East Hatley: St Denis
Overview
Grid reference: TL 285 505
A simple two-cell building without a tower but only a bell-cote on the west gable of the nave which is supported upon two buttresses placed close together and rising to an arch at the gable head. These flank the single light which forms a west window which has a cinquefoiled head, the cusping of an unusual design.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Aisleless nave with west bell-cote and south porch; chancel with north vestry.
Description of Archaeology and History
The nave is basically thirteenth-century; it was restored and the chancel was entirely rebuilt by William Butterfield in 1874.
Exterior Description
A simple two-cell building without a tower but only a bell-cote on the west gable of the nave which is supported upon two buttresses placed close together and rising to an arch at the gable head. These flank the single light which forms a west window which has a cinquefoiled head, the cusping of an unusual design. The north and south walls each have three windows, the two western ones being single lancets with cinquefoiled or trefoiled heads and the eastern pair being two-light openings with a quatrefoil in the head. The doorway in the south wall is placed between the two lancets and there was formerly a similar doorway in the north wall until this was blocked in 1874. The south porch has a cross-gable and diagonal buttresses, the opening having double chamfers and being closed by an iron grille. The inner doorway has two continuous wave-moulded orders separated by a three-quarter hollow. Above the outer doorway is a small two-light aperture with a quatrefoil above which may be a window re-used from elsewhere since it does not seem to belong here. Above the inner doorway is a carved shield of arms within a Baroque cartouche depicting the arms of Downing impaling Howard and a stone tablet with the date 1673.
The chancel was entirely rebuilt and extended eastwards by Butterfield and has two two-light windows in the south wall and one in the north, the rest of the north wall being covered by the small vestry under a pent roof. The east window is of three lights with geometric tracery of two quatrefoils and a trefoil.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
The east window still retains some fragments of glass which seems to have been by Gibbs and of the date of Butterfield's work.
Interior
Interior Description
The walls are plastered with the stonework round the windows and doorways left exposed. Of architectural features in the nave all that need be noted are the blocked north doorway, the fine, simply designed roof of Butterfield's restoration of three bays with king-posts and four-way struts and the chancel arch, of two chamfered orders on semi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals. At each side are arched recesses, reset, of similar shape but not identical, both with cusped ogee heads and hollow-chamfered jambs. Behind the pulpit is a piscina, entirely renewed and possibly Butterfield's design rather than mediaeval, with a steeply pitched gablet and cusping which is taken from the design of the west window. The right side of the base has an octofoil drain, and there is an identical piscina on the south side under the eastern window.
The chancel internally as externally is all by Butterfield. The floor has been much vandalised and this has revealed a large roughly squared stone set well below the level of the Victorian floor which may be part of the earlier building.
The walls are plastered and whitewashed and are decorated with a reticulated design of dull red tiles one and a half inches wide. The roof is of two bays with an arch brace in the middle. That part to the west is of open scissor-braced construction while the eastern bay is panelled and plastered to form a ceilure over the sanctuary. The reredos, which is of stone with tile panels, is built into the east wall below the window. The south window in the sanctuary comes down low to form sedilia and a piscina has been contrived within the left jamb behind a colonette. All the dressings in the chancel are of yollow Bath stone. The east window of the small vestry is provided with a circular drain in the stone sill. A recess in the north wall of the chancel behind the former position of the stalls may be connected with a low-side window.
Fixtures and fittings
Pulpit
The moulded stone base of the pulpit remains, octagonal in plan, but the timber pulpit has been removed.
Reredos
1874
The reredos is of stone with panels of Minton's plain red tiles. In the centre is a stone cross set against a trefoil-headed niche and on each side are three square panels with quatrefoils of red tiles. By Butterfield.
Font (object)
Typical of Butterfield, it is of Corsham stone, octagonal in a square base with bold chamfers at the corners. The old font was built up in the walls.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TL 285 505
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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