St Peter's Church, Normanby by Spital
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church, Normanby by Spital, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Normanby by Spital
, Lincolnshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands close to the former Roman road, Ermine Street
, now the A15 road.
in 1890, the restoration including rebuilding the south aisle
. According to GENUKI
it has a dual dedication
to Saint Peter
and Saint Paul.
rubble
, with some ironstone
banding, and ashlar
dressings. Its plan consists of a nave
with a clerestory
and north and south aisles, a chancel
, and a west tower. The tower dates from the 12th century and is in three stages. Its parapet
is embattled
, and has pinnacle
s and gargoyle
s at the corners. Pieces of stone decorated with chevrons have been incorporated in the fabric of the tower. In the top stage are paired bell openings on the north, west and south sides. In the middle stage is a round-headed window on the south side, and a lancet window
on the west. A large vertical stone, possibly a former cross shaft, has been used as a quoin
in the northwest corner of the nave. In the west wall of the north aisle is a small 12th-century round-headed window. Its north wall contains a blocked doorway and two 13th-century lancet windows; there is another lancet window in the east wall. In the north wall of the chancel is a blocked doorway which formerly led to a north chapel. The east wall contains a 19th-century two-light window, and outside the east wall are the foundations of a former apse
. In the south wall of the chancel is a 14th-century two-light window with a cinquefoil above it. The south aisle has two-light windows with ogee
heads in its east and south walls. The south doorway has a pointed arch. In both the north and south sides of the clerestory are two windows with paired lights.
is Norman
in style, dating from about 1200. It has two bays
with round arches carried on circular piers
. The south arcade has pointed arches, also carried on circular piers. The tower arch is Norman, also dating from about 1200, with a semicircular head. In the east wall of the nave, to the south of the chancel arch, is a blocked squint
. At the east end of the north aisle is an altar table dating from the 17th century. The font
is from the late 12th century and stands on a 19th-century base. On the west wall of the nave is a painted benefactors board dated 1767. All the other fittings and furniture are from the 19th century. These include a cast iron
tortoise stove, originally from Halstead
, Essex
. The ring
consists of three bells, but they are no longer ringable. The oldest was cast in about 1500 in a Nottingham
foundry, the second was cast by Henry I Oldfield in 1571, and the third in 1747 by Daniel Hedderly.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Normanby by Spital
Normanby by Spital
Normanby by Spital is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 318. It is north of Lincoln just off the A15....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands close to the former Roman road, Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
, now the A15 road.
History
St Peter's dates from the 12th century, with additions and alterations in each of the following three centuries. It was restoredVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1890, the restoration including rebuilding the south aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
. According to GENUKI
GENUKI
GENUKI is a genealogy web portal, run as a charitable trust. Its aim is "to serve as a "virtual reference library" of genealogical information that is of particular relevance to the UK & Ireland"...
it has a dual dedication
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...
to Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
and Saint Paul.
Exterior
The church is constructed in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
, with some ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
banding, and ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
dressings. Its plan consists of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
and north and south aisles, a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, and a west tower. The tower dates from the 12th century and is in three stages. Its parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
is embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
, and has pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s and gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s at the corners. Pieces of stone decorated with chevrons have been incorporated in the fabric of the tower. In the top stage are paired bell openings on the north, west and south sides. In the middle stage is a round-headed window on the south side, and a lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
on the west. A large vertical stone, possibly a former cross shaft, has been used as a quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
in the northwest corner of the nave. In the west wall of the north aisle is a small 12th-century round-headed window. Its north wall contains a blocked doorway and two 13th-century lancet windows; there is another lancet window in the east wall. In the north wall of the chancel is a blocked doorway which formerly led to a north chapel. The east wall contains a 19th-century two-light window, and outside the east wall are the foundations of a former apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. In the south wall of the chancel is a 14th-century two-light window with a cinquefoil above it. The south aisle has two-light windows with ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
heads in its east and south walls. The south doorway has a pointed arch. In both the north and south sides of the clerestory are two windows with paired lights.
Interior
The north arcadeArcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
is Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
in style, dating from about 1200. It has two bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
with round arches carried on circular piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
. The south arcade has pointed arches, also carried on circular piers. The tower arch is Norman, also dating from about 1200, with a semicircular head. In the east wall of the nave, to the south of the chancel arch, is a blocked squint
Hagioscope
A hagioscope or squint, in architecture, is an opening through the wall of a church in an oblique direction, to enable the worshippers in the transepts or other parts of the church, from which the altar was not visible, to see the elevation of the host.Hagioscopes were also sometimes known as...
. At the east end of the north aisle is an altar table dating from the 17th century. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is from the late 12th century and stands on a 19th-century base. On the west wall of the nave is a painted benefactors board dated 1767. All the other fittings and furniture are from the 19th century. These include a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
tortoise stove, originally from Halstead
Halstead
Halstead is a town and civil parish located in Braintree District of Essex, England, near Colchester and Sudbury. It has a population of 11,053. The town is situated in the Colne Valley, and originally developed on the hill to the north of the river...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of three bells, but they are no longer ringable. The oldest was cast in about 1500 in a Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
foundry, the second was cast by Henry I Oldfield in 1571, and the third in 1747 by Daniel Hedderly.