Church of St Nicholas

Details

SK 01 NE; 6/105

MAVESYN RIDWARE C.P.,
MAVESYN RIDWARE

Church of St Nicholas

27.02.64

GV

I

Parish church. Mainly 1782, with C13 north aisle and C15 tower. C13 and
C14 sandstone ashlar and C18 red brick (Flemish bond); slate roofs.
Three-bay nave and polygonal apse containing the chancel, and north aisle terminated
to the west by the tower.

Tower. Three stages with moulded parapet string,
gargoyles and crenellated parapet. The lower stages have rectangular loops
with chamfered surrounds; 4-centred belfry openings with cusped Y-tracery
and hollowed surround, and hood moulds terminating in heads. South aisle.
Pointed east window of three graded lancets. On the south side a lancet and
a C15 window of four lights beneath a 4-centred arch. Blocked south door with
segmental arch and inserted window. Nave and chancel. 1782. Symmetrical
with Gothic elements. Moulded plinth and eaves cornice. Painted windows
with hollow-moulded arches springing from moulded imposts, Y-tracery, and
small leaded panes. Pointed west doorway with 2-leaf door and pilastered
stone surround.

INTERIOR. C13 three-bay north arcade: octagonal columns
with moulded capitals and pointed arches of two chamfered orders. Pointed
tower arch towards the nave and engaged semi-octagonal columns. Pointed
chancel arch of three roll-moulded orders. Dentilled plaster ceiling over nave
with multiple roll-moulded order to a central panel. Gothick plaster vault
over the chancel with crocketed ogee arches springing from clustered and
banded shafts. In the north aisle a C13 piscina and a lancet to the west
blocked by the tower. This window is also visible from within the tower:
it has a hood mould terminated by grotesque heads. The north aisle has
a plaster vault over an arch braced collar roof. FITTINGS. Font of circa
1200 with a wavy band of stiff leaf. Gothic style wooden pulpit of 1895.
C18 cast-iron communion rail. Waist high wooden wall panelling around nave
and chancel. MONUMENTS. The entire south aisle is taken up by the Mavesyn
Chapel which contains the family monuments. This is at a lower level than
the nave. Around the walls are alabaster panels beneath cusped arches on
clustered columns. They are incised with the effigies of medieval ancestors
but are actually late C18 or early C19, for they are not recorded by Stebbing
Shaw in his engravings of the chancel (1785). Also three small alabaster
reliefs depicting battles fought by Mavesyns, of similar date. Two chest
tombs, both with incised alabaster slabs. In the centre, Sir Robert Mavesyn
died 1403 at the battle of Shrewsbury with an C18/C19 effigy. At the east
end Thomas Cawarden, died 1593, and his wife Anne. On the floor at the
east end are incised slabs to David Cardon, died 1557, and wife; John Cordon,
died 1485, and wife; John Cordon, died 1477; and Hugh Davenport, died 1473.
In the north wall are two recesses containing recumbant effigies, both knights,
one C13, the other early C14. Also in the chapel are a shield and pieces
of armour, and the walls are covered with heraldic shields, some of which
are blank. In the nave is a C17 tablet containing two brasses and a tablet
to William Robinson, died 1771, with an obelisk and draped urn above. Stained
glass. East window of Mavesyn chancel is dated 1870. It depicts former
Mavesyns and heraldic shields.

Listed Grade I as a complete example of
a late C18 church rebuilding including a very rare late C18 and early C19
conversion of a medieval aisle to the former church into a family chapel
with neo-medieval fittings and monuments.


Listing NGR: SK0815916873

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

430707

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Shaw, Stebbing, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire, (1798), 190-196
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Staffordshire, (1974), 203

End of official list entry

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