St Andrew's Church, Woodwalton
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's Church, Woodwalton, is a redundant
Anglican church standing in an isolated position in fields about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the north of the village of Woodwalton
, Cambridgeshire
, England. It is about 200 metres (219 yd) to the east of the East Coast Main Line
and is visible from the passing trains. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
. As of 2010 it is not regularly open to visitors because its foundations are moving and it is unsafe.
and at that time probably consisted of a nave
without aisle
s and a chancel
. The isolated position of the church is thought to be due to its central location between Woodwalton Castle
, a motte and bailey castle to the north, Sawtry Abbey
to the west and the village settlement
to the south. A considerable part of the parish forms part of Woodwalton Fen
. In about 1250 the south aisle was added, and in about 1330 the north aisle was added (or rebuilt) and the chancel was rebuilt. The tower is thought to date from the 14th century. In the 16th century the clerestory
was added. The church was restored between 1856 and 1859 when the walls of the aisles, the tower and the porch were rebuilt and a vestry
was added. The vestry was rebuilt in 1897, and the porch and part of the south aisle were rebuilt in 1906. In 1911 the vestry was modified to form the organ chamber.
limestone
rubble
with limestone dressings, and has terracotta tiled roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay
nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, a chancel with an organ chamber to the north, a south porch, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages with diagonal buttress
es and is surmounted by a battlement
ed parapet
. In the lowest stage is a west door with a pointed arch over which is a window with ogee
tracery
. The middle stage has lancet window
s and in the upper stage are two-light bell openings. The east window has three lights. The porch is gable
d with an empty niche
which once contained a statue of Saint Andrew
.
Internally the arcades
are in different styles, the south arcade being Early English while the north arcade is Perpendicular. The flooring is of 19th-century tiles. The font
also dates from the 19th century and is in 15th-century style.
An original 14th Century stained glass window is on loan to the Stained Glass Museum in Ely Cathedral
. This described as "one of the most delicate of all fourteenth-century windows in Cambridgeshire, showing St Catherine
holding her wheel". The second light in the window depicts St Lawrence, depicted under a decorative canopy.
In the church are several monuments, the best of which are to the memory of the Hussey family, as are the 1874 tiles and the reredos
. Under the chancel is the family vault
, placed between the hypocaust
system introduced in the 19th century. Also in the church are several early stone coffin lids.
The tower contains a ring
of four bells. Two of these were cast by Joseph Eayre, one in 1764, the other bell being undated. The other two bells were cast in 1841 by Thomas Mears II of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
. As of 2010, because of the condition of the tower, it is not possible for the bells to be rung.
After being delared redundant, the church was used as a major location in the 1984 TV film "And the Wall Came Tumbling Down", an episode of Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
(known as Fox Mystery Theater in the U.S.). In the film, the demolition of the church is a major plot point, as an attempt to remove a supporting wall leads to a horrific supernatural accident and the unearthing of a sinister historic cult.
It has been passed into the care of the charity
the Friends of Friendless Churches. The charity holds a 999 year lease
with effect from 24 June 1979.
The church's foundations are moving, the tower and the body of the church settling at different rates. There is also serious cracking in the chancel. The church has been examined by a structural engineer and by an architect, and their reports have been used to support an application for a grant towards repairs. The church is on the Heritage at Risk
Register. The organ is no longer present; it was made by the Casson Positive Company, and has been given to St Barnabas' Church, Huntingdon. A picture of the church appears on the cover of the book The Nation's Favourite Churches by Andrew Barr.
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 church standing in an isolated position in fields about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the north of the village of Woodwalton
Woodwalton
Woodwalton – in Huntingdonshire , England – is a village near Abbots Ripton south west of Ramsey. The civil parish of Wood Walton is spread over a wide area, the main village dissected by the East Coast Main Line...
, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England. It is about 200 metres (219 yd) to the east of the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
and is visible from the passing trains. The church 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 II* listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It campaigns for and rescues redundant historic churches threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. To that end, as of August 2010, it owns 43 former churches or chapels, 23 of which...
. As of 2010 it is not regularly open to visitors because its foundations are moving and it is unsafe.
Early history
The church is recorded in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
and at that time probably consisted of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
without aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s and a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. The isolated position of the church is thought to be due to its central location between Woodwalton Castle
Woodwalton Castle
Woodwalton Castle was a small motte and bailey castle at Church End, the northern end of the parish of Woodwalton, Huntingdonshire. Located on a natural hillock, the earthworks of the castle still remain, with an outer moat enclosing a circular bailey with a central motte. A large dyke, apparently...
, a motte and bailey castle to the north, Sawtry Abbey
Sawtry Abbey
Sawtry Abbey was a Cistercian abbey located between Sawtry and Woodwalton in Cambridgeshire, England. The abbey was founded in 1147 by Simon I de Senlis, Earl of Northampton, who was the grandson of Earl Waltheof and Judith, the niece of William the Conqueror who held the manor when the Domesday...
to the west and the village settlement
Woodwalton
Woodwalton – in Huntingdonshire , England – is a village near Abbots Ripton south west of Ramsey. The civil parish of Wood Walton is spread over a wide area, the main village dissected by the East Coast Main Line...
to the south. A considerable part of the parish forms part of Woodwalton Fen
Woodwalton Marsh
Woodwalton Marsh is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest managed as a nature reserve by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough. It is located north of the village of Wood Walton alongside the East Coast railway line.- References :-...
. In about 1250 the south aisle was added, and in about 1330 the north aisle was added (or rebuilt) and the chancel was rebuilt. The tower is thought to date from the 14th century. In the 16th century the clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
was added. The church was restored between 1856 and 1859 when the walls of the aisles, the tower and the porch were rebuilt and a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
was added. The vestry was rebuilt in 1897, and the porch and part of the south aisle were rebuilt in 1906. In 1911 the vestry was modified to form the organ chamber.
Architecture
St Andrew's is constructed in coursedCourse (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
with limestone dressings, and has terracotta tiled roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay
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:...
nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, a chancel with an organ chamber to the north, a south porch, and a west tower. The tower is in three stages with diagonal buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and is surmounted by a battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
. In the lowest stage is a west door with a pointed arch over which is a window with ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The middle stage has lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s and in the upper stage are two-light bell openings. The east window has three lights. The porch is gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d with an empty niche
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;...
which once contained a statue of Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
.
Internally the arcades
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
are in different styles, the south arcade being Early English while the north arcade is Perpendicular. The flooring is of 19th-century tiles. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
also dates from the 19th century and is in 15th-century style.
An original 14th Century stained glass window is on loan to the Stained Glass Museum in Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
. This described as "one of the most delicate of all fourteenth-century windows in Cambridgeshire, showing St Catherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
holding her wheel". The second light in the window depicts St Lawrence, depicted under a decorative canopy.
In the church are several monuments, the best of which are to the memory of the Hussey family, as are the 1874 tiles and the reredos
Reredos
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....
. Under the chancel is the family vault
Burial vault (tomb)
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
, placed between the hypocaust
Hypocaust
A hypocaust was an ancient Roman system of underfloor heating, used to heat houses with hot air. The word derives from the Ancient Greek hypo meaning "under" and caust-, meaning "burnt"...
system introduced in the 19th century. Also in the church are several early stone coffin lids.
The tower contains a ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
of four bells. Two of these were cast by Joseph Eayre, one in 1764, the other bell being undated. The other two bells were cast in 1841 by Thomas Mears II of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
. As of 2010, because of the condition of the tower, it is not possible for the bells to be rung.
Recent history and present day
Over the years items and material have been stolen from the church. Lead was taken from the roofs in 1956 and 1964. Since the church was declared redundant it has suffered from vandalism, with much of the stained glass and other fittings and furniture being damaged.After being delared redundant, the church was used as a major location in the 1984 TV film "And the Wall Came Tumbling Down", an episode of Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense was a short-lived anthology television series from Hammer Studios similar to the format now used by Masters of Horror in which several directors under contract to Hammer produced thirteen 69-73 min films for television. It is known in the United States as Fox...
(known as Fox Mystery Theater in the U.S.). In the film, the demolition of the church is a major plot point, as an attempt to remove a supporting wall leads to a horrific supernatural accident and the unearthing of a sinister historic cult.
It has been passed into the care of the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
the Friends of Friendless Churches. The charity holds a 999 year lease
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
with effect from 24 June 1979.
The church's foundations are moving, the tower and the body of the church settling at different rates. There is also serious cracking in the chancel. The church has been examined by a structural engineer and by an architect, and their reports have been used to support an application for a grant towards repairs. The church is on the Heritage at Risk
Heritage at Risk
Heritage at Risk is a collective term applied to 'designated' heritage assets that are at risk as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development, or are vulnerable to becoming so.In England, an annual Heritage at Risk Register is published by English Heritage...
Register. The organ is no longer present; it was made by the Casson Positive Company, and has been given to St Barnabas' Church, Huntingdon. A picture of the church appears on the cover of the book The Nation's Favourite Churches by Andrew Barr.