The church of ST. OSWALD is a small building consisting of a chancel measuring internally 17 ft. 8 in. by 14 ft. 9 in. and nave 40 ft. by 17 ft. 3 in., with a modern north vestry and a south porch.
The earliest part of the present church dates from about 1150, and though the walls have been much rebuilt they follow the original lines. The only parts of the 12th-century church are the chancel arch and part of the south doorway. The rest is modern restoration of 1860; the windows replaced by the present ones were square-headed.
The chancel is lighted by two modern roundheaded lights in the east and south walls. There is a modern vestry doorway in the north wall. The chancel arch has jambs of two square orders with attached shafts in the rebates on the nave side. The bells of the capitals are modern; the abaci, which are moulded, appear to be original. The soffits and faces of the two orders of the round arch are enriched with zigzag roll and hollow moulding.
All the windows of the nave are modern. Below the middle window on the north side are signs of a blocked doorway. The south doorway retains its cheveron-moulded semicircular 12th-century head, but the jambs are modern. The porch and roofs are modern.
The font is of 12th-century date, and is an unusually interesting one. Until the time of the restoration of the church it served as a base for the pulpit, being reversed so that the bowl rested on the floor. It was so covered with plaster that there was no external indication of its original form. When it was cleaned, the bowl, which is circular in plan, was found to be carved with some of the signs of the Zodiac, the Ram and the Bull and the Centaur with his bow and arrow shooting at a human figure with a radiant face, evidently representing the sun; below the top edge is a round mould with a zigzag ornament. It has been reset for use on a modern base and stem near the south doorway. The other furniture is modern.
There are two bells set in a modern bellcote above the west gable.
The communion service is of Sheffield plate and quite plain.
The registers begin in 1725.
[From British History Online]
If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication
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