Church of St Benedict Biscop

Details

WOMBOURNE C.P. CHURCH ROAD (north side) SO 8693-8793 13/144 Church of St. Benedict Biscop 27.6.63 GV II Parish church. C14 west tower, north aisle probably C16, the rest 1866-7 by G.E. Street in a late C13 style. Sandstone ashlar, plain tile roofs with coped verges. West tower, 5-bay nave with north and south aisles, north side chapel and south porch; 2-bay chancel with north vestry and organ chamber. West tower: Stepped plinth, 3 moulded strings and crenellated parapet; recessed stone spire with crocketed corner pinnacles and 3 tiers of lucarnes with ogee hoods; pointed west window of two cinquefoil headed lights and curvilinear tracery of circa 1340; gargoyles to each face of tower at base of parapet. North aisle: 2 pointed north windows with deeply hollowed surrounds and restored perpendicular tracery. At the east end a blocked door and above it a restored 3-light window with Tudor arch, higher up a trefoil headed loop. North chapel: 2 pointed north windows each of 2 lights with Decorated tracery. Blocked pointed door to the east. South aisle: the south and west windows are paired lancets with cusped heads, pointed east window of 4 lancet lights with cusped heads and plate tracery. Central buttress on south side. Gabled south porch with pointed arch, dog tooth moulded hood and stiff leaf encrusted frieze at springing level of arch. Chancel: the south side has a buttressed bay division and pointed 3-light windows with late Geometric tracery, the east window is similar to the east window of the south aisle and has a roll-moulded dripstone with stiff leaf stops. Vestry and organ chamber: pointed east door with scroll-moulded dripstone and stiff leaf stops. East window of 3-trefoil headed lights. Interior: nave arcades have cylindrical columns on moulded bases with stiff leaf capitals and pointed arches of 2 orders, the outer chamfered and the inner plain, nailhead ornamented hood moulds. Pointed tower arch of 2 chamfered orders filled with an early C20 Perpendicular traceried screen; in front of this is a rectangular room of circa 1911 with glazed panels. Collar purlin roofs over nave and north aisles, the collars of the nave roof have straight braces. King-post roof over south aisle. In the north aisle 2 pointed arches, each of 2 chamfered orders open to the north chapel, they spring from a central cylindrical column with moulded base and stiff leaf capital. At the east end of the north aisle a similar arch is occupied by the organ. North and south aisle windows have segmental rear-arches with chamfered ribs. On the north side of the chancel a large screened off arch and a pointed doorway. Trefoil-headed niche on north side of sanctuary. The south-east window of the chancel has a ribbed rear arch springing from banded shafts with stiff leaf capitals and moulded bases. Panelled and painted wagon roof over chancel. Fittings: stone font probably by Street; basin with trefoil-headed arcading on clustered, filleted shafts on moulded bases; elaborate wooden font cover with spire. Small Italian early C16 relief in south aisle. Pulpit by Street; circular, stone on marble shafts, trefoil headed arcading with marble shafts and stiff leaf capitals. Low decorative wrought iron rood screen and gates. Brass altar rail on decor- ative wrought iron supports with elaborate brackets. Brass eagle lectern ofcirca 1898. Organ of 1870 by Bevington & Sons of Soho, London. Monuments: large tablet to Richard Bayley Marsh by Sir Francis Chantrey depicting a mourning woman next to an urn with pedestal bearing a profile medallion. Stained glass: all the windows of the chancel, and north and south aisles. The windows of the aisles are mostly by Kempe, chancel windows and east window of south aisle are by Clayton & Bell. B.O.E. pp. 326-7; V.C.H. vol. XX, pp.220-1.

Listing NGR: SO8767293179

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

407792

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Stafford, (1984), 220-1
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Staffordshire, (1974), 326-7

End of official list entry

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