Church of St Oswald England, UK

Listed Building Description

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

SE 7612-7712 CROWLE CHURCH STREET (north-west side)

17/40 Church of St Oswald 1.3.67

GV I

Parish church. C12 nave south and west walls and doorway, chancel north wall; C13 chancel arch, lower section of tower, and responds and portions of outer arches of north arcade; C14-C15 nave south windows; C15 north aisle, clerestory and upper stage of tower; C15-C16 arch to north chapel. Nave re- roofed 1785, north aisle taken down 1792. Chancel partially rebuilt 1856; restorations of 1884 by A S Ellis of London, including rebuilding north arcade and north aisle; south porch rebuilt c1900. Limestone ashlar, with rock-faced ashlar to south porch; ashlar dressings. Lead roof to north aisle, Westmorland slate roof to nave, Welsh slate roofs to chancel and south porch. West tower with rectangular staircase projection to north-east angle, 4-bay nave with north aisle and south porch, 3-bay chancel with 2-bay north chapel. 3-stage tower: chamfered plinth, string courses between stepped-in stages. First stage has pointed chamfered south door with string course at impost level; pointed 2-light west window with central mullion missing, moulded reveal with 2 keeled orders, the outer shafted, and an inner hollow-moulded surround with carved fleurons; poor C20 rendered repairs and glazing. Stair turret to first stage has offsets and slit lights. Second stage: chamfered slit light and small round window in square chamfered reveal to west, slit light to south. Upper stage: pointed 2-light belfry openings with foiled Y tracery and hoodmoulds. Moulded string course, plain coped parapet with original pinnacle bases to angles and centres of each side, carrying heavy C19-C20 square angle piers. Clock face to east. Nave: south side has C15-C16 square-headed 3-light window with partly restored Perpendicular tracery, and pair of pointed 3-light Perpendicular traceried windows, that to right restored, that to left a C19 copy. Above, a complete C12 corbel table with carved heads, etc, much worn. Stepped-in clerestory has buttresses between bays, 3 round-headed 2-light windows with cinquefoiled Y tracery, hollow-moulded reveals and hoodmoulds; moulded string course with 2 gargoyles to south, 3 to north, coped parapet with restored pinnacle to north-east angle, stump of pinnacle to centre north, remainder truncated. Roof hipped to east. South porch: pointed moulded outer arch dying into chamfered jambs, hoodmould, string course and coped embattled gable parapet; fine C12 inner round arch of 4 orders, the inner 3 shafted, with capitals bearing scalloped, spiral and carved roundel ornament, and the arch with incised lattice moulding to the outer order, another with chevrons and various pellets (some with faces), and 2 roll- moulded orders. C17 double doors with moulded ribs and iron studs, some diamond-headed. North aisle: plain plinth, C19 pointed 2-light windows with Perpendicular tracery, hoodmoulds and plain stops. Chancel: chamfered plinth, angle buttresses and buttresses between bays with offsets; sill string course; south side has restored central pointed double-chamfered door, C19 lancets with hoodmoulds; similar stepped triple lancets to east; coped gable with cross finial. North chapel: chamfered plinth, single north buttress; pair of C19 pointed north doors, one chamfered, the other moulded, both with hoodmoulds; C19 pointed 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery, hoodmould and plain stops, small triple east lancets with hoodmoulds. Interior. Tall narrow round-headed C12 tower arch (former nave west door) with heavy lintel at impost level and incised lattice decoration to tympanum on west side (the lintel an 1884 replacement of C11 decorated stone, see below); C17 door with trefoiled panels and iron studs. Square-headed chamfered doorway to stair turret with oak board door. Nave arcade of largely restored pointed arches with outer chamfered order, inner keeled order and rounded demi-order between, on original keeled re