Church of St Stephen

Details

CLANFIELD POUND LANE SP2802-2902 (North side) 7/40 Church of St. Stephen 12.9.55

GV II*

Parish Church. Probably C12 origins, largely rebuilt c.1200 with early C14 west tower. Nave and north wall of aisle rebuilt and south porch added by J. Luker in 1869; chancel restored and enlarged 1870. Roughly coursed limestone rubble to surviving medieval parts, regularly coursed and dressed rubble to nave, north wall of aisle and porch, uncoursed limestone rubble of small stones to scraped and cleaned chancel. Stone slate roofs with stepped coped verges and C19 stone crosses to gables except for north chancel chapel, which has earlier plain crosses to gables. Nave; chancel; north chancel chapel; north aisle; west tower and south porch. Tower: in 2 stages with stepped diagonal buttresses, moulded plinth and string course. Embattled parapet with crocketed corner pinnacles, moulded cornices and grotesques. Windows all early C14. South side has small trefoil-headed window immediately above string course; window with cusped Y-tracery and hood mould above to left of splayed stair turret with narrow rectangular openings. This has enriched canopy to south-east corner over large statue of St. Stephen; a squat rustic figure holding a book and stones, his emblems as preacher and martyr. East side has window with cusped Y-tracery and hood mould. First stage of west side has 3-light window with intersecting tracery and hood mould. Small trefoil-headed window directly above string course and window with cusped Y-tracery and hood mould above. Window with cusped Y-tracery and hood mould to north side. Nave: two 2-light Decorated-style windows with floriated label-stops to right of gabled porch. This has a pointed double-chamfered outer arch with hoodmould and small trefoil-headed windows to side walls. North aisle: north wall has 3 paired cusped lancets of 1869-70; late C13 or early C14 2-light window with Geometrical tracery and carved beasts as label-stops to west wall. Chancel: south side: broad C13 cusped lancet with hoodmould to left of C13 stepped pointed double-chamfered doorway restored in 1870; narrow C13 lancet to right. Easternmost window C14: single ogee light under square label with head-stops and trefoils and quatrefoils to spandrels. Early C14 3-light east window has cusped intersecting tracery and hood mould with cusped intersecting tracery and hood mould with head-stops. Late C19 copy of same to east wall of north chancel chapel, which has 2 early C13 lancets to north with pointed doorway of c.1870 to right. Interior: single-chamfered round-headed C12 south doorway has plain tympanum and moulded imposts; hoodmould with incised triangular decoration beneath. 3-bay north arcade of c.1200 has pointed double-chamfered arches with circular piers and scalloped capitals; late C19 plinths and square bases. Twin-stepped pointed chancel arch heavily restored 1870 retains semi-circular responds with scalloped capitals and moulded plinths of c.1200. Tall narrow shafts to outer order on west. High early C14 tower arch of 4 chamfered orders, outer 3 continuous, inner supported by semi-circular shafts with chamfered capitals. Chamfered round-headed doorway to staircase turret in south wall of tower. Pointed double-chamfered arch from chancet to north chapel with semi-circular respond to east and corbelled respond to west mainly 1870 but appears to incorporate earlier work. Pointed arch from north aisle to chapel also 1869-70 but incorporates earlier work and the wall through which it cuts is medieval. Roofs all late C19; crown-post in 3 and a half bays to nave and trussed rafter roof to chancel. Cusped rere-arch to tower west window and wide squint with cambered head from north chapel to chancel. Moulded pointed image niche to left and similar but lower recess with double-chamfered trefoiled head to right of chancel arch look c.1200. Infilled south chancel doorway has elliptical arch internally with carved head below apex. 3 stepped sedilia below south-east window and trefoil-headed credence shelf with piscina below to left. Square aumbry on north. Fittings and furnishings mainly late C19 or later including nave benches and choir stalls and stone pulpit. C15 octagonal panelled font with floral motifs in quatrefoils to sides. 2 late C18 or early C19 brass chanceliers in sanctuary and stained glass of c.1907 in east window. Monuments. Collection of C17 and early C18 brass plates to members of local families on north and south walls of chancel. Deserted village earthworks in field to south-west. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: pp545-6; Bodleian Library Oxford: MS Top. Oxon. b.90. no.69; MS Top. Oxon. d.271.f.37) [2320]

Listing NGR: SP2834502153

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

253788

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974), 545-6

End of official list entry

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