Church of St Mary

Details

ELLENHALL

603/11/1 Church of St Mary 07-AUG-03 (Formerly listed as: Church of St Michael)

GV II* Church. C12 origins (part of N wall of chancel and window) chancel largely rebuilt in 1683; W tower and nave probably 1757 to the designs of William Baker; restoration of 1885-1886 by Lyneham (information from the churchwarden) included a new porch, new windows to the nave, which was given new brick buttresses; re-roofing the chancel and exposing the nave roof. Ashlar masonry to the chancel; nave and tower Flemish bond red brick; tiled roofs. Plan of nave, chancel , W tower, SW porch , NE vestry.

EXTERIOR. The chancel has angle buttresses. The S side is blind with a blocked round-headed doorway. There is a carved inscription with the date of 1683 recording the names of Anna and Jonathan Cope, then initials, then the word 'Freemason'. 3-light Perpendicular style traceried E window. On the N side the design of the plinth suggests that the E wall was rebuilt with the S and part of the N wall in 1683. Gabled NE vestry roofed at right angles to the chancel has a 2-light Decorated style traceried N window. The 1757 nave has 1880s brick buttresses with set-offs and 1880s square-headed windows with cusped lights and hoodmoulds. 3-stage unbuttressed W tower with moulded strings above the W window and below the embattled parapet. 3-light 1880s crank arched W window with cusped lights. The other tower openings are original to the tower: quatrefoil windows to the W face and plain arched Gothick belfry windows, the S and E windows with later clock faces. c.late C19 brick porch with diagonal buttresses, a coped gable and kneelers. Crank-arched roll-moulded outer doorway.

INTERIOR. Unplastered walls. The N wall of the nave has a small round-headed deeply-splayed C12 window that now opens into the vestry. Moulded c.1880s chancel arch. The chancel roof is probably also 1880s and is a boarded wagon divided into very small panels, the panels painted over the sanctuary with sacred monograms to form a ceilure. Nave roof probably 1757, a tie beam and king post design with straight braces from the king post to the principal rafters. This roof is said to have been exposed in the 1880s (information from the churchwarden): the short curved braces under the tie may be 1880s, along with the boarding behind the trusses to give it a more Gothic character. Tall tower arch, probably also 1880s. Polygonal timber pulpit with carved figures in niches. Probably C12 tub font with tiers of rustic carving. Benches are probably C18 remodelled C19 and have square-headed ends with 2 panels. Some medieval floor tiles in the nave.

Historical Note: During the 1880s restoration the base of a probably Norman pier was reported below the existing level of the woodblock floor. The church is said to have been largely demolished at the Reformation (information from the churchwarden)
This small rural aisleless church stands adjacent to the former rectory and Manor Farm (q.v.) with a scheduled cross shaft in the churchyard. In spite of extensive alterations in the restoration of the 1880s, it is outstanding for the combination of the historic interest of its C12 fabric and likely archaeological remains of more C12 work below the existing floor; the C17 rebuilding of most of the chancel, and the inscription recording it, as well as the Georgian brick tower. The Norman font and medieval floor tiles are fittings of interest.

SOURCES
Pevsner, Staffordshire, 1974, 128-129
Information from the churchwarden.

Listing NGR: SJ8411226529

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

443406

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Staffordshire, (1974), 128-129

End of official list entry

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