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
