Description

TL 81 SW WICKHAM BISHOPS CHURCH ROAD

1/84 Church of St. Bartholomew

30.11.59

- II

Parish church. Circa 1850. Ewan Christian for Sarah Ann Leigh foundress at a cost of £4000. Kentish rag, Caen stone dressings. Black tiled roofs with finials to gables. Chancel, Nave, South Aisle, North Chapel, South porch and West Tower. Mid C20 north vestry. East walls of Chancel and South Aisle with
angle buttresses. Chancel. 3 lancet lights trefoiled, with continuous label
and foliate stops, aisle with east single similar lancet. Rainwater head
moulded 1849-B. The north vestry has a flat roof, panelled stone coping and a
vertically boarded door to east wall. North walls. The gabled north chapel has
an ornate cross finial to apex. Buttress to left. The north vestry is to right
and a flat roofed chapel addition to left. Buttress to left of nave wall.
Window range from left to right, 2:1:1:1 of 2 or 3 light lancets similar to
those in north walls, excepting that to north chapel which is over a vertically
boarded door with Caernarvon head to doorway. This window of 2 lancet lights
with trefoil in roundel tracery, segmental pointed label with stops. West tower
of 3 stages with buttresses to first stage. Moulded plinth. Bands to stages.
Nail head eaves cornice. First stage, north wall, 2 light window with trefoil
over, west doorway, chamfered 2 centred arch with label and stops, vertically
boarded door with ornate iron hinges. Second stage, clock face to south, west
window similar to first stage north. Third stage, each face with 2 lancet
lights with sounding louvres, continuous label over. The very tall shingle
tiled spire has timber gabled dormers with lancets and trefoiled bargeboards to
each face and is surmounted by a weathercock. South wall with angle buttresses
and a buttress to left of the porch. 3 window range of 2 light lancets similar
to other windows. The long open porch with moulded king post roof on timber
supports with low brick wall between is enclosed near the south door and has
glazed and panelled double doors. South doorway with moulded 2 centred arch,
label and foliate stops. Vertically boarded door with ornate iron straps and
hinges. Interior. Chancel. Side purlin roof with arched braces forming 2
centred arches on wall posts. Wall plates. All timbers moulded. East stained
glass window of 3 lancets with moulded capitals and bases to side shafts and
moulding over. Moulded and foliate stopped dado band. Carved Bishop's chair.
Carved and moulded choir stalls. South wall recessed "Easter Sepulchre" tomb,
Sarah Ann Leigh - foundress 1850, marble slab, moulded capitals and bases to
side shafts, trefoiled and enriched segmental pointed arch over. Segmental
arch to north vestry doorway. Moulded bases, carved foliate capitals to wooden
altar rails. Coloured tiled floor. Large circular painting of Madonna and
Child in heavily carved gilt frame to south wall. The 2 centred chancel arch
springs from 3 shafted wall posts each with ornate capitals, bases and pendants.
Nave. 7 cant roof with scissor bracing, moulded wall plates. South aisle of 4
bays with 2 centred arches, moulded capitals and bases to columns. 2 bay north
aisle leading to north chapel of similar arches. All pew ends and fronts
carved, mainly with 2 centred arches with shafts, spandrels and pendants,
quatrefoils over. Red and black tiled floor. Large square stone base to pulpit
chamfered into an octagon, carved lower chamfer stops, carved cornice, 6-pointed
stars to south and west faces. Wrought iron balusters and wooden handrail to
stone steps. Twisted stem and 3 support legs to brass lectern. Carved wooden
poor box on octagonal stem with wrought iron bands and hinges and angel finial.
North Chapel. Ceiled 5 cant lean-to roofs. Blocked segmental pointed east
window. Pillar piscina on circular stem with moulded base. C15 plain octagonal
font, octagonal stem with band, chamfered base. From old church. C19 carved
and crocketed octagonal spire font cover. C15 wooden chest with iron bands from
old church. South aisle. Side purlin roof with moulded 2 centred arch bracing
on stone corbels. Octagonal stone font, foliate soffit, each face caved with
inscriptions and scenes from the Life of Christ, on octagonal stem and base.
Organ to east bay. The segmental pointed tower arch is glazed with 4 mullions.
The lower panelling and vertically boarded central door has side panels of 3
trefoiled arches on shafts above which are carved fleuron panels. Carillion to
clock. The church is of high quality craftsmanship and materials throughout and
its tall spire and elevated position make it a landmark for many miles.

Listing NGR: TL8372312060

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26404698

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)