Details
SJ 7038-7138 NORTON IN HALES C.P. NORTON IN HALES
10/131 Church of Saint Chad
and attached archway
GV II*
Parish church. C13 chancel, late C14 west tower and some probably C13
or C14 work in west-end of south aisle. Restored and rest rebuilt in
1864-5, and north transept and archway added in 1872. Tower of red
(with some grey) sandstone ashlar and chancel and west end of south aisle
of dressed red and grey sandstone. C19 work of uncoursed red sandstone
rubble with red sandstone ashlar dressings. Fishscale slate roofs.
4-bay nave and and aisles with north baptistery, north transept with attached
archway, chancel with north vestry, and west tower. C19 work in a C14
Gothic style. Tower: 3 stages. Diagonal buttresses up to second
stage with chamfered offsets, moulded string course to belfry, moulded
parapet string with central carved gargoyles and battlemented parapet
with chamfered coping and crocketed corner pinnacles. Louvred belfry
openings of 2 cinquefoil-headed lights with cusped Y-tracery, chamfered
reveals and hoodmoulds with carved stops. Sounding holes in second
stage to north and south, each consisting of a quatrefoil set in a square
panel. West window of 2 cinquefoil-headed lights with cusped Y-tracery,
chamfered reveals and hoodmould with carved stops. Small rectangular
staircase windows in south-west corner. C19 neo-Norman west doorway
with dogtooth and fleuron ornament, one order of twisted shafts with
cusion capitals and broach-stopped bases, and boarded door with decorative
strap hinges. Base built out to north has blocked Gothic doorway with
hoodmould. Clock above sounding hole to south. Nave and aisles:
buttresses (diagonal at corners) with chamfered offsets, parapeted gable
ends, with cross at apex to east and ridge cresting. Left-hand return
front of south aisle with moulded string course at eaves level. Aisle
windows of 2 cinquefoil-headed lights with cusped Y-tracery, chamfered
reveals and hoodmoulds with carved heads as stops. Trefoil clerestory
windows, also with carved heads as stops to hoodmoulds. Chancel: chamfered
plinth to north, angle buttresses to east, parapeted gable end with cross at
apex and ridge cresting. Chamfered round-arched window to right (almost
pointed-arched) and blocked C13 roll-moulded priest's doorway to left.
Straight joint to left is probably blocked door or window. Chamfered
round-arched (almost pointed-arched) north window and central C19 north
doorway with roll-moulded arch and boarded door with strap hinges.
Tudor-arched east window of 4 Tudor-arched lights and with hoodmould.
The east wall appears to have been rebuilt at a later date (see straight
joints to north and south). North transept: diagonal buttresses with
chamfered offsets. Windows to east and west, each of 2 cinquefoil-
headed lights with cusped Y-tracery, chamfered reveals and hoodmould
with carved heads as stops. Doorway to west with chamfered arch,hoodmould
with carved heads as stops and boarded door with strap hinges. Large
north window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with Geometrical tracery,
chamfered reveals and hoodmould with carved heads as stops. Polygonal
vestry in angle of transept with buttresses, pyramidal roof, chamfered-
arched window to right with hoodmould and chamfered-arched doorway to left
with hoodmould and boarded door with strap hinges. Polygonal baptistery
in angle of tower and north aisle with buttresses, pyramidal roof, and
3 chamfered-arched windows with hoodmoulds. Archway adjoining transept
to north. Rubblestone with tooled dressings. Gothic arch with hoodmould
and scalloped impost bands. Battlemented parapet above with chamfered
coping, raised in centre with cross and niche to each side (that to west
with small statue). Small carved shields in spandrels to west. Interior:
4-bay nave arcades (C19 but possibly based on medievil fragments) consisting
of octagonal piers with chamfered bases and moulded capitals, chamfered
arches and hoodmoulds with carved heads as stops. Continuously double-
chamfered C15 tower arch (inner chamfer to west with impost band).
Double-chamfered chancel arch (possibly incorporating some medievil work);
outer arch with chamfered base and inner arch springing from marble colonnettes
ettes with carved stone corbels and stiff-leaf capitals. Chamfered
north transept arch; octagonal pier with moulded capital. C19 four-
bay nave roof and 3-bay transept roof with braced collar trusses resting
on carved brackets with pierced spandrels and springing from stone corbels
carved as heads; pairs of purlins. Lean-to aisle roof with scalloped
wall plates and carved rosettes, Ceiled wagon roof over chancel with
moulded ribs dividing panels and springing from carved stone corbels.
Chamfered-arched sedilia to south with trefoiled piscina to left. Cham-
fered-arched doorway from east end of north aisle to vestry; boarded door with
strap hinges. Chamfered-arched C19 doorway between tower and baptistery
with boarded door. C19 boarded door to stair turret with chamfered
square reveals. Fittings: tiles and mosaics to wall flanking east
window with panelling below. C19 altar table and pair of large brass
candlesticks. Altar rails of 1933-6 with turned balusters. C19 choir
stalls with poppyheads, some with reused C17 panelling (with figures
and arched panels etc.) and some with reused barleysugar balusters to
front. Brass eagle lectern. Organ in eastern bay of south aisle with
painted timbers.C19 polygonal stone pulpit with Caernarvon -arched passageway
to rear, stubby marble colonnettes to stem and top with carved capitals
and moulded bases, carved panels between with the symbols of the evangelists,
and carved stiff-leaf to frieze. C19 circular stone font consisting
of clustered marble colonnettes to stem with carved capitals and moulded
bases, 4 carved quatrefoil panels to bowl and wooden cover with wrought-
iron cresting. C19 pews with arcaded backs and carved poppyheads with
inscriptions. Probably C18 raised and fielded wainscot panelling to
nave, C19 choir stalls in transept with pierced frontal.2 benefactors
boards in north transept. Two C19 traceried half-glazed doors inserted
beneath tower arch. Painted inscription above chancel arch: "THIS
IS THE HOUSE OF GOD / THIS IS THE GATE OF HEAVEN". Probably C18 white
and black stone floor to chancel. C19 stained glass in east window
and some aisle windows. Hatchment beneath tower. Monuments: Cotton
monument in recess beneath tower dated 1606, by Inigo Jones. Alabaster.
Sarcophagus base with harpies at corners, central winged angel and festoons
between, 2 recumbent effigies with woman holding infant to bared breasts,
pair of large flanking Corinthian columns with carved surface ornament
and topped by shields, and back panel flanked by Corinthian pilasters
with strapwork and topped by cornice and scrolled pediment with central
shield and flanking putti. Small flanking carved figures on wall.
Inscription on panel: "FRANCIS ELDEST DAUGHTER TO / SIR ROBERTE NEDHAM
OF SHA / VINGTON IN THE COUNTIE OF / SALLOP KNIGHT AND WIFE TO / SR. ROWLAND
COTTON OF AL / KINGTON IN THE COUNTIE / KNIGHT DYED IN CHILD BED BE /
ING DELIVERED OF A DAUGHTER / WHO LIKEWISE DYED ON SON / DAYE A DAYE
OF REST BEING THE / 23rd DAYE OF NOVEMBER ANNO DOMINI / 1606." Small
wooden bird on hook over monument. A Flemish close helmet (c.1540-
80) also once hung above the monument (now on loan to the Tower of London).
Other tablets beneath tower include: one (inscription illegible at time
of survey - July 1986) with triangular pediment, flanking scrolls with
carved drops, base with scrolled brackets, and central shield with flanking
swags. One to Robert Davison (d.l0 October 1772) and his wife Rachel
(d. 21 August 1762) with segmental pediment and swags. Tablet
in north transept to Rowland Cotton of Etwall (d. 26 April 1753) and
his wife Mary (d. 11 December 1761) consisting of large obelisk with
scrolled brackets, flanking urns, cartouche in centre, and base with
inscription and moulded cornice. Other C18 and early C19 memorial tablets.
A monument to Samuel and Barbara Davison [erected 1757 by William Baker
of Audlem (1705-1771)]. Two sepia photographs of the church after the
C19 restoration are on display in the vestry along with a drawing of
a house (probably the old vicarage). B.o.E. p. 220 and ill.36a; D.H.S.
Cranage, An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, part
8, pp. 710-11; Colvin, p. 84; John Summerson, Inigo Jones, London, p.28.
Listing NGR: SJ7035538676
