Normanton-on-Soar St James

Official Listing Description

SK 52 SW

7/51

13.10.66

NORMANTON ON SOAR

MAIN STREET
(west side)

Church of St. James

Grade I

Parish church. C13, C14, C15, north transept built 1889-90 by W. S. Weatherley, repaired 1938, restored 1913. Dressed coursed rubble and ashlar, some half timbering. Plain tile and lead roofs. Coped gables with single ridge crosses to west nave and east chancel. Parapet to chancel. Single stack to north wall of north transept. Crossing tower with spire, transepts, nave, south porch and chancel. C13 tower being of 2 stages above the transepts with clasping buttresses to the south side and the north east. Corbel table topped with broach spire with 2 tiers of 4 lucarnes, the lower with 2 lights. The north side of the tower has a single small arched light and a single rectangular light and the south side a single small arched light. North, south and east sides with 5 tie plates, the west with 4. The 4 arched bell chamber openings each have 2 arched lights, that on the west side being smaller. West nave with clasping buttresses and shallow chamfered plinth has a single C13 window with 5 pointed arched lights. The north wall on a similar plinth has a double chamfered round arched doorway, with imposts and hood mould. To the left is a single C13 round arched light with hood mould. Clerestory with 3 C19 windows each with 3 cinquefoil arched lights under a flat arch. Continuous sill band. In the re-entrant angle between transept and nave is a C19 stair turret of 2 stages, the top stage being set back. Caernarvon arched doorway with single rectangular light above. The west wall of the north transept has a chamfered round arched doorway with imposts and continuous hood mould forming a sill band to the windows in the north and east walls. North wall with single arched window with 3 pointed arched lights surmounted by 2 quatrefoils. Single similar 2 light window in the east wall. The chancel is set on a low plinth with moulded band extending over. North wall with round arched doorway with chamfered jambs and moulded arch. continuous hood mould over forming a sill band to all of chancel, broken at the south side by a doorway. To the left are 3 C13 lancets. There are 3 gargoyles. The east wall with clasping buttresses has a single arched C13 window with 4 pointed arched lights surmounted by 4 crude quatrefoils. The south chancel has 2 C13 lancets with hood moulds, that on the left decorated with nail head. To the left is a doorway with moulded surround. Further left is a single similar lancet with plain hood mould and on the far left a single arched C14 window with 2 cinquefoil arched lights and a single transom. There are 2 gargoyles. The south wall of the transept has a single window with 3 pointed arched lights. Above is a single small arched C19 light. The west wall has a chamfered round arched C19 doorway with imposts and hood mould. The south nave has a restored C15 arched 3 light window with cusped tracery. To the left is a single C13 lancet. Further left is the gabled and buttressed porch. Entrance with half timbering over. Inner C13 moulded arched doorway with remains of single of 2 orders of colonnettes, hood mould. Further left is a single C13 lancet. The clerestory corresponds to the north. Interior. Tower/chancel, nave and transept arches all C13 triple chamfered with keeled responds and moulded capitals, being decorated with nailhead to the south side. The chancel has a continuous sill band broken in parts by the doorways. The south wall has an arched piscina with C19 pedestal piscina to the right. North wall with aumbry and east wall with 2 rectangular niches under the window. The south transept has a small piscina in the east wall with rectangular niche over and single similar smaller niche in the south wall. C14 octagonal font, the pedestal decorated with quatrefoil panels and the bowl withblind tracery. 7 C17 benches. C17 oak chest. Over the nave/tower arch is a plaster Royal Arms, 1683, the arch is flanked by single plaster heraldic shields. Nave roof with C15 moulded beams and carved bosses. On the south wall of the nave is a lead plaque dated 1701 listing the church wardens. There are memorials to John Bosworth, 1832 and Elizabeth Cox, 1833. Both with inscription tablets in the form of a sarcophagus. That to John Powell, 1777 by Hull is topped with decorative volutes. There is a further memorial to Anne Bagdale, 1768, the inscription tablet is flanked by fluted pilasters with dosserets decorated with fleuron. Cornice surmounted by a decorative urn. In the north chancel is a memorial to Frances Willoughbie, 1606, an arched niche supported on pilaster strips decorated with strapwork contains the kneeling female figure and a lectern. There is a further memorial to William and Susanna Willougby, 1636. Surmounting the inscription tablet are 2 kneeling figures flanked by single decorative panelled pilasters supporting an ogee arch and finial over. The arch contains a shield.

Listing NGR: SK5187222912