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

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535954

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.

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