Details
ICKLEFORD ARLESEY ROAD
TL 1831 (West side)
10/35 Church of St. Katherine
27.5.68 (C of E)
GV I
Parish church. Nave mid C12, chancel and W tower early C13, S porch and
nave roof mid C15. Restored 1859 by Sir George Gilbert Scott for
Mrs. Marion Dudley Ryder when the S aisle, S chapel (now organ chamber),
and N vestry added. Masonry walls plastered externally, incised diaper
design to S aisle and chapel, uncoursed knapped flint to S clearstorey,
limestone dressings, copper roof to nave and chancel, lead roof to S
aisle, S chapel and W tower pyramidal roof with vane. A small church
with square-ended chancel, higher nave with aisle and clearstorey only
on S, crenellated S porch, and short square W tower with massive
buttresses, diagonal at W corners. The chancel has a C13 lancet window
to N of altar, C15 cinquefoil piscina to S, 3-bays open timber roof,
triplet of stepped lancets at E with jamb shafts inside and out and
stained glass c.1860 perhaps by Clayton & Bell in medallion and mosaic
design. Wooden altar rail on gilded iron standards, mural tablet on S to
Susan Cockayne d.1790, high 2-lights cinquefoil N window above lean-to N
vestry reached by round arched doorway with heavy roll moulding. In S
wall a wide C19 Romanesque arch with interlinked chain motif to arch of
2 orders. Wide, pointed 2-centred chancel arch C13 (Pevsner) but same
vigorous tooling as C19 work, with dog-tooth ornament to arch and jamb
shafts. Tall nave has noticeable batter to N wall and 5-bays C15 open
timber roof of low pitch with vigorously carved stone corbels, wall
posts, heavy straight moulded braces to tie beams, king post on each
with braces to ridge beam, and one purlin to each slope. C14 2-lights
window with ogee tracery in head in N and S wall near W end, and C12 S
door and (blocked) N doorway. S door has semi-circular moulded arch of 3
orders, 2 shafts on each side with leaf-carved caps and moulded abaci.
The simpler N doorway has chevron moulding on its rear arch, simple
chamfered imposts, chevron ornament to semi-circular, and chamfered
external joints. The N wall is buttressed externally and has a bulge
near the E end for the rood stair, next the C14 window with 3 cinquefoil
lights and ogee tracery under a square head which lights the pulpit.
Narrow pointed doorway with grille to rood stair by pulpit at NE corner
of nave, and to E of doorway a C15 piscina. Large N wall monument to
Richard Ansell d.1726 signed by R. Easton, a bellied cartouche with
putti, drapes and armorial shield. Hatchments over N and S doors.
Octagonal C19 arcaded stone pulpit. Octagonal stone font on 8 coloured
marble shafts with C13 style caps and bases. Brass of Thomas Somer and
Marjory his wife c.1380, half-length figures with imperfect inscription.
Vigorously carved C19 Romanesque 3-bays S arcade with dog-tooth ornament
and circular pillars, with C19 circular S clearstorey windows over with
quatrefoil tracery. Low S aisle with open timber roof, 3 pairs of
pointed S windows with shafted external jambs, and elaborate alabaster
memorial to Dudley Ryder family filling W wall. Taller S porch with
crenellated parapet and niche central over 2-centred continuously moulded
entrance arch of 2 orders. 2 stage W tower has 2-centred arch from nave,
a small C13 lancet window on the S, 2-lights C15 pointed W window with
central mullion rising to head has stained glass of 1898 by Kempe. Small
battened W door inserted below sill. C15 2-lights bell opening on each
face with trefoil lights under square head with label. Rectangular
sockets flank windows. (RCHM (1911)128-9: VCH (1912)23-4: Kelly
(1914)167: Pevsner (1977)213-4).
Listing NGR: TL1824031641
