St Mary's church - Tissington, Derbyshire
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SMacB
N 53° 04.043 W 001° 44.284
30U E 584554 N 5880510
Norman / Romanesque architecture in St Mary's church, Tissington - Tympanum, Chancel arch and Font.
Waymark Code: WM11V9X
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/22/2019
Views: 2
"The church was a chapel of Bradbourne which was given in 1205 to Dunstable Priory. Tithes are mentioned as being collected by the priory from Tissington in 1223 and 1227. The chancel was rebuilt in the 18thc, and the building was thoroughly and unfortunately 'Normanized' in 1854 to harmonise the whole with the broad square unbuttressed west tower. Cox mentions that the old north wall, destroyed for the new aisle, contained a round-headed doorway. The key original Romanesque features that remain are the south porch, the chancel arch and a font.
Tissington is recorded in the Domesday Book as a medium settlement of 20 households. The church is not mentioned in the 1291 Taxatio so was evidently valued under 2 marks.
S doorway of nave -
Billet outer order with pattern of triangles. Mouldings, roll with shallow rolls between two beads. The tympanum is decorated with figures with arms akimbo, surrounded by two rolls of chip carved saltire crosses. The tympanum itself contains lots of recessed and carved squares, some carved with more saltire crosses. The left capital is scalloped; the right capital has volute scrolls.
Dimensions
Height 285 cm
Height to lintel 200 cm
Width 170 cm
Chancel arch -
Outer order of three chevrons and an edge chevron. The capitals supporting the outer order have been mutilated.
Font -
A simple drum font with a plinth and a modern base.
Carved onto its surface are a number of rather simplistically incised figures. Cox describes 'a bird, a wolf, two men, and a non-descript boar'.
Dimensions
Diameter 66.5 cm
Height 51 cm
Internal diameter 49.5 cm"
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