enlarged by Scott in the 1850's and with minor later alterations. Commissioners Gothick in style. Limestone ashlar with slate roof and copper spire. Four stage south tower with flanking single stage, entrance bays, 6 bay aisled nave and narrower canted 2 bay, northern chancel with western vestry. Continuous deep stepped plinth with moulded coping. Lower 2 stages of tower are square in plan and the upper 2, octagonal. Lower stages have clasping octagonal buttresses rising above the parapets as tall pinnacles with crocketed finials. South elevation has tall pointed moulded doorcase with double leaf doors decorated with blind Gothick tracery. Slightly recessed flanking bays have pointed 2-light cusped Y-tracery windows to south and similar doors in deeply chamfered pointed doorcases to returns, also diagonal stepped corner buttresses rising to pinnacles with crocketed finials. Each bay with embattled parapet over eaves stringcourse and hipped roof. Second stage of tower has pointed 3-light cusped intersecting traceried window to south and pointed niche on moulded corbels with colonnettes to jambs and ogee hoodmould with foliage finial, to east. Eaves stringcourse and embattled parapets above. Octagonal stages above are recessed. Stepped and gabletted buttresses with crocketed tops to each corner of third stage. Base of this stage has flying buttresses from each of the corner pinnacles and clock faces to alternating faces. Above it slopes in and has pointed 2-light bell openings with cusped Y-tracery and friezes of pierced quatrefoils at transom level to each side. Eaves stringcourse and embattled parapets above. Top stage recessed again and with narrow trefoil headed lancets to each side below crocketed gablets. Copper spire to top with finial. Nave aisles have set back stepped buttresses with diamont set pinnacles topped by foliage finials to corners and similar buttresses between bays. Six 3-light pointed cusped intersecting traceried windows with friezes of piereced quatre- foils at transom level in deeply chamfered surrounds. Coved stringcourse and embattled parapets. Low blind clerestory and hipped roof to nave mostly hidden by aisles. Both aisles similar. Tower and aisle openings all with returned hoodmoulds except fourth stage of tower. Chancel has small projecting vestry to west with triple lancet window, 4-centred arched door, and embattled parapets over stringcourse with fleurons. Blind traceried lancet above Canted sides have pointed 3-light geometric traceried windows with foliage stops to hoodmoulds. Similar 5-light north window flanked by stepped diagonal buttresses with crocketed pinnacles. Plain coped gable over north window, embattled parapets to sides. East elevation of chancel similar to west but with 4-centred arched door to north and glazing to traceried lancet to south. Interior has open well stone staircase with wreathed handrail and panelled balustrade in eastern entrance bay, ribbed quadripartite vault in octagonal hall to base of tower and vestry in western bay. Main body of church has arcade of keeled and colonnetted clustered cast-iron piers supporting similarly moulded pointed arches, colonnettes with foliage capitals. Pierced quatrefoils over each arch and keeled wall shafts on foliage corbels over each pier. Galleries to 3 sides, supported to aisles by braces with pierced mouchettes, hung between the main piers and large foliage corbels attached to the aisle walls. Souther gallery supported on similar braces with short clustered piers to front. Gallery has banded colonnettes with panels of elaborate blind Gothick tracery and dogtooth moulding between. Blind traceried Gothick pointed doors from the gallery to the staircase. Aisle roofs with ribbed quadripartite vaulting with bosses and nave roof with painted grid beamed ceiling also with bosses. Chancel roof has mid C19 scissor truss roof. Chancel arch is similar to. nave arches but wider, to either side there are Caernarvon arched doors from the aisles to the chancel. Chancel has 2 bay arcades of moulded pointed arches on octagonal piers and responds with foliage capitals. Fine limed oak pulpit in Gothick style to nave, original pews with Gothick traceried bench ends to gallery, otherwise all fittings C20. To either side of chancel arch at aisle and gallery level there are 4 good early C19 marble wall monuments, other wall monuments late C19 or early C20. Stained glass to chancel mostly mid to late C19.

Listing NGR: SE5797703309

External Links

• Christ Church at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17537798

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.

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