Lancashire

Churches

A small medieval church founded in c.1136 by the Knights Hospitallers

The chapel-like church of St Saviour, Stydd, can be found at the end of a small lane on the edge of the village of Ribchester. From a distance its low, grey form makes it virtually indistinguishable from the nearby agricultural buildings and cottages. Here, in the C12, was a preceptory (small community) of the Knights Hospitallers, and this was their church.

The building that stands today is a nave and chancel in one, with a south porch. Its oldest datable  features are the Norman windows. On the north wall there are two of these. They are tall, narrow and round-headed, with splays outside and in, and hoodmoulds. Between them is a small blocked doorway, probably of the same age. It has an arch with a single chamfer. Above is a hoodmould with zig-zag moulding. When was it put there?

The south side of the church is quite a contrast. The doorway is Early English with, interestingly, both waterleaf and stiff leaf capitals, making its date early C13. The moulding of the arch is deeply undercut, but the columns are all attached. A tall, narrow lancet towards the east end is of a similar age. At some time it appears to have been widened at the lower end, probably to give more light to the pulpit. The porch that now covers the entry to the church must be considerably later. It has no obvious features by which it can be dated, but is probably C18 or early C19. Over the entrance is a massive straight lintel.

The large east window has three lights and intersecting tracery characteristic of the late C13. High on the west wall is a smaller two light window with "Y" tracery of the same period. The remaining windows on the south wall - both straight-headed - apparently came from the nearby St Wilfrid's, Ribchester, in the C17. The easternmost of the two has no hoodmould, and cusped heads to its three lights. It is probably C15. The other window is likely to be C16 and also has three lights, but these are round headed. Above is a hoodmould.

On the west wall of the church, at a high level is a blocked doorway. This may have connected the preceptory buildings to the church. A wooden gallery or balcony, and perhaps stairs, would have been fixed at the west end of the church allowing members of the community to observe or take part in the services.

The interior of the church is paved with large stone "flags". The walls are rendered and whitewashed, with only the window surrounds showing the underlying stone. We know that many medieval churches had painted stonework and murals, and floors covered in rushes. Stydd may have conformed to this type. However, in remote, and relatively impoverished areas, it is likely that churches were more basic, with roughcast and plain stonework. Entering St Saviour one has the feeling that today's visitor sees a scene that is less removed from that of 800 years ago than would be the case with many churches.

The furnishings of the church are few and basic. The font is C16 and very similar to that at St Bartholomew's Chipping. It is octagonal with shields and crude carvings on each face. It is possible that both fonts are the work of the same person. It was the gift of Sir Thomas Pemberton, the Preceptor of Newland.

The south door is medieval, of oak, with metal studs. Leaning against the blocked north doorway, and probably once filling it, stands the remains of another, similar, door.

The pulpit is raised on a rough stone base, and is C17 with plain panelling. Above, the tester is made of fabric in a light wooden framework! The screen is also C17. It has rectangular fielded panels below and tall balusters above. As with the pulpit it is very basic work.

Behind the screen is an empty stone coffin and the grave of Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Petre who lived at nearby Showley Hall. His burial was on Christmas Eve of 1775. On the wall a wooden memorial records the restoration of the church in 1925, and its re-opening on September 12th of that year. It notes that the cost of £500 was met by "parishioners and friends". A further plaque records a donation of £40 in 1925 for the repair of the building. It was from The Incorporated Church Building Society and was made "upon condition that all the sittings are for the free use of the parishioners and that a collection be given annually to the Society." I wonder if it is?

View from the south

The west (left) wall may have been connected to a hospital building. A high doorway remains.

View from the north east

The late C13 east window has intersecting tracery. The north wall has two Norman windows.

Unadorned interior

The character of the interior reminds us of how many medieval churches would have been.

Capitals - south doorway

The waterleaf (left) and stiff leaf capitals (right) are characteristic of the Early English period.

Font (early C16)

The Late Perpendicular font was a gift from Sir Thomas Pemberton.

Photographs and text © Tony Boughen