Through the centuries

The original Church was small and without a tower, and it dated from 1190 A.D. Its body was set with massive pillars and Norman arches on each side, with narrow north and south aisles outside these. Of these arches, only those on the north side of the nave remain, and these form the oldest part of the Church as it stands today. The foundations of the original opposite pillars were found under the floor during work on a heating system in 1885. These (southern) pillars were removed towards the end of the 15th century, when the nave was widened and the present octagonal pillars with their Gothic archways were built on that side.

At this time the ancient narrow northern aisle was removed and the remaining Norman arches on that side filled up, to form the outer wall of the Church. At this time the Limerstone Chapel (a part of the present south aisle) was built, the whole Church being enlarged and widened. A doorway occupied the position of the centre arch in the north wall, and a porch was built over this in 1617. This porch was present in 1793, but was taken down in 1852 when the infilling of the arches was removed and the north aisle reconstructed.

The Nave. The massive Norman pillars have tilted over the years, owing to the weight of a heavy roof. They are now stable, and the iron ties, that help to achieve this, may be seen
crossing the nave below the roof. The western Norman pillar shows the remains of 'dog-tooth' decoration at the springing of the two arches which arise from it, and this evidently extended, along the whole length of the arcade of arches.

The Font is octagonal and probably of the 14th century or a little later. It is of generous dimensions to allow the complete immersion of an infant, as sometimes practised in those times, and there is panelling on each face of the shaft. Upon the southwestern pillar of the nave an ancient stone rectangle is seen, with canopy and moulding and a ledge. Here, it is believed, stood a small statue of the Virgin Mary, the Font being in front of it before its removal to its present position. The ledge may have been for a book.

The Pulpit is of blackened oak and is panelled and richly carved. It is Jacobean, having been placed in the Church in the time of
James I; at one time a sounding board was suspended over it.

The Lectern was a gift of Edward Way of Limerstone, a churchwarden for nearly fifty years in the latter part of the 19th century.

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