Description

NY 6132,
155-0/ 0/10000

CULGAITH,
SKIRWITH,
Church of St John

II*

Parish Church. 1856, by Frederick John and Horace Francis, for the Reverend
Christopher Parker; repairs to east end in progress at time of inspection (May
1992). Coursed squared red sandstone, graduated green slate roofs with red
ridge tiles. Decorated style. Small 4-bay nave with south-west tower, 3-bay
south aisle and 2-bay chancel with 1-bay north vestry. The 3 stage tower
embraced by the nave and aisle and projecting to the west, has a chamfered
plinth, diagonal buttresses dying at the 3rd stage, with 3 offsets, an
embattled parapet with corner gargoyles and a short octagonal spire; a moulded
2-centred arched west doorway with set-in shafts, hoodmould with figured
stops, and board door with elaborate foliated strap hinges; a lancet to the
2nd stage; 2-light louvred belfry windows with reticulated tracery, moulded
surrounds and hoodmoulds with figured stops; and two tiers of lucarnes to the
spire. The nave, with 2 buttresses, has 3, 2-light windows and a 1-light
window at the west end, and a large 3-light west window, all these windows 2-
centred arched and moulded in 2 orders, with differing forms of reticulated
tracery and hoodmoulds with differing figured stops. The south aisle, of full
height with its own pitched roof, has a diagonal buttress, and 3 windows like
those of the nave and likewise differing in detail. The chancel, also with
diagonal buttresses, has 2-centred arched priest door and 2 windows on the
south side, a gabled window and one window on the north side, all windows of
2 cinquefoil lights with tracery above, and a 3-light east window with
multi-foil tracery. All the roofs have gable copings with kneelers
and apex crosses.

INTERIOR: 3 bay aisle arcade of short octagonal columns and
responds with moulded caps, moulded 2 centred arches with hoodmoulds springing
from carved moulded foliated stops (all differing); chancel arch in similar
style; plastered walls; windows with moulded stone reveals and hoodmoulds with
differing figured stops, and stained glass by Wailes of Newcastle; arched-
braced hammer-beam roofs to nave and aisle, wagon-roof to chancel; nave has
elaborate carved wooden pulpit on stone and marble base, carved octagonal font
with elaborate steeply swept wooden cover, and pews with trefoil tracery
panels, chancel has choir stalls with poppy-head finials, and carved wooden
altar and reredos flanked by outer reredos under paired crocketed canopies.
Imported fittings: 2-bay parclose screen forming Lady Chapel in south aisle;
medieval reredos in this chapel; large and elaborately naturalistic metal
chandelier in nave. HISTORY: Messrs. Francis were successful church and
commercial architects of London and Home Counties in mid and late C19.
Interior design and fittings reflect ecclesiological and liturgical enthusiasm
of donor.

Listing NGR: NY6176532565

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17543695

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)