Description

TOWN OF DONCASTER THORNE ROAD
SE 5703 SE (west side)

7/105 Christ Church
12.6.50

GV II*

Church. 1827-9 by William Hurst, chancel enlarged by Scott in the 1850's
and with minor later alterations. Commissioners Gothick in style. Limestone
ashlar with slate roof and copper spire. Four stage south tower with flanking
single stage, entrance bays, 6 bay aisled nave and narrower canted 2 bay,
northern chancel with western vestry. Continuous deep stepped plinth with
moulded coping. Lower 2 stages of tower are square in plan and the upper
2, octagonal. Lower stages have clasping octagonal buttresses rising above
the parapets as tall pinnacles with crocketed finials. South elevation has
tall pointed moulded doorcase with double leaf doors decorated with blind
Gothick tracery. Slightly recessed flanking bays have pointed 2-light cusped
Y-tracery windows to south and similar doors in deeply chamfered pointed
doorcases to returns, also diagonal stepped corner buttresses rising to pinnacles
with crocketed finials. Each bay with embattled parapet over eaves stringcourse
and hipped roof. Second stage of tower has pointed 3-light cusped intersecting
traceried window to south and pointed niche on moulded corbels with colonnettes
to jambs and ogee hoodmould with foliage finial, to east. Eaves stringcourse
and embattled parapets above. Octagonal stages above are recessed. Stepped
and gabletted buttresses with crocketed tops to each corner of third stage.
Base of this stage has flying buttresses from each of the corner pinnacles
and clock faces to alternating faces. Above it slopes in and has pointed
2-light bell openings with cusped Y-tracery and friezes of pierced quatrefoils
at transom level to each side. Eaves stringcourse and embattled parapets
above. Top stage recessed again and with narrow trefoil headed lancets to
each side below crocketed gablets. Copper spire to top with finial. Nave
aisles have set back stepped buttresses with diamont set pinnacles topped
by foliage finials to corners and similar buttresses between bays. Six 3-light
pointed cusped intersecting traceried windows with friezes of piereced quatre-
foils at transom level in deeply chamfered surrounds. Coved stringcourse
and embattled parapets. Low blind clerestory and hipped roof to nave mostly
hidden by aisles. Both aisles similar. Tower and aisle openings all with
returned hoodmoulds except fourth stage of tower. Chancel has small projecting
vestry to west with triple lancet window, 4-centred arched door, and embattled
parapets over stringcourse with fleurons. Blind traceried lancet above
Canted sides have pointed 3-light geometric traceried windows with foliage
stops to hoodmoulds. Similar 5-light north window flanked by stepped diagonal
buttresses with crocketed pinnacles. Plain coped gable over north window,
embattled parapets to sides. East elevation of chancel similar to west but
with 4-centred arched door to north and glazing to traceried lancet to south.
Interior has open well stone staircase with wreathed handrail and panelled
balustrade in eastern entrance bay, ribbed quadripartite vault in octagonal
hall to base of tower and vestry in western bay. Main body of church has
arcade of keeled and colonnetted clustered cast-iron piers supporting similarly
moulded pointed arches, colonnettes with foliage capitals. Pierced quatrefoils
over each arch and keeled wall shafts on foliage corbels over each pier.
Galleries to 3 sides, supported to aisles by braces with pierced mouchettes,
hung between the main piers and large foliage corbels attached to the aisle
walls. Souther gallery supported on similar braces with short clustered piers
to front. Gallery has banded colonnettes with panels of elaborate blind Gothick
tracery and dogtooth moulding between. Blind traceried Gothick pointed doors
from the gallery to the staircase. Aisle roofs with ribbed quadripartite
vaulting with bosses and nave roof with painted grid beamed ceiling also with
bosses. Chancel roof has mid C19 scissor truss roof. Chancel arch is similar
to. nave arches but wider, to either side there are Caernarvon arched doors
from the aisles to the chancel. Chancel has 2 bay arcades of moulded pointed
arches on octagonal piers and responds with foliage capitals. Fine limed
oak pulpit in Gothick style to nave, original pews with Gothick traceried
bench ends to gallery, otherwise all fittings C20. To either side of chancel
arch at aisle and gallery level there are 4 good early C19 marble wall monuments,
other wall monuments late C19 or early C20. Stained glass to chancel mostly
mid to late C19.

Listing NGR: SE5797703309

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Christ Church at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17537798

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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