Norman Doorway - St James the Great - Norton juxta Kempsey, Worcestershire - Romanesque Architecture on Waymarking.com

A Norman doorway, and other architectural remnants in St James the Great church, Norton juxta Kempsey.

The oldest portion of the existing church is part of the Norman north wall dating from 1080. The nave is 12th century and appears to have been lengthened in the 13th century.

Half of the existing north wall is early Norman, and the original north doorway can be seen best from the Beechill Room side. The Norman stretch of north wall is over 3ft thick with dressed local stone and rubble in between. The rubble long ago settled, so that both sides of the wall bulge outwards slightly about half way up. The Norman doorway arch and jambs are of much finer stone.

The Norman loop window to the east of the north doorway was placed to let in light, but not weaken the wall structurally ir militarily.

The lancet window to the west of the north doorway was built around 1220, and is slightly larger and taller than the loop window.

The octagonal font, also from around 1220 and is typical of the age when churches were given more freedom after the tradition of circle and semi-circle fonts.

The south doorway is also Norman. During the Victorian restoration of the church this doorway was taken down stone by stone and moved to its new location in the new south wall, which had to be made 3ft thick to allow for the doorway.

Ref - church booklet

Web site proof of Romanesque or Pre-Romanesque features: [Web Link] Type of building (structure): Church Address: St James the Great Church Lane Norton juxta Kempsey, Worcestershire England WR5 2PX Date of origin: Not listed Architect(s) if known: Not listed Romanesque or Pre-Romanesque: Not listed

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