Church of St Botolph

Overview

Location

Details

TG 23 SE 3/95 TRUNCH FRONT STREET Church of St. Botolph

16.4.55

I Parish church. Late C14, restored 1881. Flint with ashlar quoins and lead roofs. West tower, nave, aisles and chancel.

Four stage tower, each stage of diminishing size, supported by stepped diagonal buttresses. String courses between floors. Three-light Perpendicular west window. Two-light ringing chamber windows with arches supporting reticulation unit. Two-light ogeed belfry windows carrying central four-petalled vesica. Nave aisles with stepped side buttressing. Two-light west aisle windows with renewed Perpendicular tracery.

Gabled south porch entered through wave moulded arch. Blocked side windows under hood moulds. Double wave moulded inner south door with hood mould on labels. Arched north door. Three aisle windows north and south of two-lights and alternating design: panel tracery and four-petal flower motif. Eastern aisle windows have petals (south) and panel tracery (north). Clerestory of four two-light basket-arched windows with cusped ogival lights. Eastern nave gable repaired in brick, as is chancel parapet. Chancel lit through two early Perpendicular three-light side windows. On south side windows separated by a stepped buttress springing from apex of gabled porch leading to priests' door. Moulded arched entrance. Diagonal east buttresses and three-light transomed east window.

Interior: four bay arcade of octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases. Double chamfered arches. Clerestory windows over apexes. Hollow and wave moulded tower arch on semi-circular responds. Double hollow chamfered chancel arch with responds terminating in polygonal capitals.

Hammerbeam nave roof for which bequest exists dated 1486. Repaired 1897 and 1976-84. Hammerbeams on arched braces, alternately dropping to wall posts. Wall posts enriched by capitals and bases and rest on corbels in form of angels bearing shields and scrolls. Hammerposts carry arched braces to principals. Hammerpost and hammerbeam spandrels pierced with geometric tracery patterns. Hammerbeams terminate in carved angels bearing scrolls, shields and instruments of passion. One tier butt purlins and ridge piece with fleuron bosses. All timbers are moulded. Aisle roofs repaired 1897: arched braces to principals and butt purlins, all timbers moulded.

Hexagonal C14 font with flushwork tracery to stem and cusped petal tracery panels to bowl. Magnificant oak font canopy c.1500 in two stages. Lower stage of six hexagonal annulated posts carved with leaf and vegetative trails supporting elaborate cusped fan vault with central pendant. Second stage also hexagonal with blank panels originally painted (Crucifixion scene just recognisable on one panel). Panels separated by crocketted buttresses rising to groups of three nodding ogee canopies to each panel. Each canopy with miniature vaults and each rise through foliage carved barrels to cured crenellated tops. Cap of six crocketed ogee open arches meeting at central finial. This font canopy is one of four surviving in England. Chancel screen dated 1502. Three bays right and left of arched opening. Dado panels divided on west side into two ogeed lights and painted with figures of saints: Saints Thomas, Philip, James Minor, Matthew, James Major, Peter, Paul, Andrew, John, Jude, Simon, Bartholomew.

Round-headed upper tracery heads above crocketed ogees. In chancel six C16 choir stalls with misericords. Chancel roof of 1907. North wall of chancel with wall monument to Launcelot Thexton 1588. Ashlar. Pediment carried on pair of strapwork pilasters. Between pilasters a rounded recess carved with a cloak, shield and helmet above brass inscription panel. Apron below in form of opposing strapwork scrolls. Repaired angle piscina.

Listing NGR: TG2871434856

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

224309

Legacy System:

LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.