Description

UP HOLLAND

SD5205 CHURCH STREET
783-1/7/31 (East side)
07/01/52 Church of St Thomas the Martyr

GV I

Parish church, the nave formerly the chancel of the
Benedictine Priory of Up Holland founded in 1317-18 by Walter
Lang, Bishop of Lichfield. Early C14 nave with north and south
aisles (restored C19), late C15 west tower, chancel of 1882-6,
with crypt. Coursed rubble; slate roofs.
The tower, of 4 unequal stages, with diagonal buttresses which
have 8 set-offs, has a low 2-centred arched west doorway with
3 orders of hollow moulding containing masks, shields, figures
and Tudor roses; a large C19 2-centred arched 3-light west
window with reticulated tracery; a drip-band, and 2-light
belfry windows with stone louvres, a short top stage with
clock faces, a drip-band over this with grotesques, and an
embattled parapet with corner pinnacles; and, in the angle of
the north side, a low Tudor-arched doorway with chamfered
surround.
The junction of the north aisle and the tower incorporates a
redundant quatrefoil pier of the former crossing, and to the
left of this a 2-centred arched 4-light window with C19
intersecting tracery. The 4-bay aisles have large buttresses
and 2-centred arched C19 windows with reticulated tracery, and
similar windows at the east end.
The chancel is 2 bays over a crypt, with a short extruded
polygonal stair-turret down to the crypt, flanked by low
2-light windows to the crypt and transomed 2-light windows
above; its east end has 2 doorways to the crypt, and a large
5-light east window with elaborate reticulated tracery
including a rose composed of mouchettes and quatrefoils.
INTERIOR: 4-bay aisle arcades of quatrefoil columns with
moulded annular caps and 2-centred arches with 2 orders of
rounded chamfer and hoodmoulds with carved stops; 2-centred
tower moulded in 3 orders with moulded impost bands; large
2-centred chancel arch moulded in 3 orders; C20 ceilings; 2
painted hatchments in each aisle, painted wooden Commandment
Table and 2 painted wooden benefaction lists in south aisle,
and painted Arms of George I in north aisle.
At west end of nave, a fine Church Wardens' pew dated 1679,
with muntin-and-rail panelling and top rail with raised
lettering: WILLIAM: GASKELL: OF: HOLLAND: AND: ROBERT: BIRC/
HALL: OF: ORREL: CHURCH: WARDENS: THIS: YEARE: 1679. In base
of tower, a Church Wardens' cupboard dated 1720 with
shouldered fielded panel doors, the lintel inscribed: "Thomas
Prescott Lawrence Eaton/ Wardens 1720" and both doors with
inscribed scriptural quotations relating to charity.
Forms group with stone piers and lamp at foot of steps (qv),
Conservative Club to south-west (qv), remains of former Up
Holland Priory (qv) and No.7, Priory House (qv) to south.

Listing NGR: SD5231005106

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Up Holland at Wikipedia
• Church of St Thomas the Martyr, Up Holland official website
• Wikidata Q5117738

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

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)