Church of the Holy Cross

Details

GREAT PONTON DALLYGATE SK 93 SW (north side) 4/96 Church of the 20.9.66 Holy Cross G.V. I Parish church. Late C13, C14, C15, 1519 west tower built by Anthony Ellis, merchant of Staple of Calais. Ashlar with lead roofs. Western tower, clerestoried nave, aisles, chancel, south porch. 3 stage Somerset style tower with deep moulded plinth, elaborate frieze of quatrefoils, mouchettes, triskeles, moulded string courses, decorated battlemented parapet with further frieze, 8 crocketed pinnacles, and 2 large grotesque chutes to each face. Golden violin weather vane. Stepped corner buttresses with ogee headed niches. To the belfry stage are tall, large, 2 light louvred openings with transomes and cusped heads to the lights. On the south side the inscription "Thynk and thyanke God of all" under the arms of Anthony Ellis with hood mould. To second stage a 3 light window with cusped heads to the lights and deep bowtell moulded reveals. The C19 panelled and traceried west door has 4 centred head set in deeply moulded rectangular surround with carved spandrels. 4 light west window as south side. The inscription is repeated twice on the west side and once more on the north. The north aisle has moulded parapet and a pointed doorway and 2 C16 3 light windows, one partly recut C19. The clerestory has moulded parapet and 3 two light early C15 windows with quatrefoils over. The chancel has been reduced in length, with C15 east window of 3 cusped lights and panel tracery. A matching 3 light window in south wall and a 4 centred low side window with 4 centred arch. C15 south aisle has a 2 light window in the east wall with cusped heads and in the south wall a C16 3 light window as the north side, with human head set in the concave moulded hood. In the west wall is a 2 light window matching that to the east. Late C13 gabled south porch with pointed single chamfered outer door with moulded imposts, side benches. C16 inner doorway with concave moulded surround with hood and human head label stops, C19 panelled and blank traceried doors. Interior. 3 bay C16 nave arcades with octagonal piers and responds, moulded capitals, double chamfered pointed arches. C16 tall tower arch also has octagonal responds with double concave chamfers and hood with angel stops. C13 rounded reveals to chancel arch, C16 octagonal capitals. The tall double arches in the north wall of the chancel, one blocked, are late C13. To the south of the chancel arch a C14 cusped ogee head of doorway to rood loft turning stair. To the north aisle at the east end a heavily moulded arch with octagonal corbels and beyond in the north chapel a contemporary statue bracket. The rear arches of the C16 chancel and north aisle windows have concave chamfer mouldings. In the chancel north wall a pointed and moulded aumbry with shelf and to the south a 4 centred arched sedilia with beyond a matching piscina, all C16. In the south wall of the south aisle a blocked 4 centred arched surround. All fittings are C19 apart from the unusual square font and Royal Arms to George III. Monuments. In the north chapel are the reset low panels bearing heraldic devices of Anthony Ellis which, together with the surround in the south aisle, may be the remains of the benefactor's chest tomb. Anthony Ellis built the house, now the former rectory, adjacent to the Church.

Listing NGR: SK9248930475

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

193337

Legacy System:

LBS

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