Description

SS 80 NW
6/299
26.8.65

WOOLFARDISWORTHY
Church of St Mary

GV
II*

Small parish church. Medieval origins, rebuilt completely in 1845 by J Hayward.
Mostly snecked volcanic stone and mudstone, but tower more rubble laid to rough
courses; Bathstone and volcanic ashlar detail, mostly Beerstone internal detail;
slate roofs. Nave with lower and narrower chancel, west tower, vestry on side of
chancel, and south porch. Perpendicular Gothic-style. Tower of 2 stages with low
buttresses, diagonal to west end, angle on east. Embattled parapet. Some of tower
masonry may be C15 work, but all detail renewed in 1845. 2-light trefoil headed
belfry windows and trefoil headed single light to ringing floor on south side.
Stair turret projecting square on north side. West side of tower has 2-centred
Bathstone arch with moulded surround and roll stops containing a studded plank door
with massive wrought iron strap hinges with fleur-de-lys finials. Above the door is
a 3-light window with moulded hoodmould and large human face labels; the
Perpendicular tracery is possibly original C15 work. 3 windows to south side of
nave; all Bathstone, 2 lights with cinquefoil heads. Porch left of centre with
kneelers and coping to gable end and moulded Bathstone outer arch. Buttress right
of centre and angle buttress at right end. Chancel has cinquefoil-headed Bath stone
lancet on south side. East end has diagonal buttresses and a 3-light window with
moulded hoodmould and human face labels and includes original C15 Perpendicular
tracery. On north side of chancel roof carried down over vestry; which includes a
square-headed fixed pane window containing leaded diamond panes on east side. North
side of nave has three 2-light windows similar to those on front and with buttresses
between.
Interior: Nave has an open 5-bay roof. Trusses have moulded arch-bracing springing
from moulded corbels. Moulded wall plate and square-sectioned purlins. Chancel has
an ornate boarded wagon roof, apparently good but heavily restored late C15-early
C16 carpentry. It has moulded ribs and the panels have slightly projecting moulded
straight cross braces, carved oak bosses on all intersections and decorative
crestwork along the edges of the ribs, purlins and braces. Richly carved wall plate
with deeply undercut fruiting vine pattern and crestwork. Cresswell suggests that
this may be derived from former rood screen. Beerstone chancel arch has double-
chamfered arch ring, the inner chamfer with moulded capitals. Plain high tower
arch with chamfered soffit. Marble floor to nave, stone flags to chancel.
Beerstone piscina in south side of chancel with cinquefoil head. Furnishings and
fittings are all C19 gothic-style. Oak altar rail supported on open gothic-style
arcade. Similar style choir stalls and lectern. Beerstone gothic-style pulpit with
carved ogee-headed panels each side. Oak pews appear to reuse sections of earlier
box pews. Beerstone Perpendicular style font with panelled sides with cusping and
4-leaf enrichment. There is some C19 painted decoration including texts in Gothic-
style lettering around chancel arch, piscina arch and on south side of chancel.
Chancel roof brightly coloured with blue panels and gold leaf stars and gold and red
highlighting to ribs, bosses and braces. East window flanked by painted Commandment
boards with illuminated lettering. South side of chancel has mid C19 carved
Beerstone monument in C16 Gothic-style in memory of the Reverend John Dole (died
1797) and his family. North side of nave has a simple early C18 rectangular marble
plaque with moulded plaster bolection frame in memory of Rev. John Croker (died
1719) and includes a sonnet elligy. Also Gothic-style wall brass in memory of the
Rev Anthony Bell (died 1904) on north side, and an Art Nouveau brass in memory of
H.R.Beer of Okareka, Rotorua, New Zealand (died 1911) and features bas relief angels
gazing at a sunset over the sea. Stained glass by Bear of Bristol and Warrington.

Listing NGR: SS8275608598

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530843

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

• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living