• Home
• News
• About
• Searching and Browsing
  • Find a Location
  • Find a Feature
  • Browse
  • Progress Status
• Resources
• Contact Us

I Location

II General Description

A large church with a two-aisled nave, chancel, transepts and crossing tower. The S doorway and parts of the crossing are 12thc. as are two small, plain, splayed, clerestory window openings, one above each transept arch.

The present church dates from the 12thc. when it probably consisted of a chancel, nave, S transept and a low central tower. The N. transept was added in the early 13thc. In the 14thc. the church was rebuilt with the addition of aisles. In the 17thc. the low tower was raised to form a belfry. Of the 12thc. church, the tower crossing remains, with the 13thc. arch to the N transept and the N doorway re-used in the 14thc. S aisle.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) S doorway, nave

Round-headed, of two orders, reset. Of local red sandstone.

Dimensions

First order

Plain square arch and jambs, no capitals, chamfered imposts.

Second order

Cement render blocks replace the original plinths and bases, the nook-shafts are also replacements.

L capital: cushion, with plain necking

R capital: too damaged to read.

The chamfered imposts, of oolitic limestone, are replacements.

The arch is carved with two rows of centrifugal chevron carved lateral to the face, with cogwheel edge. The chevron profile is roll, hollow, separated by a v-shaped groove. Voussoirs 2, 3 and 5-16 have a single chevron. Voussoirs 1, 4, 17 and 18 are carved with two chevrons.

The label is chamfered with a row of pellets along the chamfer, approximately 0.10 m apart.

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

b. Tower/Transept arches

(i) Crossing arches

Round-headed, of two orders, apart from the N arch which is pointed. The E and W crossing arches are of considerable height for the scale of the church, even in its enlarged state (see VIII) and much larger than the N and S arches, which are quite different in design.

E crossing arch

Round-headed, of two orders.

First order

No bases, plain square responds. deep, square imposts, and arch of plain square section.

Second order, E face

As first order, impost continuing to chancel walls.

Second order, W face

Eight-course nook-shafts with plinths and round bases (N base has vestiges of spur and torus).

N capital: uncarved, square block

S capital: carved but very worn and not readable.

Imposts as E face

The arch has angle-roll followed by a groove then a hollow.

W crossing arch

Round-headed, of two orders.

Dimensions

First order

As E arch

Second order, E face

As second order E arch, E face.

Second order,W face

Nook-shafts, bases hidden. The capitals are crudely carved with human figures.

N capital: a cross between two figures above cable-moulded necking. Part of the S face is missing.

S capital: an exhibitionist on the angle, its arm held by a human figure on the W face. Another figure is visible on the N face.

Plain necking.

N crossing arch

Pointed arch, of two orders.

Dimensions

First order

Water-holding bases on stepped, chamfered, square plinths supporting semi-circular responds.

E capital: trumpet scalloped above necking.

W capital: as E capital.

Hollow chamfered imposts and plain, square arch, chamfered at the angles.

Second order:

Plain, square jambs and arch, with impost continuous from first order.

S crossing arch

Round-headed, of two orders to the S and one order to the N.

Dimensions

First order

Vestigal attic bases on a plain stepped, splayed plinth, supporting semi-circular responds.

E capital: multi-scalloped with sheathed cones.

W capital: multi-scalloped

The impost is plain above a cavetto and the arch is plain and square.

Second order, S only

Plain, square order.

VII History

The five-hide village of Wolston was in 1086 among the estates of Roger, Earl of Shrewsbury, of whom it was held by Rainald de Balleul. He must have enfeoffed Hubert Baldran, who, between 1086 and 1094, with the consent of his wife, Alice, granted the church and two hides of land here to the Norman abbey of St. Pierre-sur-Dives. It was appropriated to the abbey and in 1220 a vicarage was ordained.

VIII Comments / Opinions

The masonry into which the S doorway is built is of a yellow lias limestone and the replacement imposts are of oolitic limestone. One of the tenets of good practice in conservation of historic buildings is that limestone should not be placed above sandstone in an external situation. The effects of water run-off onto the sandstone mouldings beneath can be clearly seen in this instance - disintegration is accelerated.

A local historian (Mr Richard Norton), maintains that the E and W crossing arches were re-built in 1760 when the tower was built. His view is acknowledged by Pevsner, although Pevsner considers them to be "entirely Norman". VCH states that the upper parts of the tower are 17thc., and that the N transept arch is early 13thc. However, only the imposts, which are heavy, plain and square appear to be replacements.

IX Bibliography