Tunstall: St Mary
Overview
Grid reference: SJ 857 509
The church occupies an important position in the townscape of the area, both when seen from a distance and from nearby. Its stark unornamented outline and uncomplicated grouping of masses answer well the austerity of its surroundings.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Aisled and clerestoried nave with west gallery and north porch. Chanel with north-east tower and spire and south-east chapel (formerly a vestry). The ground floor of the tower serves as an organ chamber.
Description of Archaeology and History
By J.W. and J. Hay, Liverpool; the conerstone was laid on 20th April 1858, (see brass tablet in south chapel); 1858-9.
Exterior Description
Window openings throughout are lancets, save for the clerestory and one roundel in the west gable. There are no decorative features in the way of crockets, stringcourses, hood-moulds or the like, and the result is a building of stark geometricality. It is normally approached from the north or east, from which angle the best composition is seen since the tower stands on this side of the chancel. It is of three stages, the lowest with two lancet windows to the east and one to the north, the former flanking a Calvary erected as a memorial to the First World War. The next stage has a single small lancet in each of these faces and the upper stage paired lancets as bell-openings, with ragged wooden louvres. The corners are supported by angle buttresses, with a small spiral staircase fitted between those at the north-west angle. The spire, also entirely of brick, has plain broaches at each corner between which are roundels under gablets, presumably in anticipation of clock faces. Above these are three tièrs of lucarnes alternatelyin the diagonal and cardinal faces. There is a certain amount of banding in coloured brick, and the upper ten feet or so appears to be constructedin stone, bearing a simple iron cross. The curtilage is bounded on the east by railings of good quality, with big cast iron fleur-de-lys finials each side of the gate and the approach to the church lies along a flagged path beside the tower leading down a narrow alley between the aisle and a brick boundary wall to the north porch situated in the middle bay of the north aisle. The remaining bays of both aisles have paired lancet lights, and the clerestory is pierced by spherical triangles one to each bay. The eaves are marked by a simple billet ornament composed of projecting alternate bricks, while the surrounds of the windows are indicated by coloured bricks. The west wall of the nave has two tiers of four lancets indicating a gallery within, the upper row taller than the lower and surmounted by a round light higher in the gable to which they are linked. The south aisle has by arches of voussoirs flush with the wall surface. A doorway in the second bay from the west and continues further west than the north aisle by half a bay which contains the staircase to the west gallery, lit by a single lancet in the west wall.
The chancel has three tall lancets under a single arch of brick voussoirs in the east wall, and a single tall lancet in the north wall beside the tower. The south chapel (which appears to be a later addition) precludes the possibility of a window in the south wall. The chapel itself is lit by three uniform lancets in the east wall and pairs of small lancets in the south wall.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
c.1860
East window: three panels of The Annunciation, The Nativity and The Flight into Egypt, set in backgrounds of geometrical grisaille.
Stained Glass
1939
South aisle I: St. Anne with the Child Mary and St. Joseph with the Child Christ, by M.C. Robinson and H.C. Godwin.
Stained Glass
1958
South Chapel I: single light of St. Francis
Interior
Interior Description
The interior presents no surprises, but is a good straightforward design in thirteenth-century style without much imagination. The arcades are of double-chamfered brick arches on round piers with octagonal moulded bases and round capitals, each arch outlined with a hoodmould with a carved head at the intersection of one with the next, both towards the nave and the aisles. These give a little life to the sobriety of the architecture. The clerestory lights are within plain unchamfered reveals, and the bays are marked by the principal timbers of the roof, the wall posts being uncommonly long and coming down to corbels in the spandrels of the arcade. Alternate principals of the roof are arch-braced end scissor-braced, the former marking each bay and the latter in the middle of each bay. The floor is of wood-blocks in the alleys and of timber boarding beneath the pews. Spanning the west end is a gallery approached by a stone-stepped stair at the west end of the south aisle.
At the east end of the south aisle is a small doorway within a brick surround which opens into the Lady Chapel; this also was formed in 1909, when the vestry which formerly occupied this position became unnecessary due to the new vestry under the gallery.
The chancel arch is tall and wide, carried on semi-circular responds with foliate capitals, the responds grooved to receive the screen. This is of slender construction with Gothic detailing which gives the impression of being cut out of card. The arch itself is of two chamfered orders with carved heads at the labels. The chancel is paved with tiles, the steps and borders being of a decorative stone resembling serpentine. On the north side an arch opens into the ground stage of the tower, in which stands the organ, and on the south is a little doorway to the chapel. There is one wall monument, and the only stained glass in the church (save for two lights in the south aisle and a third in the south chapel) is limited to grisaille with three scenes in vesicas in the attenuated lancets of the east window.
Fixtures and fittings
Reredos
1930
The reredos dates from 1930; with five painted panels typical of the period showing various scenes with stylised figures dressed in robes of subdued colour with the folds delineated by gold lines. There are riddel od posts surmounted by candle-holding angels.
Stall
The choirstalls are of oak, tough with big scrolls at the ends of the desks and open arcaded fronts with ringed shafts.
Organ (object)
The organ is a three-manual instrument originally by Stringer, rebuilt by Reeves and Mearner of Newcastle, Staffordshire with electro-pneumatic action; there are twenty- seven speaking stops.
Screen
The screen, which seems of much the same date as the church, has a tall central opening under a thin gablet flanked by two lower bays each side with thin trefoiled heads, and a pair of circles containing six-pointed stars above, with a row of quatrefoils forming the cornice.
Lectern
Oak eagle.
Pulpit
The pulpit is round in plan, and consists of oak colonettes supporting cornice standing upon a circular base of alabaster.
Font (object)
c.1860
The font is octagonal, c.1860, on an octagonal stem with much moulding beneath the bowl and panels of diaper to each face of the bowl.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SJ 857 509
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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