Description

SKEFFINGTON

SK 70 SW MAIN STREET (North Side)

4/93 Church of St. Thomas a Beckett

29.12.66

GV II*

Church. Parts of fabric are late C13, but it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1860, adopting the style of the original building, late Decorated and Perpendicular. Coursed ironstone rubble with limestone dressings. West tower, nave with 2 aisles and clerestory, chancel and North chancel chapel. 3-stage buttressed tower with paired foiled lights to bell-chamber, and embattled parapet with crocketted finials on angles, 3-light Perpendicular west window. South aisle with Victorian porch, with hollow chamfered arch and paired quatre- foils in east and west walls. Low gates to porch, c1860, of latticed woodwork, with a pierced quatrefoil in each small lozenge-shaped panel. South door also Victorian with chamfered and shafted archway with hood mould. 3-light windows to aisle are heavily cut Victorian tracery in late Decorated style. Clerestory has paired lights in Decorated style, with hood moulds. Parapet. South chancel windows are similar, the east window a more successful piece of Victorian work: the tracery in its 5-lights more intricate and delicate. Eaves cornice to coped chancel gable which is capped by cross finial. North chancel chapel is Perpendicular and apparently unrestored. It has chamfered 4-centred arched doorway 2 3-light windows, 1 blocked, to north and a 5-light window to east. 3-light Perpendicular window to west with elegantly curved hood mould. North aisle windows are similar to the south, heavy Victorian tracery in late Decorated style. Parapet and moulded eaves cornice.

Inside, west tower arch, double chamfered, with octagonal responds. Nave of 4-bays, the arcade of c1300, slender octagonal piers and capitals with double chamfered arches and outer hoodmould supported on large corbel heads. Nave roof is of 1860, cambered trusses with corbel heads. Aisle roof of similar date, a combination of lean-to roof and symmetrical cambered trusses with decoration in the spandrels. Blank ogee archway in east wall of south aisle probably connected with former rood loft. Chancel arch has paired rounded shafts with roll-moulded capitals. Blocked door to rood loft visible to south. 2-bay arcade to north chapel with octagonal piers. Chancel fittings presumably date from the restoration of 1860, traceried stone and marble reredos, ornate wood screens to north chancel chapel, heavily carved stalls and altar rails. North chancel chapel now vestry contains some Skeffington family tombs: one, to Sir Thomas Skeffington, d1600, Isabella his wife and 4 children has kneeling marble effigies in a recess, with inscription tablet behind. This may not be its original site however. In another recess is the memorial to William Skeffington, d.1559, a formal composition with arms and heraldic emblems. Above it, is the wall tomb of John Skeffington, d.1652: angels draw back a curtain from the inscription tablet, with arms and scrolls above. Fragments of richly coloured medieval glass in east window of chapel. One north window of chapel, and a chancel east window have glass by Wailes. Victorian font: octagonal bowl and base, with emblems of evangelists on the panels, and ornate wood pyramidal cover.

Listing NGR: SK7414302632

External Links

• Wikidata Q17540557

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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