For this church:

Introduction

Location

History

Archaeology

Fittings

Glass

Organ

Bells

Clock

Monuments

War Memorial

Churchyard

References

Pictures

Listing Description

Carlton-on-Trent
St Mary

Archaeology

The building comprises nave with south porch, narrow north and south aisles, chancel with north vestry, and west tower.

The fabric of the entire building dates from a single phase of construction in 1849-51 except for the spire which was added in 1871.

The old chapel

An earlier church is known to have existed and it appears to be a reasonable hypothesis that it occupied the same approximate site as the present building.

South doorway

The bellframe prior to 2012

From the earlier chapel appear to have survived the south doorway, which is Transitional in form, c.1180-1200; the mid-18th century bell; the late medieval bellframe dated by dendrochronology to 1447; and some interior items of furnishing including a 17th-century font.

The north-west window of the chancel may also retain some medieval tracery, though heavily restored.

Technical Summary

Timbers and roofs

	NAVE	CHANCEL	TOWER
Main	Scissor braced rafters to a steep pitch roof with boarding between; rafters sit on posts that rest on wall plates. All 1851.	Scissor braced rafters to a steep pitch roof with boarding between; rafters sit on posts that rest on wall plates. All 1851. As nave.	Spire. Stone, 1871.
S.Aisle	Lean-to, simple rafters at a steep pitch sitting on posts to wall plates. All 1851.	n/a
N.Aisle	Lean-to, simple rafters at a steep pitch sitting on posts to wall plates. All 1851.
Other principal
Other timbers

Bellframe

Small timber bellframe of Elphick 'K' form, Pickford Group 3.D variant (with straight braces and minor later modifications); dated by dendrochronology to 1447. Probably a transfer from the earlier chapel. The report on the dendrochronological analysis of the bellframe timbers is available for download.

Scheduled for preservation Grade 1.

Walls

Excavations and potential for survival of below-ground archaeology

There have been no known archaeological excavations.

The fabric of the building dates entirely from a rebuilding of 1849-51, with the addition of a spire in 1871, although it may sit on the site of predecessors. It is expected that below-ground stratigraphy will be very heavily disturbed throughout, although remnants of medieval and post-medieval deposits may remain at depth. The upstanding fabric is largely mid-Victorian but with the reuse of a late C12th south doorway and possibly part of a north chancel window; a few fittings have been retained from the earlier chapel and the bellframe dates from 1547.

The churchyard is rectangular with the church offset to the south-west. Marked burials are present on all sides with the majority on the east. The building fronts a road only on the west side.

The overall potential for the survival of below-ground archaeology in the churchyard, is considered to be MODERATE-UNKNOWN, comprising burials and much evidence of rebuilding in the C19th, but possibly with evidence of earlier churches if their footprint differs from the present building. Below the present interior floors of the rebuilt church it is considered to be LOW-MODERATE, again depending on where the earlier buildings stood. The standing fabric of the church is largely mid-C19th rebuilding and the potential for surviving medieval archaeology in the standing fabric of nave and chancel is considered to be LOW with the exception of the south doorway, chancel north-west window, and bellframe.

Exterior: Burial numbers expected to be average with early burials around the south side. Possible evidence of earlier churches.

Interior: Stratigraphy under the church is likely to be very heavily disturbed mid-C19th building layers but with the possibility of some survival of medieval deposits beneath.