Church Heritage Record 620109

West tower with spire, porch in base, 3-bay aisleless nave, 2-bay chancel with north vestry.

[Approximate] Nave 10m (33ft) x 6m (20ft), chancel 6m (20ft) x 5m (16ft)

An estate church built in 1883 (date stone in east wall) designed by J Oldrid Scott, the second son of Sir Gilbert Scott. The building incorporates some medieval fabric from a previous church on the site, of which the 14th century tower remains, though altered. The nave replaced an 18th century rebuild. Lead downpipes to the tower are likely to pre-date the reconstruction.

Thorpe Hall was remodelled in the 19th century with north and south wings built in 1800 and 1812 designed by Thomas Gardner of Derby. The estate has been in the ownership of the Inge family since the 17th century. The line continued with the Lillingstone family in 1953. The hall is surrounded by landscaped grounds established in the early 19th century.

Archaeological records record a deserted pre-Norman settlement on the estate. Two villagers and six smallholders were recorded in 1086. A medieval village, located somewhere between the hall and the house, is thought to have disappeared post-1541-42, probably on the emparkment of the estate. The archaeological potential of the site is considerable. There are no known designations relating to the ecology of the plot, though it contains mature trees and is within the grounds of the listed hall.

The church is picturesquely situated within the estate, approached through a tree-lined avenue from the south, and glimpsed through trees, with the spire rising above. The main path from the west approaches the tower through shaped yew trees. Steps up from the driveway, beneath an iron overthrow, display a bronze plaque commemorating W F Inge. In 1990 Findlay wrote that the design of the church ‘respects the tenets of the Ecclesiological society (which shows how old-fashioned it is for its date) and the result is a well proportioned structure of post-Puginian Gothic neatness.’ A tiled French drain continues around the base. SPAB-style tile repairs to the stonework are evident in the south-west corner.

A fairly plain three-stage square west tower with a moulded door in the base with two attached columns with foliate capitals and oak doors with scrolling ironwork. Angle buttresses only to the first stage with ogee-headed lancets to north and south sides in the second stage, and Y-traceried louvred openings to each side above, before a plain parapet. Beyond it extends a tall stone spire with Y-tracery lucarnes – two-lights to base and single lights higher up.  The spire terminates with a gilded cockerel weather-vane.

The north and south aisle walls are pierced by three sets of cusped Y-tracery, two-light pointed windows with hood-moulds. A continuous sill runs beneath the windows whilst a plinth rises around the base of the church between each bay. A decorative cast-iron gutter continues around the church at eaves level with polygonal cast-iron rainwater heads with embossed rose detail at intervals. Cast-iron downpipes survive, though not in their entirety. Chunky buttress to east end of south aisle. On the north side, a vestry projects at the end of the east aisle. A square-headed door on the west elevation displays Arts and Crafts style iron brackets. A two-light transomed window in the north elevation has a domestic appearance. An octagonal chimney projects on the east side.

The chancel roof is lower than the nave. Two windows similar to those in the aisle, in the south wall, and one set in the north. The gabled east elevation, which has a stone cross finial to its apex, has squat angle buttresses. The east wall is pierced by a three-light east window with cusped intersecting tracery and a hoodmould.

The interior is entered through the west door in the base of the tower. An iron ‘cage’ surrounds the entry point. Two steps rise up into the base and another two rise into the nave. The tall plain pointed tower arch is filled by temporary partition boards. Above it on the west side is a Royal Arms on canvas, whilst on the nave side a stencilled banner with text stretches over it. The tower arch stones are left exposed. A trace of wall painting survives to the south side of the doorway on the nave side.

The walls of the small nave are plastered with exposed stone window arches. The floor is paved with large alternating stone and red square tiles set on the diagonal with iron ventilation grates along the full length of the nave, partly covered by carpet. Either side of the aisle are level woodblock pew platforms with simple fixed oak pews with scroll arms, c.1883. They have a small rose carving to each end. Pew frontals with larger roses to the pew ends. In the south-west (where font is located) and north-west corners the tiles are set on the square. Overhead the roof is formed of an open timber structure of collar and tie-beams with king-posts and cusped struts resting on stone corbels between each bay.

The nave windows contain clear glazing with red glazed borders, timber struts remain from recently removed secondary glazing. The set of windows at the east end of the north and south nave walls have cusped rere-arches (repeated around the east window). Two suspended brass chandeliers provide light in the nave. A wall-mounted light illuminates the pulpit in the north-east corner.

A pointed chancel arch of two orders, the inner carried on small moulded corbels; over it on the north side is a stencilled banner containing text. Pointed painted panels to either side display the Ten Commandments.  The chancel is raised by a step. The floor is paved in red and stone square tiles. A single row of oak choir stalls is to the south side only. A two-bay arcade along both north and south chancel walls. To the north side the organ is recessed behind the first arch and the vestry is entered through an ogee-arched doorway to one side of it. The other arcades are shallow, with only the windows placed within them. A wooden barrel vault with carved foliate bosses ceils the space.

The Sanctuary is raised by a single step, and is paved in decorative encaustic tiles. A curtain hangs behind the altar. A credence shelf is situated within the wall to the south.