Details
CHESWARDINE C.P. CHESWARDINE
SJ 7029-7129
12/3 Church of Saint
10.2.59 Swithun
GV II*
Parish Church. Relocated C13 north chapel and late C15 tower. The rest
of 1888-9 by J.L. Pearson at the expense of Mr. C. Donaldson-Hudson M.P.
and incorporating some C13 work in the arcades. Possibly dressed red
sandstone and red sandstone ashlar; plain tile roofs. 4-bay nave and
aisles with south porch, 2-bay chancel with south vestry and organ chamber,
3-bay north chapel, and west tower. 1888-9 work in a free Early Decorated
Gothic style. Tower: 3 stages. Chamfered plinth, chamfered offsets
with stone carvings including a Staffordshire knot and a Talbot dog, and
diagonal buttresses with chamfered offsets and carvings of dragon and lion at
bases to north-east and south-east. Quatrefoil freize beneath moulded
parapet string with carvings and gargoyles, chamfered battlemented parapet with
crocketed corner pinnacles, and weathervane. Louvred belfry openings of
2 cinquefoil-headed lights with Y-tracery, double chamfered reveals and
hoodmoulds with carved stops. Small trefoil-headed rectanqular second-
stage windows. Large west window of 4 trefoil-headed lights with
panelled tracery, chamfered reveals, hoodmould with carved stops, and flanking
canopied niches, that to left with carved head in wall beneath. West
doorway with continuously moulded arch, hoodmould with 2 carved heads, square
head, and quatrefoil frieze above; pair of C19 nail-studded boarded doors with
strap hinges. Clock in second stage to south. Nave and aisles: nave has
parapeted gable end to east with finial and trefoil-gabled kneelers; lancet
clerestory windows with hoodmoulds. Each aisle with double-chamfered
plinth, string course and cill string moulded cornice and parapet with
chamfered coping. Angle buttresses with chamfered offsets and cinquefoil-
gabled tops. Windows of 4 trefoil-headed lights with Geometrical tracery,
moulded reveals and continuous hoodmould. Western return of south aisle with
2-light window and western return of north aisle with 4-light window. South-
east doorway with nook shafts, moulded arch with one order of shafts,
and hoodmould with carved stops. Pair of nail-studded boarded doors with
strap hinges. Gabled timber framed porch on chamfered sandstone plinth;
moulded-arched entrance with carved spandrels, panelled sides, panelled
gable and carved bargeboards; 3 + 3 sides with chamfered ogee trefoiled lights
and intersecting tracery. Interior of porch with stone side benches and 2-
bay roof with moulded tie beams and 2 tiers of double-cusped wind braces.
Square staircase tower at east end of north aisle with moulded cornice,
chamfered parapet, 3 small rectangular windows and nail-studded boarded door.
Chancel: chamfered plinth, string course, cill string (stepped down to
buttresses at east end), gabled angle buttresses with chamfered offsets, low
central buttress to east and parapeted gable end with finial. Clerestory
windows consisting of stepped triple-chamfered lancets under round arch
with string course carried over as hoodmould. East end consists of stepped
triple-chamfered lancets each with hoodmould, and small chamfered lancet in
apex of gable. Vestry and organ chamber vestry to right with chamfered
plinth, angle buttresses, moulded cill string, parapet string and parapet
with chamfered coping. Window off-centre to left of 2 cinquefoil-headed
lights with Y-tracery, chamfered reveals, and hoodmould with carved stops.
Nail-studded boarded door to far left with continuously moulded arch and
string course carried over as hoodmould. Pair of lancets in right-hand
return front. Tall organ chamber to left with pair of large flanking gabled
buttresses, pair of low chamfered lancets and hexafoiled rose window in
gable. Integrallateral stack to right. North chapel: angle buttresses
with chamfered offsets. Old parapeted gable ends with moulded copings
and finials at apices (cross to east). Triple chamfered lancets.
East end with 5 stepped chamfered lancets. Interior: rich mainly C19
details and fittings 4-bay nave arcades consisting of circular piers with
moulded bases and carved foliage capitals, and double chamfered arches
pointed to north and round to south. Clerestory with cill string and chamfered
rear arches. Roof with moulded tie beams, moulded arch-braced collars, collar
purlin and trussed rafters. Aisles with cill string,carried over doors as
hoodmoulds, and chamfered rear arches. Lean-to aisle roofs have round-
arched trusses with pierced spandrels and carved stone corbels. Pair of
north doors, one to stair turret. Moulded C15 tower arch with chamfered
bases and capitals. Boarded door to stair turret. Multi-shafted chancel
arch with moulded bases and carved foliage caps, chamfered arch with
dogtooth ornament and hoodmould also with dogtooth ornament. Chancel with
3-bay north arcade, circular piers with shafts, moulded bases and carved
foliage caps, moulded arches with dogtooth ornament. Clerestory consisting
of round rear arches alternating with blind pointed arches; shafts with
moulded bases and capitals, and cill string. East end with cill string;
lancets with moulded rear arches, dogtooth ornament and nook shafts with
moulded bases and capitals. Piscina to south-east with chamfered tre-
foiled arch, dogtooth ornament and hoodmould with carved stops. C15
north chapel roof with moulded cambered tie beams on brackets, quatrefoil
panels, and moulded fibs with carved heraldic bosses. C19 ,aechway
north aisle consisting of triple-shafted piers with moulded bases and
capitals,and moulded arch. Organ chamber has pair of chamfered transverse
arches on half-round piers. Vestry with small stone fireplace , window seat
and chamfered square ambry with boarded doors.
Fittings: some possibly by Pearson, including: panelled wooden altar.
Stone reredos with marble top. Painted and carved wooden triptych.
Wooden screen with cinquefoil-headed lights. Brass altar rails. Plain
choir stalls. Low sanctuary wall incorporating integral polygonal stone
pulpit with quatefoil panels. Brass lectern. Marble font dated 1889
with hemispherical bowl, central stem with clustered shafts, and step with
carved inscription (largely illegible at time of survey - March 1986).
Two C18 coats of arms, one carved wood and one painted on canvas. Former
sanctus bell in north chapel. Probably C17 parish chest with 3 locks.
C18 paintings of Moses and Aaron beneath tower. Medieval floor tiles
set in frame in north aisle. Monuments: C13 or C14 carved foliated stone
coffin lid in north aisle. Cranage records four C17 brasses on the floor
at the east end of the nave. Stained glass: early glass by Kempe dating
from 1892 to 1899. There are drawing and photographs of the church
before and after the restoration in the south aisle. This church is notable
not only for its medieval parts but also for the quality and originality of
the C19 work. B.O.E., pp 96-7; D.H.S. Cranage, An Architectural Account of the
Churches of Shropshire, pp 669-673; Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire and
Shropshire (1900), pp. 53-4.
Listing NGR: SJ7192929907
