Description

CHILWORTH A27
SU 41 NW
8/2
Church of St Denys

II
Parish church. 1812, completed by 1820, on site and having bells of older
church dating back possibly to C12. Brick, stuccoed on stone plinth, slate roof.
Plan of short chancel with little transepts, and later N vestry, to aisleless
nave with squat W tower incorporating porch. Chancel has E 5-light slender
Perp. window. Tall diagonal buttresses at corners and to ends of transepts,
having panelled sides and top raised to form 4 gables. Coupled pointed lancets
to transepts. 4 bay nave with pointed lancets and short stepped buttresses at
W end. Walls have deep weathering mouldings at eaves and cill level, plain
stone plinth. Tower has crenellated parapet, narrow openings to bell stage,
string courses, short buttresses on corners. W face has plain doorway with 4-
centred chamfered arch, above band with arcaded panels and cusping, pointed
coupled lancet window on bell-stage, with hoodmould. Parapet taller in centre.
Inside chief feature is the plaster lierne vaulting. In chancel it rests on
slender attached octagonal shafts, with closely spaced ribs, rising to foliated
boss. Either side of E window are original text boards. Delicate wrought
iron communion rail. Vaulting in nave has shafts shortened on carved corbels.
Again closely spaced ribs and foliated bosses, with traceried panels at E and
W carried over with vaulting. Originally there was a W gallery and 2-decker
pulpit. Open contemporary pews with Gothic panels on ends. Family pews used
to be in transepts, with fireplaces. C12 font of square-panelled bowl, cut
down. Monuments on walls of 1819, 1825, 1826 and one 1883 to sculptor R C
Lucas, carved by himself 1840. 2 bells from old church, possibly C12, small,
uninscribed with domed crowns, straight sides and sound bow of angular section
on inner face. Very rare if genuine.

Listing NGR: SP3187223056

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26451231

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)