Clifton: Emmanuel
Overview
Grid reference: ST 571 739
The main entrance to the church is in the ground floor of the tower, a double doorway under a threefold receding set of arches. Between this level and the belfry are three stages, the first with a large three-light traceried window, the next with two lancets and the highest with a single lancet.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
North-west tower, veryvide and high nave of four bays with aisles; transepts the same depth as the aisles. Chancel of one bay from which arches lead off into a chapel on the south and the organ chamber on the north. Semi-hexagonal apse. The church is linked to a hall on the south side.
Exterior Description
The main entrance to the church is in the ground floor of the tower, a double doorway under a threefold receding set of arches. Between this level and the belfry are three stages, the first with a large three-light traceried window, the next with two lancets and the highest with a single lancet. At the corners of the tower are angle buttresses and the stair rises in a quarter-cylindrical turret wedged between the two buttresses of the north-west corner and has at the foot an independent door. The side walls of the tower are very much plainer than the wall to the north, having only the stringcourses and no windows above ground-floor level. Two bays of the nave appear between the tower and the north transept, lit by large three-light windows in the aisles, but having too little space above the aisle roof to allow for a clerestory. The north transept is flush with the wall of the aisle and of the organ chamber which flanks it on the east side, but is articulated from them by means of tall stepped buttresses which rise to the kneelers of the gable. Most of the wall between the buttresses is taken up with a large window which is of four lights arranged as two pairs of two with quatrefoils in the head and then a large sexfoil in the upper part of the whole.
The other side of the church which may be seen without too much difficulty is the west end which faces on to the games fields of the College over a low. wall. This facade is perhaps the better of the two but even so is mannered and rather textbookish. The tower predominates here again, but there is also a strong horizontal axis provided by the small narthex in front of the west door. This narthex, which is really little more than a porch, has five windows in an arcade on the west side, the door being at the north end. Each of the windows is a two light design of the most common pattern with a quatrefoil in the head. In the wall of the nave above this, are three windows forming together quite a pleasant composition. The lower two, their sills hidden behind the arcaded parapet of the narthex, are identical and like the transept window, are based on a pair of paired lights below. In the head, each has a large circle containing four smaller circles which are filled with trefoils. Higher in the gable a rose window has plate tracery with a central quatrefoils, each motif being enclosed in a circle. The west walls of the aisles have much plainer windows - paired lights with a quatrefoil above. The whole front is geometricality run riot, even to the cinquefoils in the heads of the belfry openings at the top of the tower. From this side can also be seen the. end wall of the hall which is built of the same warm pinkish rubble as the church and has a three-light traceried window under a dripstone contihuing out the details of the church itself, although in slightly different and re.ther simpler form. The church gains much from the well-cut ashlar masonry of the dressings round windows and other features. The east end of the church is concealed from view by trees, but contains the tall windows of the arse separated from each other by buttresses. The south wall is hidden by the church hall and vestries which were added at this side.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1891
At the west end of the north aisle one light breaks the uniformity with a representation of The Good Shepherd.
Stained Glass
1892
Both windows in the north aisle have stained glass -
a) Three lights taken together showing St.Paul preaching. In the three small 'predella' lights below are
- 'King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?'
'Lo, God hath given.theeall them that sail with thee'
'They shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents'
b) Three lights - 'I have not found so great faith. No, not in Israel'. 'Behold Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor'.
Stained Glass
The window of the north transept has the clover-leaf pattern as at the west.
Stained Glass
The chancel windows, three of which are filled with stained glass, have Scenes from the Life of Christ.
Stained Glass
1887
The east window in the chapel has the Presentation in the Temple.
Stained Glass
c. 1894
The two lancet lights in the south wall of the chapel have
a) The Light of the World
b) 'I stand and knock'
Stained Glass
The south transept window is the best in the church, by Joseph Bell of Bristol. The major parts of the four lights are taken up with figures of the Evangelists and below these in the smaller panels are scenes from the life of Christ - the Epiphany, Baptism, Christ teaching and Christ with Nicoclemus.
Stained Glass
1892-4
In the south aisle are three windows
a) Three lights show Christ sending forth his disciples in the larger part and Christ with little children below. 1892.
b) Three lights containing the Epiphany, with the Virgin dressed in most sumptuous blue. 1894.
c) Three lights showing Peter attemptinq to walk on the water, a strong sense of the anxiety of the sinking Apostle. Below is the feeding of the five thousand. 1894
Interior
Interior Description
Internally the church seems almost square, the effect of the transepts being minimised because they are the same depth as the nave aisles and lead from the aisles through high arches which make the transition almost unnoticeable. The nave itself is huge and bleak. Four bays of the arcade have arches of even height and the fifth has higher arches opening in to the transepts. Those are carried on severely plain piers of circular section with no decoration save a roll-moulding about haif-way up. Even the bases are plain and the carving of foliage on the capitals is so stylised as to be unrecognisable except as an abstract pattern.
Other factors contribute to the impression of bareness - the great height of the roof with its large expanse of dark woodwork; the tall pointed chancel arch; and the ambitious windows of the west wall which start more than fifteen feet from the floor. The floors are covered with the simplest patterns of coloured tiles and the details of the aisle windows are severely plain.
The chancel is short in comparisonwith the nave, the side walls being only of a single bay each side before the angled walls which form the apse. Wide arches in the side walls open on the north to the organ chamber (which also opens into the north transept) and on the south to a chapel (which also connects with the south transept). The roof too is quite different from that in the nave, the latter being a scissor-beam construction while the apse has remarkable arched spandrels added to the main rafters which have nothing to do with the structure at all, and are purely decorative.
The lower parts of the walls of the apse are panelled, and all the surface above is painted. Most of the decoration is abstract, but there are two figures in niches each side of the east window, one carrying the fruit of the vine and the other carrying bread.
Fixtures and fittings
Reredos
The reredos is a remarkable piece of very deep bas—relief which in fact has many figures carved in the round. These are set within three identical crockettedniches between which stand angels under canopies carrying the symbols of the Evangelists. The subjects of the reliefs are;
on the north - Christ led to Calvary
in the centre - The Ascension
on the south - Pentecost.
Stall
The stalls are of oak, an agreeable colour paler than usual. They have nicely carved poppy-heads.
Organ (object)
The organ is a three-manual instrument by Rushworth and Dreaper with a case which has gilded and stencilled pipes.
Lectern
The lectern is a brass eagle with an unusually long neck.
Pulpit
The pulpit is supported on five columns of different marbles and has five panels carved in relief. The subjects from the Life of Christ are The Nativity The Sermon on the Mount Christ in Glory The Transfiguration The Ascension.
Font (object)
The Font stands on four tiny attached colonettes which seem stunted by the weight of en extraordinary deep bowl, a quatrefoil in cross-section.
Churchyard
Grid reference: ST 571 739
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.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
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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