Description

TL 1439 SHEFFORD HIGH STREET
8/111 (south side)

- Catholic Church of
St Francis of Assisi

GV II*

Roman Catholic church. Designed by S J Nicholl of Kentish Town, erected at
expense of Mrs Lyne-Stephens of Lynsford Hall, Thetford, Norfolk. Opened
1884. Red brick with ashlar dressings. Clay tile roofs. Church is oriented
N-S, with alter to S end. Rectangular plan overall, consisting of nave and
chancel, the latter with narrow aisles formed by 2-bay arcades within
structure. In C14 style. Nave: N (road) gable has large pointed-arched 4-
light window with cusped flowing and panel tracery. 3-light ogee window to
apex. Stone coping to gable, with crucifix finial. To LH side is slightly
projecting 3-stage bell-cote. To ground floor is pointed arched doorway,
recessed within higher pointed archway with traceried spandrels. Central
stage has canopied niche with figure of St Francis, flanked by single lights.
Gabled top stage almost entirely in ashlar, has ogee headed niche with statue
of Virgin and Child. Nave also has windows to W and E in similar style.
Chancel: has windows to W and E, similar in style but with 4-centred arched
heads. The pointed-arched arcades have rather slender columns. Interior:
reredos, approx. 9 metres high, is in ornate High Gothic style, of carved
stone including alabaster and marble, and has figures of saints within
crocketed canopied niches. Arcades have foliate capitals. Nave has half-
height cedarwood panelling with carved and painted Stations of the Cross inset
at intervals. Carved stone pulpit to SE corner of nave in High Gothic style.
High Gothic carved stone Lady Altar to SW corner of nave, the Virgin and Child
partly gilded. Stained glass to Lady Altar window, and to windows in nave W
and E. NE of nave is octagonal font with crocketed wood spire cover. Angular
wagon roofs to nave and chancel, timberwork to nave plain and open, that to
chancel infilled, with painted and gilded angels and bosses. Gallery to N end
of nave.

Kelly's Directory of Beds, Hunts and Northants, 1885, pp 107-8).

Listing NGR: TL1426039011

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17550961

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)