Description

STAFFORD

SJ9223SW GREENGATE STREET
590-1/10/50 (East side)
16/01/51 Church of St Chad

GV II*

Church. C12; chancel east end C14; tower C14 with rebuilding
of c1500; restored by Henry Ward of Stafford, c1864 and Sir
Gilbert Scott, c1870ff, who rebuilt west front 1873-4; south
aisle walls, 1874-5; work completed by Robert Griffiths of
Stafford, 1880-6, who rebuilt south aisle walls, 1880, north
transept, 1886; south vestry, 1955. Ashlar with tile roofs,
slate to north aisle. Norman style with Perpendicular tower.
PLAN: cruciform.
EXTERIOR: 3-bay chancel, crossing tower with north transept
and south vestry; 4-bay nave with lean-to aisles.
Chancel has 3-light east window with Geometrical tracery, hood
with head stops, large offset angle buttresses and coped
gable; returns have shallow buttresses and corbel table to 2
western bays, 2 small round-headed windows with nook shafts,
sill course with cable mould and imposts bands.
Tower has offset angle buttresses; 2-light triangular-headed
traceried bell-openings with sill course, hoods with head
stops and louvreing; top traceried frieze, cornice with
gargoyles and embattled parapet. North parapet has similar
details to chancel returns; round-headed north entrance has 5
round-headed lights over, 2 blind, wheel window and Celtic
gable cross; windows to return.
Nave west end has shallow angle buttresses, round-headed
entrance of 2 orders with rich moulding including beak head,
paired doors with rich iron strapwork; impost course; blind
arcade above has 3 lights and sill course; top niche with
statue of St Chad and coped gable; clerestory has small
round-headed windows with deep splays; aisles have offset
buttresses, and round-headed windows.
INTERIOR: chancel has intersecting blind arcading with rich
capitals; piscina with sharp pointed arch; arch-braced collar
trusses to roof; east crossing arch has Norman responds with
rich capitals, one with fox and birds and inscription: ORM
VOCATUR QUI ME CONDIDIT, C13 double-chamfered arch; similar
arch to north transept, and to south transept now blocked,
with smaller arch with organ and stair entrance to right; nave
has 4-bay arcades on round piers with simply moulded capitals,
the 2 bays to east richer, with wall shafts and zig-zag
moulding; crossing arch of 2 orders with rich mouldings to
shafts and arch including much beak head, double-chamfered
arch immediately behind; deeply splayed clerestory windows on
sill course; C17 roof has moulded beams and purlins.
FITTINGS: chancel has encaustic tiles, timber altar rail and
altar with painted triptych reredos; north transept has
screened-off vestry and early C20 open screen and altar with
canopy on posts; crossing has stalls with tracery fronts;
timber pulpit and rood beam with figures, 1922, by Sir Charles
Nicholson; font, 1856, round, of Norman style with beast heads
influenced by C11 Manuscripts, cover, 1922, by Sir C
Nicholson, tall octagonal tower with recessed traceried
finial; inner porch also by Sir C Nicholson, timber, enriched
frieze and brattishing, canted traceried upper part.
A good example of Norman work, possibly with Byzantine
influence.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N and Nairn J: Staffordshire:
London: 1974-: 243; Victoria County History of Staffordshire:
Greenslade MW: A History of Stafford, taken from V.C.H.:
London: 1979-: 245-8; Shell Guides: Thorold H: Staffordshire:
London: 1978-: 152).

Listing NGR: SJ9225523185

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Chad's Church, Stafford at Wikipedia
• St Chad's Church, Stafford official website
• Wikidata Q18161561

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.

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