CHURCH OF ST ANNE

Overview

Location

Details

SD 43 SE WOODPLUMPTON PLUMPTON LANE

6/132 Church of St. Anne 11.11.1966 GV II*

Parish church. Part medieval, part late C15 or early C16, repaired or re-roofed 1639, part early-to mid-C18; restored 1900. Sandstone and gritstone, roof of slate and stone slate. Nave with north and south aisles forming a parallelogram under 3 parallel roofs of approximately equal height, with west tower (C18) and north-east vestry (C20), This unusual arrangement is probably the result of successive additions to the south of the church of c.1300: a south aisle in the late C15 or early C16, which then became the nave when another aisle was built on its south side shortly afterwards; these additions altered externally in the C18, when the tower was added. South aisle of gritstone ashlar with sandstone dressings, 6 bays, in classical style, has clasping pilasters, sillband, entablature and moulded cornice, and embattled parapet of an earlier wall; in the 1st and 5th bays round-headed doorways with moulded imposts, blocked keystones, straight moulded cornices on blocked consoles; in the other bays 4 round-headed 2-light windows with Y-tracery, plain jambs and heads, blocked imposts and keystones, between 1st and 2nd windows a large incised sundial, and lettering on the frieze above "SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI"; east end of this aisle has a similar window, west end has a louvred 2-light opening in similar style. North aisle, the earliest part of the building, of intermixed red and yellow sandstone blocks, has a door and 3 windows (the easternmost now in the vestry and reduced to its chamfered reveal): doorway at west end, c.1400, has a pointed arched sunk-chamfered surround with paterae (flowers, fish, cross, letter M); early C14 window of 2 trefoiled lights with a rounded trefoil in the head; and further east a chamfered rectangular window of 2 round-headed lights with hollow spandrels; the outline of lower gables at both ends indicates that the roof has been raised or rebuilt, the east gable has a low 4-centred-arched 3-light window with a hoodmould, and the west gable has a modern 4-light rectangular window in Gothic style. Nave has modern 4-light east window with Perpendicular tracery. Tower, set towards the north side of the west gable of the nave and rising only to that height, is square, partly embraced by the gable wall, has a round-headed window with Gibbs surround, a square former clock face at the top of the south side, a moulded cornice, and bears an octagonal lantern with an open arch in each face, surmounted by a small stone dome with a weathervane. Interior: north arcade of 5 wide 2-centred arches chamfered in 2 orders on octagonal piers with moulded caps and bases, the 2nd arch from the west end with remains of black and white chevron painting and the 3rd with red and white bands; south arcade slightly different and less regular, the piers higher and the caps deeper; north aisle has C17 collar truss roof, the tie-beams ovolo-moulded, and one at the east end inscribed "1639"; same aisle has large carved wall monument to Henry Foster d.1831, navigator and astronomer, drowned in Mexico; fragments of C12 masonry displayed in former window now in vestry; parts of C18 box pews re-used as dado, some dated. Reference: VCH Lancs.

Listing NGR: SD4993434445

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

185979

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South Lancashire, (1969)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.