Church of St Denis

Details

OTTERHAM OTTERHAM SX 19 SE 3/112 Church of St Denis 17.12.62 GV II*

Parish church. Possibly with Norman origins; Norman impost mouldings at springing point of tower arch and remains of two Norman fonts. Circa C13 font, circa C15 4-bay arcade, some circa C16 tracery and tower possibly rebuilt in 1702 (Maclean, cited by Sedding) reusing earlier material. Church heavily restored between 1889 and 1904. Tower of roughly coursed local stone with granite plinth and large granite quoins. Nave, chancel and south aisle of snecked slate stone rubble with dressed quoins. Slate roof; nave and chancel in one. The extensive C19 restoration hinders accurate chronological analysis of plan. The church, which appears to have Norman origins may have possibly comprised nave, chancel, north aisle and west tower. The north transept was removed in the mid C19 and the north wall of the nave was probably largely rebuilt. The tower appears to contain Norman impost mouldings at the springing point of the tower arch; the west door is circa C16 and the belfry lights are also probably contemporary indicating probably C16 rebuilding. Maclean suggests that the tower was rebuilt in 1702 (Sedding). In circa C15 a 4-bay south aisle was added and the tracery in the east window of the south aisle and towards the west end of the nave is probably C16, possibly contemporary with the rebuilding of the tower. The C19 restoration included part rebuilding of at least the outer skin of masonry to the south aisle, nave, chancel and south porch; extensive refenestration, the re-roofing of the nave, chancel, south aisle and south porch and the refurnishing of the church. Prior to 1850 part of an old coloured rood-screen was recorded (Sedding). West tower of two stages with battlemented parapet and crocketted finials. Circa C16 granite arch to west door with cavetto and roll moulded jambs, incised spandrels and hood mould. C19 plank door. C19 west window in partly blocked opening with pointed relieving arch and 2-light belfry openings with slate louvers. North wall of nave has a C16 Perpendicular 3-light window towards the west end; 4- centred arch and the two outer lights with cusped heads. C19 3-light chancel window and C19 2-light window in south side of chancel. South aisle; east window similar to C16 window in nave. Three 3-light C19 windows in south wall of nave. Gabled south porch with 4-centred granite arch, roll and hood mould. C19 roof with piece of carved wall plate reset on east wall. Inside porch stone bench. South door has 4- centred granite arch with tall pyramid stops and C19 plank door. Interior : Plastered internal walls. Nave, chancel and south aisle with renewed C19 waggon roof and renewed carved bosses in chancel. Two pieces of carved ribs from the earlier roof have been reset on the north wall. 4-bay arcade of circa C15; 4-centred granite arches with triple cavetto mould and type A (Pevsner) piers with moulded capitals and bases. Tower arch of dressed stone; segmental arch with granite moulded imposts. Circa C16 granite basket arch at entrance to stair of tower. C19 furnishings of pitch pine, C19 pulpit and altar table. Piscina in south wall of chancel with cusped head, chamfer and run-out stops. Possibly circa C13 font, heavily restored with octagonal shaft, unlined bowl and square base. Remains of two probably Norman fonts at west end of nave, one with round bowl and the other with an hexagonal bowl. Slate flag floors to nave and south aisle and glazed C19 ceramic tiles in chancel. Memorials : Last wall of south aisle, slate ledger stone to Mary, wife of Abel French who died in 1652; wall engraved in italic and cursive script with coat of arms and verse beginning : Faith, vertue, patience, love, and all in all This godly matron had even at her call . . . North wall of nave, slate ledger stone of Johan, wife of William Moyers and daughter of John Avery of Kernick, died 1721. Slate ledger stone in tower to Alice, wife of William Grigg, died 1684. Verse : Here Alice doth intoumbed lye Whose spirit mounteth to the starrye skie Unto the poore shee had A Good regard Which dailye cry Heaven be thy reward. Several ledger stones remonted on outer wall of chancel including slate stone to member of French family who died in 1660. Pevsner, N and Radcliffe, E The Buildings of England, Cornwall 2nd ed. 1970. Polsue, J Lakes Parochial History of the County of Cornwall Vol IV, 1872 reprinted 1974. Sedding, E H Norman Architecture in Cornwall, a handbook of old Cornish Ecclesiastical Architecture 1909. Sites and Monuments Register, Truro. Information from Rev. D. Nash.

Listing NGR: SX1683490761

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

68785

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Sedding, H, Norman Architecture in Cornwall: A Handbook to Old Cornish Ecclesiastical Architecture, (1909)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, (1970)
Polsue, J, Lakes Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, (1872)

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