8952

 

II*  

Designated  

26/03/1985  

14/12/1999  

Church of Saint Andrew  

 

Powys  

Presteigne  

Presteigne  

Norton  

330457  

267256  

 

On the E side of the B4355 at the N end of the village.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

The medieval church here was restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1868, the work supervised by his assistant, James Burlison. This extensive restoration was carried out under the patronage of Sir Richard Green Price, who had inherited the manor of Norton in 1861. Scott retained much of the fabric of the medieval church (repairing roof structure and timber belfry), but added transepts, vestry and a short spire - thus transforming the external appearance of the church - whilst internal remodelling included removal of the west gallery (of 1834), installation of open seating and a new division of nave, chancel and sanctuary.  

Much of the medieval fabric of the church survives, though its architectural character is Victorian gothic revival of c1300. Long undivided nave and chancel, interrupted only by the transepts; timber belfry over western bay; SW porch and vestry to N in angle of chancel and transept. Rubble stone with freestone dressings and clay tiled roofs, hipped and at a lower pitch at W end as base of belfry. Stone coped gables to E end and transepts. Two-tier timber-framed belfry to W, boarded externally, with shingles to intermediate roof. Shingled brooch spire introduced by Scott to replace the earlier pyramidal cap. Much of the masonry of the nave is medieval, though the corner buttresses were added by Scott who also refaced the chancel: with the transepts, it is distinguished by its more regular coursing, and the presence of a continual string course. Victorian coped gabled porch with chamfered arch sprung from corbels to entrance; simple round-headed doorway within survives from the medieval church. N and S windows to nave and chancel are single and paired cusped lancets: original windows survive to E of porch and high-set in the N wall of the nave (the pattern for the rest); a more elaborate tracery style for N and S windows of transepts, and for chancel E window, all of 3 lights.  

As with the exterior, the general architectural character is gothic revival, though there much early fabric was retained in the restoration. Western bay dominated by framed structure of belfry: heavy timber posts with arched bracing used at restoration to define a baptistery, with the simple font standing on a low platform. Above, most of the belfry structure (with a doubled frame) and bell frame is medieval or sub-medieval, repaired by Scott. Braced collar trusses of nave roof also appear to belong to the pre-restoration structure: at the division of nave and chancel, Scott added cusping to the truss, and introduced a panelled ceiling to differentiate the chancel. Double chamfered arches sprung from responds with engaged shafts and corbels to chancel and transepts. Chancel screen largely reconstructed at restoration, retaining some of the original C16 fabric: fretwork tracery at heads of flanking panels, and forming central cambered arch; fretwork cresting above.. Simple encaustic tiles to sanctuary (by Godwin); Organ to N of chancel (1868 but rebuilt 1993). Altar rails, nave seating and choir stalls all contemporary with the 1868 restoration. Pulpit (timber with open-work tracery panels) given as a memorial to a victim of the Somme, 1916. Reredos added 1905: timber, rich traceried panels in Perpendicular gothic style. Stained glass: the windows are a virtually complete series from 1868, by Clayton and Bell: figurative panels in E and W windows, and in N and S windows of transepts; simple floral lozenges elsewhere. W of porch, a small window of 1990 by Charles Broome of Hereford.  

Listed at grade II* as a virtually complete example of the rural work of Sir George Gilbert Scott's office; whilst the church does retain significant medieval fabric, the consistency and coherence of its restoration make it a remarkably clear statement of Ecclesiological principles.