Lenton Abbey
St Barnabas

Archaeology

The church occupies 0.5 ha of space that was formerly a field and was constructed entirely anew in 1938.

The building comprises nave with north porch, transepts with Lady Chapel to the south-east and vestry to the north-east, and a chancel.

View from the
south-west		 The interior
looking east

Construction is of brick throughout and it was designed by the Nottingham architect T. Cecil Howitt. Stylistically the architecture blends elements of the Arts and Crafts style with Art Deco. It has big, sloping roofs that accentuate the vertical, helped by the fact that there is no tower. Fenestration comprises narrow, tall rectangular lights.

Internally use is made of contrasting colours of brick to highlight features such as doorways and recesses. The pulpit is set on a diagonal brick plinth. The ceiling of flat plaster carries a small amount of stencil decoration.

Technical Summary

Timbers and roofs

NAVE CHANCEL TOWER
Main Flat plaster ceiling with sloping sides, timbers above concealed, all 1938. Flat plaster ceiling concealing timbers above, all 1938. n/a
S.Aisle South transept, as nave Lady Chapel, design as nave, 1938.  
N.Aisle North transept, as nave Vestry 1938.  
Other principal Crossing has recessed, square centrepiece, all plaster, all 1938.    
Other timbers      

Bellframe

No bellframe, no bell.

Walls

NAVE CHANCEL TOWER
Plaster covering & date Open brickwork, 1938 Open brickwork, 1938 n/a
Potential for wall paintings None. Some stencil work on ceiling None. n/a

Excavations and potential for survival of below-ground archaeology

There have been no known archaeological excavations.

The standing fabric of the church dates entirely from a single phase of building in 1938 on a site that was open field space previously. It is expected that below-ground stratigraphy will be uniformly that of the construction phase of 1938.

The standing fabric of the entire building has some importance as a complete 1930s estate church.

The churchyard is rectangular, with the church positioned centrally. There are no burials.

The overall potential for the survival of below-ground pre-1938 archaeology in the church and churchyard, is considered to be UNKNOWN. The standing fabric of the church is of a single phase of 1938 and the potential for 1930s archaeology in the standing fabric is considered to be HIGH.

Exterior:No burials, potential for pre-church archaeology but this is unknown.

Interior: Stratigraphy under the entire interior of the building is expected to comprise construction layers dating from 1938.