Norman Arch - St Michael - Kniveton, Derbyshire
Posted by: SMacB
N 53° 03.022 W 001° 41.292
30U E 587930 N 5878678
St. Michael's church, Kniveton, has a 13th century west tower and a Norman south doorway.
Waymark Code: WM14FWW
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/01/2021
Views: 1
"The true dedication of Kniveton church is to St. John the Baptist, as stated by Dr. Pegge in his Collections, and as we are assured in the Liber Regis; but modern directories and the notice-board call St. Michael the patron saint.
This church dates to the 12th century, 13th century, and c. 1663, with restoration work in 1870, and the vestry added in 1907. It is built of coursed rubble gritstone with ashlar dressings. It has a shallow pitched lead roof, with stone coped gables at the east and west ends and over the chancel arch. The church comprises nave and chancel, vestry, west tower and south porch. It has a plain 12th century south doorway with chamfered imposts. The west tower dates to the late 13th century, and has a small lancet window and plain chambered door to the nave. The tower also has square-headed two-light bell openings, battlements and a short spire, which are perp or later. The north and south walls of the church both have irregular fenestration - all windows are square-headed, some without divisions, and others with chamfered mullions. All are probably mid 17th century in date. Inside the church is a 13th century font, with a circular bowl that has pointed trefoils supported on a base of clustered columns. The date 1663 apparently refers to the time of its restoration to the church. It might also be the date when the windows were renewed. The west gallery is early 19th century in date, on two cast iron columns. There are 19th century poppy heads on the benches. On the nave north wall is an aedicule wall monument to Greenwood Holmes 1779. There are four 19th century stained glass windows."
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Other traces of the Norman origin of the church, other than the plain semicircular arch of the porch, are in the chancel and in a circular stone, rudely carved with a crucifix, found here in 1842. The font basin is Early English and dates from the 13th century.