Description

TL 4032 ANSTEY ANSTEY
(North side)

7/3 Church of St. George
22.2.67 (C of E)

GV I

Parish church. Late C12 central tower chancel and transepts rebuilt in
late C13, C14 nave and aisles with 4-bay arcades, C15 top stage to
tower, late C15 S porch. Roofs lowered in 1831 and brickwork repairs to
parapets but no structural alterations. Carefully restored 1871-2 by
William Butterfield (1814-1900) who removed W gallery, rebuilt S end of
S transept and refitted the church. Repairs by Sir Arthur Blomfield
1907. Flint rubble with stone dressings. Metal roofs of low pitch behind
parapets. A fine cruciform church with chancel, 4-bays clerestoreyed
nave, N and S aisles, transepts, south porch and central tower with
battlements and spike. Unusual semi-circular lower stages to C13
diagonal buttresses to chancel and transepts and large semi-circular
stair projection at SW corner of S transept formerly serving an upper
floor here. Corbels and blocked door for former lean-to C14 vestry in NE
angle. Chancel has a display of late C13 details with 3 windows on each
side of 2-lights with pointed trefoil heads and quatrefoil over. Cills
higher on N. At E 2 black lancets flank C19 window, N doorway with
unusual label stops, piscina and sedilia in lower part of window and
adjoining niche. Moulded string course links the windows and they have
jamb shafts and labels. 2 ranges of early C14 wooden stalls with carved
misericords. Central tower of 3 stages with embattled parapet and Herts
spike. 4 wide C12 round arches form the lowest stage, plain on N and S
but W side of E and W arches have ringed roll mouldings (dated by
Pevsner c.1200) and jamb shafts with primitive volute capitals C15
moulded timber ceiling. The 2nd stage has small pointed doorways on N
and S to former chambers over transepts. 2-light C15 traceried bell
openings. Marks of steeper old roofs around tower. N transept 3-light
C15 N window over remains of an original door. Late C13 3-light W window
with altered rear arch. C15 moulded arch into N aisle. Indent for a
brass of a large-cross and margin inscription. Screen incorporating
remains of C15 screen. Small piscina at SE. S transept has restored
triple lancet windows on E and S, a 1872 double lancet above the S
window, and a single C13 lancet on W with deep splays. C15 arched
opening to S aisle and at SW a circular turret lighted by a cross-loop.
In S wall a fine canopied tomb recess c.1300 with pinnacles, black
trefoil tracery, a wimpled head and the recumbent effigy in a long robe.
Transept largely occupied by organ but also large iron bound medieval
chest. Nave of 4 bays with quatrefoil piers, moulded capitals and
moulded 2-centred arches. Quatrefoil C15 clerestorey windows with rere
arches, 3 to each side. W window C14 with C15 tracery and wide C14 door
with moulded head and jambs. Vigorous C12 font with rounded square bowl
ornamented with large carved figures around each corner apparently of
mermen holding their bifurcated tails to each side. N aisle has C15
moulded timber roof, 2 2-light Perp N windows, one at W and blocked N
door. Mural monument to Ralph Jermin d.1644. S aisle has 2 Perp windows
to S and one at W. C15 S doorway together with S Porch with 2-light
windows to E and W and walls with blind cusped panelling. 4-centred
entrance, moulded with shafts. (RCHM (1911)33-5: VCH(1914)15-16: Kelly
(1914)23: Pevsner (1977)70-72).

Listing NGR: TL4042832890

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17528913

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

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)