Description

WEST RAINTON SOUTH STREET NZ 34 NW (South side) 3/45 Church of St. Mary 10/5/67 and 2 arches attached to north GV II*

Parish church and 2 arches attached. 1864 by E.R. Robson; tower added 1877 as gift of Sir George Elliot (tablet inside). Arches C17. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings; Lakeland slate roof; stone spire. 4-bay aisled nave with north-west tower and south porch; 2-bay chancel with north vestry and south aisle. Double cast-iron gates in 2-centred-arched surround in porch with saddle-back roof. Paired ogee-headed lights in aisles, and paired tall trefoil-headed clerestory lights under dripstring; single quatrefoil in chancel south aisle. Set-back chancel has corbel table over large 2- centred-arched south window with Decorated tracery, and larger east window in similar style; plate tracery in 2-light east window of south aisle. Similar tracery in large west window under head-stopped dripmould. Buttresses, those on south-west of clerestory and at corresponding point on south aisle with cusped gablets; bands of arcaded moulding on tall pinnacle on aisle buttress. Steeply-pitched roof, with stone cross finials, one damaged. Tower of 3 high stages has north door in surround of 3 orders, with shafts supporting zig-zag 2-centred-arches under high gabled panel; paired slender lancets with dripmoulds in second stage; paired recessed louvred belfry openings, with shafts and dripmoulds, under Lombardic frieze. Continuous bands round angle buttresses at each stage; broach spire with 4 large lucarnes.

Interior: painted plaster with ashlar dressings; arch-braced king-post nave roof with scissor-braced common rafters. Panelled chancel roof. Arcades have 2-centred arches with shallow chevron moulding, on round piers with water- leaf capitals; east responds paired shafts; narrower arch at north-west, with full-height shafts to tower; corbelled shafts define other bays of clerestory and support roof trusses. High chancel arch in similar style to arcades, with shallow trefoil decoration and inner roll-moulded arch on Frosterley 'marble' shafts. Roll-moulded clerestory sill string continues as ring round shafts. Chancel has plain arches to north chapel, vestry and south organ; north piscina. Tudor flower decoration to chancel panelling; 1905 mosaic reredos; high-quality flat-topped wood communion rail. Medieval-style tiles on chancel floor. C19 glass in chancel. South aisle windows of high quality commemorate members of Boyd family killed in First World War; C19 west windows to Rev. Joseph Tiffin died 1858. Dark red granite panel in tower commemorates gift of Sir. G. Elliot. Bart., M.P., to mark baptism of his 6 children in the church; describes tablet as part of Pyramid of Ghizeh, obtained 1876 by permission of Ismail Pasha, and erected 1891.

Arches attached: said to have come from Blackfriars, Newcastle, but of wrong period. Resited from grounds of demolished Rainton Hall (C17 home of Sir John Duck). Paired round-headed arches of C17 character have eroded stop chamfers and capitals with coarsely-fluted necking.

Listing NGR: NZ3229646884

External Links

• Wikidata Q17535954

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