Church of St Wilfrid

Details

SK 94 SW HONINGTON MAIN STREET (north)

5/95 Church of St Wilfrid 20-9-66 G.V. I

Parish Church. C11, C12, C13, C15, C16, C17, C18, C19, C20. West tower, nave, chancel, north aisle, south porch. Coursed limestone and ironstone rubble, limestone ashlar, plain tiled and leaded roofs. C13 west tower of 3 storeys of coursed ironstone and limestone rubble with lancet windows with roll moulded heads in first and second stares. Paired belfry lights in topmost stage with monolithic heads beneath chamfered hood moulds. Tower surmounted by C15 embattled and pinnacled roof with ogee-headed merlons. Decorated with blind panels of cusped lozenges containing shields above a good set of gargoyles and grotesque heads at the angles. Side walls of nave have two-light C15 four-centred clerestorey windows under chamfered arches, two on each side, walls have parapet decorated with shield and lozenge motif and pinnacles with gargoyles beneath. C20 boiler house at west end of north aisle. Western half of north aisle in banded ironstone and limestone, apparently, C15. West wall has restored C15 three light window beneath four-centred arch with tympanum above containing mouchettes. C15 north door beneath hood mould and simple label stops. 3 C15 triple lights in north wall, one now blocked, and beyond a C16 triple light beneath a simple chamfered hood mould which marks a remodelling of the aisle. East window of the north aisle blocked and a buttress covers it. East wall of the chancel is C15 and has triple C19 lancets, South wall of chancel has 2, C13 Y tracery windows of two lights, and one early C13 geometric two-light window. Also the reveal of C12 window beside the C15 buttress which in turn covers an earlier pilaster strip, visible on E. face. South nave wall has later C14 window with reticulated tracery and a second C15 window west of the porch which has a flat lintel with human mask label stops. Scar of earlier porch visible above C15 south porch, steeply pitched roof. Porch in limestone ashlar with coped plinth and angle buttresses. Stone roof supported on six ribs, four-centred door, crested gable with niche at ridge, and pyramidal blocks above outer angles. South door recut in C19, surmounted by C15 niche with foliated ogee head, stone side benches. Porch has gargoyle on west side and water chute on the east. Interior: C12 north arcade of two bays supported by single pillar with square abacus and scalloped cushion capital, east respond similar, but that to the west is a C15 grotesque head, doubtless modified when a statue niche was inserted beneath. The eastern jamb has a C15 ogee- headed niche cut into it, now blocked, and a second smaller niche on the north side. The arches have a step and a chamfer with a chamfered hood mould, then above the central pillar is a C13 statue bracket. C13 west tower arch of two orders with pointed head, above is a square-headed doorway with an C18 lattice wood screen. Rear arch of more westerly window in the south wall of the nave is C19; eastern jamb of the other window has two C15 statue brackets, one castellated, and there is a third immediately east of the window. Nave roof is C15 timber: supported on contemporary corbels which portray shield bearing angels. North aisle has a C15 roof in its westen part and a C16 one further east, with canted trusses; the eastern part, used as a vestry now, was formerly the morturary chapel of the Hussey and is still richly paved in black and white marble. Wide four centred arch opens into the aisle from the chancel; the east respond bears a crowned Tudor rose. Fine collection of Hussey monuments which led to blocking of earlier windows in the northand east walls of the aisles, and the insertion of a compensating early C16 three-light window in the north wall. The east wall is flanked by angle niches, that to the north is surmounted by a richly crocketed canopy and supported by a shield bearing angel with fleur de lys device, the southern niche is less well preserved. Chancel arch is early C13 with fine waterleaf capitals and nook shafts with decorative collars half way up. Flanked by C19 Norman revival squint on the north and the four-centred C15 door to rood loft stairs which lead to a higher loft door to the south. In the west wall of the chancel, the upper parts of the capitals, imposts and springers of a chancel arch of C11 character can be seen; the jambs and the rudimentary bulbous capitals are probably Saxon, though the voussoirs of the roll moulded arch above are clearly C12. Fragments of C12 north chancel arcade of three bays can be seen at the north east angle of the chancel and beneath the C15 three light window in the north wall. The easternmost bay was blocked by the insertion of a C15 easter sepulchre under a heavily moulded and embattled ogee arch with pinnacled 'reredos' supported by kneeling angels to either side. C12 sedilia in south wall. Altar and all fitting C19 apart from superb altar rails of c1700 with broad arm rest on top, a wealth of well-turned balusters and a splendid upward sweep at the centre. The font under the tower is C15 and octagonal; the sides of the bowl bear cusped lozenge panels containing alternating shields and flower motifs. On the shaft are four-centred arched cusped niches containing figures of Old Testament prophets carved in high relief. Monuments:- those in the north aisle are a notable collection; on the east wall is a marble plaque to Sir Thomas Hussey bart., d.1698 with a gadrooned base supporting a portrait bust and surmounted by a scrolly cartouche bearing a shield of arms. On the north wall, monuments to Sir William Hussey, d.1691 and Dame Sarah Hussey d.1697 with broken pediment, scrolly cartouches and cherubs. Also an altar tomb in the north east angle of the chapel to Thomas Hussey, son of Sir Thomas, d.1676 aged 15 years, black marble ledger slab above limestone tomb chest. Further west is a second altar tomb resting on lion supporters with a garooned base bearing an incised effigy of William Smith, d.1550. Parish chest dated 1701, initialled AF.

Listing NGR: SK9432643388

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