For this church:

Introduction

Location

History

Archaeology

Fittings

Glass

Organ

Bells

Clock

Stonework

Monuments

War Memorial

Churchyard

References

Pictures

Plans

Listing Description

List of Incumbents

Parish page

Pleasley Vale St Chad

Features and Fittings

Altar

The altar is of timber, carved but covered to the front with a painted panel. The gradine has a carved timber frontpiece with carvings depicting fruit, leaves and cereals.

The painted panel in front of the altar (but not fixed to it) has three sections depicting in the centre a chalice on a blue diamond background with kneeling archangels to the left and right.

Altar rail

A simple timber single rail mounted on wrought iron decorative support. A sliding centre piece allows the rail to be continuous across the altar area.

Sanctuary panelling

The sanctuary	Panelling on the north	Detail	Panel on west wall to north of altar
Altar	Panelling on the south	Detail	Detail of panel on south wall of sanctuary

The whole of the sanctuary area has highly decorated carved timber panelling. The top panels appear to be oil paint on canvas with lower panels painted on timber board.

Across the top of the panels is the inscription: ‘Whoso eateth MY FLESH and drinketh MY BLOOD hath ETERNAL LIFE and I will raise him up at the Last Day’

On the panel to the left of the altar ‘GLORIA TIBI’ and to the right of the altar ‘DOMINI’ which together translates as ‘Glory be to Thee, O Lord.’

On the same panels (beneath the text) are four small roundels depicting the symbols of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Chancel Screen

Chancel screen

A carved timber screen, with traceried panels and rood, separates the nave area from the chancel.

Pews and Choir Stalls

Most of the original pews have been removed from the nave, to be replaced by individual wooden chairs. The four pews in the choir and the two pews at the west end of the nave remain. The design is attributable to Pugin, but more accurately should be described as being in the style of Pugin.

There are three individual chairs with x-frame legs. These are a version of the Glastonbury chair, to a design by Augustus Welby Pugin (1812-1852). The original version by Pugin was made 1839-41 and was a design based upon a folding chair with x-frame legs, said to have belonged to the last Abbot of Glastonbury. Many different versions of the Glastonbury chair, sometimes carved with decorations and inscriptions, were made by firms such as Gillows & Co and Cox & Sons for both institutional and domestic use in the nineteenth century.

Cox and Sons of the Strand, London are said to have been responsible for the design of the church and its fittings. They were founded in 1838 by Thomas Cox and over the next 40 years the firm became one of the leading church furnishing companies. By 1870 a catalogue of Cox & Sons claimed to be able to supply 800 designs of furniture, Gothic metalwork, carpets and hangings by ‘eminent church designers’.

Font

There is an octagonal font in stone mounted on a stone plinth. It is of simple design with a wooden cover.

Pulpit

The pulpit has been removed. The Listing Description states it was a 'wrought iron skeleton pulpit with C20 infill panels.'

Lectern

There is a wrought iron lectern in the nave with timber reading slope.

Iron vase stand

In the nave is a wrought iron decorative stand for a flower vase with a plaque that reads:

Stations of the Cross

Station II

Station V

Station XII

Station XIV

14 panels depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross, set around the walls of the nave, each approximately 18” wide x 24” high. Each of the pictures has a small wooden cross above the frame.

The Stations of the Cross are: