Details
SK 83 WE GREAT GONERBY HIGH STREET (east side)
7/31 Church of St. Sebastian
20.9.66 I
Parish Church. c1200, C13, C14, C15, some C19 restoration. Coursed rubble
ironstone, limestone ashlar, grey tile and slate roofs. West tower and spire,
nave with north and south aisles, south porch and rectangular chancel. C15
west tower of 5 stages with moulded plinth and clasping buttresses, embraced by
north and south aisles. West doorway with moulded, pointed head, plain moulded
jambs, hood mould and head label stops. Shields set in quatrefoils in
sprandrels, restored in C19, with string course above. Large pointed west window
breaks through second and third stages of 3 cusped lights, perpendicular
tracery and hood mould. Fourth stage, west front has small light with trefoil
head, north side has a clock, south side has small rectangular light with
clock above. 4 bell openings each of 2 cusped lights surmounted by a trefoil
headed light flanked by mullions, and hood mould. Above, a frieze of shields
set in quatrefoils, with moulded eaves, projecting corner gargoyles, battlements
and ornate corner pinnacles. Octagonal spire with 2 tiers of plain lucarnes in
alternating directions. Early C14 north aisle. West front with moulded
plinth and string course, a 3 light pointed window with cusped intersecting
tracery, hood mould with fillet and head label stops. C15 moulded eaves with
small sculptures, ornate panelled battlements with quatrefoils and roundels,
an ornate corner pinnacle with an empty niche below and an angel holding 2 balls.
North side of north aisle has slight plinth, a setback buttress of 3 stages and
gable head, with a moulded string course that runs over the buttress and continues
under a pointed window with 2 sharply pointed lights with quatrefoils above,
hood mould with fillet and head label stops. String course terminates in a
small sculpture by a small pointed doorway whose keeled mouldings and hood mould
were restored in C19, with early C14 head label stops. C17 wooden door, To the
east, an early C14 buttress of 3 stages, moulded string course and pointed window
of 2 lights with Y tracery and filleted hood mould. C15 buttress of 2 stages
beyond with a set off head. String course runs beneath a 3 light pointed
window to the east, with intersecting tracery and hood mould. Early C14
buttress at end of north aisle, of 2 stages with gable head. C15 moulded
eaves with small sculptures, ornate panelled battlements and 5 ornate pinnacles.
Eaves and battlements continue above the plain east wall of the north aisle.
C15 clerestorey of 5 windows, each of 3 lights under flattened triangular heads
with string courses joining their hood moulds. Moulded eaves with 2 large
gargoyles and projecting corner gargoyle to the east, a frieze of shields and
quatrefoils, plain battlements and ornate pinnacles. Late C13 chancel with
slight plinth with single round headed window with 2 pointed lights. Buttress
of 3 stages with gable head to east and angle buttress beyond. Plain moulded
eaves and battlements. East front with plinth and angle buttresses of 3 stages
with gable heads. Large pointed window of 3 lights and intersecting tracery
with hood mould and head label stops. Restored and raised gable with stone
coping and finial. Slight plinth on south side of chancel. Angle buttress
of 3 stages with gable head with 2 pointed windows to the west, each with 2 ogee
cusped lights, reticulated tracery and hood mould, with another 3 stage buttress
set between. Moulded eaves and plain battlements above. Early C14 south aisle
with plain east end with moulded plinth. C15 moulded eaves with small sculptures,
ornate panelled battlements and corner pinnacles. South side of south aisle
has moulded plinth and string course, C15 buttress of 3 stages with setoff head
to east. Window of 3 lights with intersecting tracery and hood mould to west
with another C15 buttress beyond. Window of 3 lights with intersecting tracery,
filleted hood mould and single head label stop to west with another C15 buttress
beyond. Then a smaller 3 light window with intersecting tracery, filleted
hood mould and head label stops. C15 moulded eaves above with small sculptures
ornate panelled battlements and 4 ornate pinnacles. Early C14 south porch with
slate roof. East side has small rectangular light, squat buttress of 2 stages
with gable head and plain moulded eaves. Barely pointed south doorway with
chamfered mouldings, plain jambs with simply moulded abaci and round headed
hood mould. Coped gable with finial. West side of porch has small rectangular
window, 2 stage squat buttress and plain moulded eaves. Interior of porch
has 2 stone benches, early C13 south doorway with filleted roll mouldings,
single columnar and rectangular jambs on each side with plain capitals and
pronounced abaci, head label stops and C20 timber roof. To the west of porch
the moulded plinth and string course continues with a 3 light pointed window
with cusped intersecting tracery, filleted hood mould and head label stops. Set
back, 3 stage buttress with setoff head to west. West front of light window
with cusped intersecting tracery, hood mould and label stop heads. Moulded
eaves with ornate sculptures, ornate panelled battlements and pinnacle run round
top of aisle to west of porch. C15 clerestorey of 5 windows, each of 3 lights
under shallow triangular heads. Moulded eaves with a frieze of shields and
quatrefoils and battlements with 4 ornate pinnacles above. Interior C15 tower
arch has semi-circular responds on high plinths, polygonal capitals and a plain
chamfered pointed arch. Similar arches lead from the west tower into the north
and south aisles. A small, 4 centred headed doorway in south-west corner.
3 bays of south arcade to west of early C13 with round piers, semi-circular
responds, plain capitals, beaded abaci and double chamfered pointed arches.
Clear masonry joint visible between the 3rd bay and wider 4th bay to the east.
4th bay to the east has a polygonal pier and respond on the west side and a
semi-circular respond to the east with a pointed double chamfered arch above.
3 west bays of north arcade are C14 with semi-circular responds flanking free-
standing masonry blocks, with polygonal capitals and chamfered pointed arches.
Eastern most bay of c.1200 with 2 semi-circular responds with ornate capitals
carved with palmettes and incipient volutes with spurs on bases, respond to east
heavily restored in C19. East walls of both north and south aisles have small
ogee headed aumbrys. Windows of north and south aisles have hood moulds and
head label stops on interior. C15 nave roof with tie beams and ornate bosses.
C15 north aisle roof. C19 south aisle roof. C14 chamfered and pointed chancel
arch with polygonal responds and capitals. South wall of chancel has 3 very
plain ogee headed sedilia and plain ogee headed aumbry to east. North wall
contains aumbry with C19 doors. Monument on north wall to Robert Kelham
and family of white marble on a black field with urn and ornate apron. C14
octagonal font with traceried panels, each divided by a mullion and each with
variant forms of reticulated tracery. C19 pulpit, lectern and pews.
Listing NGR: SK8977438115
