Description

SUTTON CHENEY
SK30 SW MAIN STREET (West Side)

5/113 Church of St. James
7.il,66

GV II*

Church. Principally of the early C13 but with Perpendicular features. Some
Victorian restoration work which made little impact on the essential character
of the Church. Limestone with some ashlar work and plain tiled roofs. West
tower nave with south aisle and chancel. Tower with angle buttresses and
plinth, of two stages raised in brick and terminating above a moulded cornice
in a short conical roof. In its west wall a 2-light window in hollow
chamfered embrasure, and square headed foiled light above with louvres to bell
chamber, and in the top stage paired plain louvred lights in brick. West end
of nave largely of cobbled construction, but the rest is coursed and squared
limestone. Plinth, angle buttresses and oversailing course to aisle. Tall
simply double chamfered south door. Late Decorated tracery pattern to aisle
windows with hood moulds. Chancel distinguished by addition of a continuous
sill band but otherwise a similar construction. Hood moulds to windows and
Priest's door have figure head stops: Priest Door has slim shafts to arch.
3-light east window. North wall of chancel and nave similarly but separately
constructed, separated by a straight joint. Inside, the south nave arcade is
of four bays: cylindrical columns with ring moulded abaci support double
chamfered arches: the outer chamfer is stopped by small foliate labels. West
tower arch with semi octagonal responds and double chamfers has been fit led
in, with two doors at upper and lower levels. Simple shallow vaulted plaster
ceiling. Semi octagonal responds to high and wide chancel arch, partially
renewed, but the foliage carved in the C13. South West Chancel windows have
blind recesses beneath them as if for low side windows, but no exterior trace
of this is visible. Beneath the south east window is a sedilia, with simply
chamfered arches and a foiled piscina. Two aumbries, one with ogival arch set
beneath a north east window. East windows contained in a shafted recess.
Priest's door with figurehead label. Carved lozenge frieze around its arch.
Fittings: stained glass in the east window, by Charles Evans of London, 1905,
St. Mary and James with the Good Shepherd. Box pews and dado panelling to
nave, altar rails in chancel, all of the C18. Tombs: in the chancel north
wall Sir William Roberts d1633. The armour-clad effigy lies on a tomb chest
decorated with swags and trophys etc, and the inscription. On the wall above
are his two wives facing each other kneeling at a prie dieu in a small
aedicule. On the south wall Richard May d1635, the figure kneeling at a prie
dieu in an aedicule. Above the Priests door is an earlier slab with incised
lettering and coats of arms commemorating Margaret Neale, d1563 (?). Plain
round basin to font. Commandments Board in south aisle.

Listing NGR: SK4164500471

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17540731

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

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas