St James, Norton
Encyclopedia
St James' Church lies in the Norton district of Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
.
Although the village of Norton was recorded in the Domesday Book
, no church was noted. John Charles Cox believed that the first church in the village was probably founded by Robert FitzRanulph, who also founded nearby Beauchief Abbey
. One doorway survives from this earliest period, surrounded by heavily restored zigzag moulding.
lies in the churchyard. Its gritstone
base, with four steps, and plinth are thought by English Heritage
to be original, while its socket stone and shaft are believed to be 18th- or 19th-century replacements. It is not known whether the replacement shaft original carried a new cross, or whether it instead supported a sundial
. The cross is a scheduled ancient monument
, and is grade II listed.
The Chantrey family tomb also lies in the graveyard. It was designed by the sculptor Francis Chantrey, and was completed in 1841. He is among the family members buried there. The tomb is also grade II listed.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
.
Although the village of Norton was recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
, no church was noted. John Charles Cox believed that the first church in the village was probably founded by Robert FitzRanulph, who also founded nearby Beauchief Abbey
Beauchief Abbey
Beauchief Abbey is a former abbey in Sheffield, England. Beauchief is prounounced bee-chiff.-History:The abbey was founded by Robert FitzRanulf de Alfreton. Thomas Tanner, writing in 1695, stated that it was founded in 1183...
. One doorway survives from this earliest period, surrounded by heavily restored zigzag moulding.
Churchyard
A mediaeval preaching crossPreaching cross
A preaching cross is a cross, sometimes surmounting a pulpit, erected out of doors to designate a preaching place.In Britain and Ireland, many free-standing upright crosses – or high crosses – were erected. Some of these crosses bear figurative or decorative carvings, or inscriptions in runes...
lies in the churchyard. Its gritstone
Gritstone
Gritstone or Grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone. This term is especially applied to such sandstones that are quarried for building material. British gritstone was used for millstones to mill flour, to grind wood into pulp for paper and for grindstones to sharpen blades. "Grit" is...
base, with four steps, and plinth are thought 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...
to be original, while its socket stone and shaft are believed to be 18th- or 19th-century replacements. It is not known whether the replacement shaft original carried a new cross, or whether it instead supported a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
. The cross is a scheduled ancient monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
, and is grade II listed.
The Chantrey family tomb also lies in the graveyard. It was designed by the sculptor Francis Chantrey, and was completed in 1841. He is among the family members buried there. The tomb is also grade II listed.