Parish Church of St Denys

Details

TF 03 NE ASWARBY AND SWARBY MAIN STREET (South side)

7/11 Parish Church of St. 1.2.67 Denys, (formerly listed as St Denis' Church) G.V. I

Parish church, C12, C14, C15, Chancel 1849 by H.E. Kendall, restored 1850 by Edward Blore. Limestone ashlar, some coursed squared limestone rubble, slate and lead roofs. West tower and spire, clerestoried nave, chancel, north aisle and south porch. 3 stage west tower with stepped clasping buttresses, chamfered plinth and string courses, plain parapet and angle pinnacles. Set back spire with a single tier of lucarnes in 4 directions. In the belfry stage are 2 light cusped panel traceried windows with hollow chamfered surrounds. The west window is of 3 lights, cusped heads to the lights and panel tracery over, hollow chamfered surround. C14 south aisle with stepped and gabled buttresses, plain parapet and lead roof. 3 light west window with cusped flowing tracery and wave moulded pointed surround. To the north side are 2 matching 2 light windows and a pointed and wave moulded doorway. The east window is of 3 lights and matches the rest. The nave has an embattled parapet and a clerestorey with 6 two light C15 windows having cusped heads to the lights and hollow chamfered 4 centred arched surrounds. C19 chancel has gabled buttresses, plain parapet and pairs of C14 style windows with flowing tracery. The east window is of 4 lights and also has flowing tracery. In the south wall of the nave are 2 C19 2 light windows in C14 style matching those of the chancel. Beyond to the west is a C16 3 light window with panel traceried head, 4 centred arches to the lights and a hollow chamfered surround. The clerestorey matches that to the north. At the west end of the clerestorey is a painted sundial with iron gnomon dated 1827. The gabled C19 south porch has gabled buttresses and a continuously moulded and pointed outer doorway. The fine inner doorway is late C12 with engaged triple angle shafts having stiff leaf and a single palmette capitals. There are 3 orders of moulding to the head, with reels, chevrons and a roll with 2 orders of dog toothing to the hollow moulded hood. Interior: 4 bay C14 nave arcade, filleted quatrefoil piers with with annular capitals and double wave moulded arches with hollow chamfered hoods. Late C14 tower arch with engaged octagonal responds and capitals, double chamfered arched head. Tall C15 chancel arch with narrow roll moulded reveals and double chamfered head. The nave roof is C19 in its present form with pierced ties having quatrefoil spandrels. It rests on C15 corbels with grotesque masks and capitals. The south aisle roof is also C19, but there is a C14 piscina in the south wall with cusped ogee head and to the north an ogee headed aumbry. At the west end of the aisle in the south wall is a single surviving bay of C12 corbel table of a looped pattern. Also in the aisle is the early C18 surround for a vanished tomb consisting of ashlar piers with ball finials and wrought iron railings with pointed tops. Fittings: Early C18 oak altar rails with turned bobbin balusters and moulded rail. Minton tiled sanctuary with Symbols of the Evangelists. Stained glass east window of scenes from the Life of Christ in memory of Sir Thomas Whichcote, 7th. Bt., d. 1892. Good set of panelled and scumbled soft wood pews in the nave dated 1847, bolection moulded end panels and ramped doors. Early C18 octagonal softwood pulpit with bolection moulded raised and fielded panel sides and fluted pilasters supporting a moulded cornice. On the front an escutcheon bears the arms of Whichcote. Late C12 round tub font with 4 engaged round shafts having stylised acanthus capitals, C20 carved wooden lid. There are 3 funeral hatchments to members of the Whichcote family, 2 in the nave and one in the north aisle.Monuments: In the nave is a granite monument to George Bass, discoverer of the Bass Strait, who was born in the parish and was baptised in this church in 1771. In the chancel is a marble wall plaque to Frances Hope, d.1704, rectangular with scrolled and draped sides, gadrooned base with escutcheon of arms and a moulded cornice bearing flowers and an urn. On the nave north wall are 2 limestone plaques to Robert Cole, d. 1717 and Stephen Bee, d. 1766, one with swags and sprays, the other draped with foliage. Also on the north wall is a large white marble wall plaque in the Greek taste to Marian, Lady Whichcote, d. 1849, depicting the deceased seated with a book and a lamp standard with coiling snake, all in a plain surround; T. Campbell, Sculpt.. In the north aisle are 2 black and white marble tablets to members of the Whichcote family, one dated 1810 with fluted and draped urn is by Earle of Hull.

Listing NGR: TF0672039906

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

192646

Legacy System:

LBS

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