Church of the Holy Trinity

Details

FINSTOCK WITNEY ROAD SP1516 (South-east side) 16/50 Church of the Holy Trinity

GV II

Church. 1841, interior "improved and beautified" in 1876, and vestry/organ chamber added in 1906 1905-6 (dated 1905 on rainwater-heads), by S. Slingsby and Stallwood of Reading. Squared and coursed limestone with additions in dressed limestone, ashlar dressings. Stone slate roofs. Four-bay nave in a lancet style; 2-bay chancel and south vestry/organ chamber in a Decorated Gothick style. Nave: parapeted gable ends with chamfered coping and shaped kneelers; cross at apex to east and gabled west,bellcote with chamfered-arched opening and cross at apex. Chamfered lancets with chamfered cills and returned hoodmoulds. West end: chamfered arched window with chamfered all, Y-tracery and returned hood mould and pair of chamfered reveals. Louvred chamfered lancet with returned hoodmould in apex of gable above. Chancel: double-chamfered plinth, cill string, gable ends with copings and crosses at apices. Moulded segmental-arched north windows of 3 ogee trefoil-headed lights with cusped reticulated tracery and returned hood moulds, and moulded cinquefoil-headed lancet to south-east with returned hood mould. Moulded-arched east window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights, cusped reticulated tracery and hood mould with carved stops. Transept: chamfered plinth, moulded cill string, diagonal buttresses with chamfered offsets, parapeted gable with coping shaped kneelers and finial, and integral stone stack to north-west buttress with chamfered offsets and paired octagonal shafts with trefoil-headed panel to south and moulded cap with battlemented top. Moulded-arched east window of 2 cinquefoil-headed lights with cusped tracery and returned hoodmould. Hollow-chamfered arched doorway to west with stops, returned hood mould and boarded door with strap hinges. Small square window to east of 2 cinquefoil-headed lights, 2-light basement window with hollow-chamfered reveals and stone mullion. Steps down to segmental-headed boarded basement door to right. Windows with decorative wrought-iron grilles. Dated cast-iron rainwater heads. Interior: ceiled 4-bay nave roof with long braces to tie-beams. Continuously-moulded chancel arch of 1905, with moulded bases and returned hood mould. Four-bay chancel roof with moulded, carved and billet-ornamented wooden wall plate, ashlar pieces, moulded arched-braced collar trusses with billet ornament to top and king struts above with flanking raking struts; pairs of moulded purlins with moulded wind braces. Moulded rear arches, segmental-arched to side windows. Large continuously-moulded organ archway to south and continuously-moulded arched vestry doorway with boarded door; returned south window with moulded seat; piscina in reveal of south window consisting of 2 moulded arches with pierced cusped ogee traceried heads and moulded base. Fittings: mainly late Cl9 and c.1905, Elaborate carved stone reredos of 3:1:3 bays with carved figures of saints in niches, traceried panels, crocketed arches, pinnacles; central arch with one order of shafts, ballflower ornament, and carved figure of Christ to centre; carved corbels and carved frieze with billet ornament. Scrolled bracketed wrought-iron candelabra flanking reredos. Wrought-iron altar rails with wooden rail. Wooden choir stalls with blind traceried panels and carved poppyheads. Elaborately carved organ case with blind traceried panels, and carved frieze. Organ given in 1910 by the Do Cros family. Wooden chancel screen of 2:1:2 bays, with pierced traceried panels, carved frieze and cresting, and rood cross. Octagonal stone pulpit consisting of short stem with broaches to octagonal base, quatrefoil-panelled sides with fleurons moulded top, angled stone reading desk with carved foliage beneath and fixed brass candelslticks. Pulpit given in 1866 as a memorial to Frances, late Dowager Lady Churchill. Elaborately-carved wooden lectern with pierced traceried panels, pinnacles, etc. Octagonal stone font with step, stem with arched panels quatrefoil-panelled coving, quatrefoil-panelled bowl with fleurons and panelled pyramidal wooden cover. Painted commandment and creed panels on north and south walls at the west end. Stained glass: 6 windows of 1877. Two windows, at west end commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee of 1887. The site for the 1841 church was given by Francis Almeric, 1st Baron Churchill. The chancel and transept cost £3,000. It appears (see evidence internally and externally) that it was intended to rebuid the nave in the same style of the chancel, but this was never carried out. (Buildings of England: Oxfordshire: p605; Kelly's Directory of Oxfordshire (1911): pp105-6)

Listing NGR: SP3590016499

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

252491

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Sherwood, J, The Buildings of England: Oxfordshire, (1974), 605
Kellys Directory in Oxfordshire, (1911), 105-6

End of official list entry

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