St Andrew's Church, Gunton
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's Church, Gunton, is a redundant
Anglican
church adjacent to Gunton Hall, in the parish of Hanworth
, Norfolk
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands in woodland to the east of the hall.
for the owner of Gunton Hall, Sir William Harbord, to replace a former medieval
church. It is the only building designed by Adam in Norfolk, and his only complete church in England.
, with stone dressings. It is in the form of a temple with a tetrastyle (four columns) prostyle
(protruding forward) portico
. It is in Palladian
style. The portico is set on three steps. It has four Doric
columns along the front, and another similar column on each side, making it two bays
deep. The architrave
is plain, the frieze
above it is decorated with four rosettes, and the cornice
has dentil
s, as does the pediment
. In the centre of he west end of the church is a doorway with a square-headed window on each side. Above each window and the doorway is a blank square with a recessed panel. The body of the church is four bays deep. On both the north and south sides are four niches
, three square-headed windows, a plain architrave, rosettes in the frieze and dentils in the cornice. On the east side are three blank rectangular panels, the central one with a memorial tablet inscribed with the date 1665.
with fluted
Corinthian
columns having gilded
capitals
. In the central panel of the reredos is a painting of the Virgin and Child
and other figures. The pews have wrought iron
candle holders, and at the west end of the church are two box pew
s with brass gas lamps. The west gallery is supported by fluted pilaster
s with gilded capitals. The west wall is panelled, and the other walls have ornate plasterwork. In the ceiling is an oval panel containing guilloché
and a central rose. On the north, south and west walls are hatchment
s. In the west gallery is a two-manual
organ.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church adjacent to Gunton Hall, in the parish of Hanworth
Hanworth, Norfolk
Hanworth is a village and a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The village is north of Norwich, south-west of Cromer and north-east of London. The nearest railway station is in the town of Cromer where access to the national rail network can be made via the Bittern Line to Norwich...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands in woodland to the east of the hall.
History
The church was built in 1769. It was designed by Robert AdamRobert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
for the owner of Gunton Hall, Sir William Harbord, to replace a former medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
church. It is the only building designed by Adam in Norfolk, and his only complete church in England.
Exterior
St Andrew's is constructed in gault brick, parts of which are renderedStucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
, with stone dressings. It is in the form of a temple with a tetrastyle (four columns) prostyle
Prostyle
Prostyle is an architectural term defining free standing columns across the front of a building, as often in a portico. The term is often used as an adjective when referring to the portico of a classical building which projects from the main structure...
(protruding forward) portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
. It is in Palladian
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
style. The portico is set on three steps. It has four Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns along the front, and another similar column on each side, making it two bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
deep. The architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
is plain, the frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
above it is decorated with four rosettes, and the cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
has dentil
Dentil
In classical architecture a dentil is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect Vitruvius In classical architecture a dentil (from Lat. dens, a tooth) is a small block used as a repeating ornament in the bedmould of a cornice.The Roman architect...
s, as does the pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. In the centre of he west end of the church is a doorway with a square-headed window on each side. Above each window and the doorway is a blank square with a recessed panel. The body of the church is four bays deep. On both the north and south sides are four niches
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
, three square-headed windows, a plain architrave, rosettes in the frieze and dentils in the cornice. On the east side are three blank rectangular panels, the central one with a memorial tablet inscribed with the date 1665.
Interior
The doorway leads to a circular entrance lobby with two doors. The door on the right leads to a stairway. The other door leads into the church, which is paved in stone with black diamond-shaped inserts. At the east end of the church is a step, then two curved steps leading up to the altar. Behind the altar is an oak reredosReredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
with fluted
Fluting (architecture)
Fluting in architecture refers to the shallow grooves running vertically along a surface.It typically refers to the grooves running on a column shaft or a pilaster, but need not necessarily be restricted to those two applications...
Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns having gilded
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
. In the central panel of the reredos is a painting of the Virgin and Child
Madonna (art)
Images of the Madonna and the Madonna and Child or Virgin and Child are pictorial or sculptured representations of Mary, Mother of Jesus, either alone, or more frequently, with the infant Jesus. These images are central icons of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox Christianity where Mary remains...
and other figures. The pews have wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
candle holders, and at the west end of the church are two box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s with brass gas lamps. The west gallery is supported by fluted pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s with gilded capitals. The west wall is panelled, and the other walls have ornate plasterwork. In the ceiling is an oval panel containing guilloché
Guilloché
Guilloché is a decorative engraving technique in which a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design is mechanically engraved into an underlying material with fine detail...
and a central rose. On the north, south and west walls are hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
s. In the west gallery is a two-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ.