Details
TQ 09 SW RICKMANSWORTH OLD UXBRIDGE ROAD
(West side)
West Hyde
8/216 Church of
St. Thomas of Canterbury
II
Parish church. 1844 by Thomas Smith. Knapped and some squared flint,
cemented brick dressings. Machine tiled roof. Neo-Norman Style. 4 bay
nave, broad transepts, short, narrow chancel, vestry outshuts in angles
between transepts and chancel, tower in angle of nave and N transept.
West front: round arched entrance with cushion and scallop capped
shafted jambs, 2 orders of zigzag mouldings to head, cement quoining.
Plinth. String courses at impost level, above arch and another with a
block corbel table at sill level to upper 2 light window, round heads,
cushion and scallop capped shafts, zigzag moulded heads and soffits to
reveals, upper round light, zigzag moulded round arch over all with
mask stopped hood mould. Thick projecting rendered band to gable and at
ends returned as clasping buttresses. Shafts at upper level inside
rendered band. Block corbelling to coped parapet with ridge cross. Mask
stopped kneelers. Nave to S: 3 bays of round headed windows, double
shafted jambs and double zigzag moulded heads and soffits. Plinth,
rendered course at sill level, rendered pilaster strips between bays
with block corbelled cornice band. 4th bay is a round headed entrance,
double shafted and zigzag moulded. Nave to N identical with tower
projection on 4th bay. 3 stage tower:square lower stage with blocked W
entrance, engaged shaft at angle, tall round headed window in plain
double reveal to N, block corbel table to cornice band below octagonal
upper stages. 2nd stage small round headed lights with double reveals.
Open belfry with tall round headed openings, shafted jambs, zigzag
moulded heads, continuous hood mould, mask corbel table to short
octagonal spire with cross finial. Transepts are continuously roofed
with taller ridge and eaves emphasizing N-S axis. N transept: lower
tripartite window, round headed lights, that to centre taller, shafted
jambs, zigzag moulded heads, mask stopped hood mould over stud
patterned band. Block corbel table below upper 2 light window with a
round light to centre all below a round arch. Outer pilaster strips and
gable band as at W end, ridge cross. S transept similar with a blind
window in a triple reveal to W. Chancel E end: lower tripartite window,
taller central light, shafted jambs, zigzag moulded heads, stud
patterned band to mask stopped hood mould. Upper round window with 8
lights divided by radiating cushion and scallop capped colonnettes,
octafoil surround, zigzag moulded outer surround, pilaster strips and
gable band as at W end. Continuous block corbel table below cornice
band. Low canted outshuts in angles of transepts and chancel. Round
headed entrance to S, window to N. Interior: windows articulated with
cushion and scallop capped shafts in jambs and zigzag moulded round
heads and soffits as externally. Broad round crossing arches, that to
nave has double zigzag moulding and cushion capped responds, cushion
caps to N and scallop caps to S on responds. Single order to chancel
arch with slender colonnettes in rebates of responds. King post roof
throughout, upper tie beams on curved braces, pseudo-hammer beams with
carved angels bearing arms all resting on short columnar 'corbels'.
Neo-Norman font: octagonal with columns surrounding stem, carved saints
in niches with flanking engaged colonnettes, carved wood font cover
dated 1858. Neo-Norman arcaded cushion capped communion rails. Altar table
with scallop capped shafts, zigzag mouldings and block corbel tables.
Late C19 crucifixion in E window. (Pevsner 1977).
Listing NGR: TQ0315791717
