Description

SX 86 NE ABBOTSKERSWELL ABBOTSKERSWELL
3/3 Church of St Mary
23.8.55
GV II*
Parish Church. C13 fabric to chancel; nave, aisle and tower C15, restored by
Butterfield in 1881-3. Limestone/red sandstone rubble walls with granite, red
sandstone, Bathstone and Beerstone dressings. Gable ended slate roofs to chancel,
nave, aisle and porch.
C13 chancel. In C15 the nave was rebuilt and the south aisle and chapel and west
tower were added. In 1881-3 the Church was heavily restored and the south porch
rebuilt by Butterfield. 3-stage battlemented west tower with chamfered plinth and
diagonal buttresses. Central pentagonal stair turret on south side which has 2
arched slit openings, one square-headed at the top. Arched heads to 2-light belfry
openings, 1-light beside stair turret. West doorway has original granite 4-centred
arched frame, chamfered, with scratch moulding on its face. Worn limestone arched
architrave. Restored 4-light west window with Perpendicular tracery.
All 4 windows on north aisle are restored the outer 2 in Bathstone, the centre 2 in
Beerstone. 2-light restored west window to aisle in Bathstone. Aisle has
intermediate and diagonal buttresses. Both east windows are 3-light C19
restorations in Bathstone. chancel is unbuttressed without plinth. In the north
wall is a single light C13 lancet with chamfered red sandstone frame. On south wall
of chancel at east end is C15 volcanic stone 3-light Perpendicular window with
chamfered mullions and hoodmoulds. To its left is C15 priest's door with 4-centred
arched chamfered frame in red sandstone blocks. To the west of it is late C15/early
C16 3-light granite mullion window with 4-centred hoodmould. Beyond it is demi-
hexagonal rood stair turret.
The nave has another C15 Perpendicular 3-light window, this one in granite with
moulded mullions and frame. To the left is C19 restored Perpendicular window in Bath
stone. Nave and aisle have no discernible plinth. The south porch was considerably
restored in C19 and neither of the Beerstone arched doorways appear to be original.
It has offset buttresses with quatrefoil decoration above outer doorway and
incorporate some older pieces of carved stone to either side and above which are
possibly armorial bearings.
Interior: 4 bay arcade of granite Pevsner Type A piers to north side with Beer
stone foliage capitals and moulded 4-centred arches. Rendered tower arch with semi-
circular head and chamfered imposts. Blocked limestone arched doorway to right of
south doorway suggests that there was formerly a 2-storeyed porch to whose stairs
this originally led.
In east wall of north chapel is piscina with semi-circular arched opening and
surviving drain. Piscina in south wall of chancel has very worn arched surround.
Built into the south chancel window is badly mutilated worn larger than life-size
medieval statue of the Virgin Mary which was discovered during the restoration.
C15 rood screen, partially restored, extends across nave and aisle with the coving
replaced by flat plain panels. Pevsner type A tracery with running vine motif to
cornice. Circa early C16 parclose screen, also partially restored; castellated with
Tudor arch to doorway. The wagon roofs are all late C19 reconstructions.
Plain octagonal C15 granite font.
On the tower floor is ledger-stone dated 1725 to John Wotton.

Listing NGR: SX8560068753

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536114

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

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)