St Wilfred's church, South Muskham :: Shared Description

Grade I listed.

The church consists of a nave with aisles, chancel, west tower and south porch.
The arcades of the nave, though not precisely alike, appear to be about the same date (14th century). The north aisle, barely 4ft wide, is now double the one originally added on that side.
The aisle is far too narrow for windows in the ends. The north side has two windows; one is square headed and one pointed. The have had all their moulding cut out close inside the hood at the same period, but are certainly of the 14th century.
The north door, a plain 13th century one, semi circular headed, has no doubt been moved outwards from the north wall of the nave when the aisle was added. The straight joint at the junction with the nave at the east end of the aisle shows that the corner of the nave was left standing when the aisle was added.

The south aisle, once no doubt narrow like the north aisle, has been widened at the beginning of the 16th century. It has a square headed west window, somewhat peculiar in character, a plain four centred door, two south windows, four centred, and a square headed east window. One of the south windows has an odd cutting in the sill of which the purpose is unknown.
The masonry in the aisle is good with bold moulding outside and the two south windows are excellent of their style. One of the windows retains a little of the original glass. The old roof of the nave was flat and the tie beams are ornamented with carvings, two of which may be seen inside the tower, one of which is a grotesque head, the other has a badge of the guild of wool-staplers.
The exterior roof is modern with slates, the main chancel roof being completely re-slated in 2004; no doubt the original was of about the same pitch as the modern one. It is not known if there was ever a clerestory.

The chancel arch is wide; it probably replaces an early narrow one, being itself 14th century works. The last remains of an old screen were removed about 1860.
The chancel contains early herringbone masonry in the lower walls. It was reconstructed in the 13th century and lengthened from the point where there is a short interval shaft and the place of the wall changes. No one knows why this was done as it is a full century before the usual date of church enlargements.
Some of the poppy heads are 15th century remains of the old box pews and have been crafted onto the ends of the newer pews.

The south porch was rebuilt in 1873 at a cost of £80.

The tower is of three dates. The lower stage is of the 13th century with a small and rude arch in the nave and the very narrow lancet windows of which the one on the south has had its outer face renewed and embellished with a trefoiled head in the 14th century window. The second stage is of the 14th century and has good two-light windows which served as belfry windows, this stage making a complete low tower. At the north-west angle the early buttress remains on the lowest stage with a 14th century continuation upwards. At the south-west angle the whole buttress is of a later date. In the 15th century the tower was un-roofed and a lofty belfry added.
In each face the two windows are enclosed under and ogee canopy that on the west contains a small statue of a bishop vested and mitred, his right hand raised in an act of blessing and his left hand supporting a crosier.
The parapet has bold gargoyles and grotesque figures at the corners. The pinnacles have lost their tops.


(From church Guide Book)
by Julian P Guffogg
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27 images use this description. Preview sample shown below:

SK7957 : Recently used piscina, St Wilfred's church by J.Hannan-Briggs
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Stained glass window, St Wilfred's church, South Muskham by Julian P Guffogg
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Nave and north aisle, St Wilfred's church by J.Hannan-Briggs
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Organ, St Wilfred's church, South Muskham by J.Hannan-Briggs
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Interior, St Wilfred's church, South Muskham by Julian P Guffogg
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : St Wilfred's church, South Muskham by J.Hannan-Briggs
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Gargoyle, St Wilfred's church by J.Hannan-Briggs
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : Stained glass window, St Wilfred's church, South Muskham by Julian P Guffogg
SK7957 : Crab poppyhead, St Wilfred's church by J.Hannan-Briggs
SK7957 : Church of St Wilfrid, South Muskham by Alan Murray-Rust
SK7957 : St Wilfred's church, South Muskham by Julian P Guffogg

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Created: Sun, 17 Feb 2013, Updated: Sun, 17 Feb 2013

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