Descriptive Notes and Measurements.
Arranged Chronologically.
Class A.
Littleborough (St. Nicholas). A small Norman church, comprising chancel and nave with western bellcote. There are distinct traces of an opening beneath the cill at the south west corner of chancel, 2½ft. above floor, but it is now built up with "herring-bone" masonry to correspond with the walling. This is the only example I have found in the county in Norman work, and this was evidently a later insertion.
Flintham.
Flintham (St. Augustine of Canterbury). E.E. cruciform church with central tower. Transepts have gone to decay. Nave rebuilt. The string moulding round the chancel, upon which the cills of the lancets are set, is dropped down 2ft. at the west end, on both sides, to accommodate the cills of "low side windows." The one on north side is now glazed full length, but the one on south side has a block of stone 2ft. high in place of the shutter, and another piece of stone 5in. wide in place of the transom. Openings 18in. wide, 4ft. 6in. from ground to cill. The lower portion of the wide equal splays within appears to have been re-worked when the stone block was inserted, and there are other indications that a transom has been removed. The iron hooks for shutter hinges are still in the rebates on the western jambs. The church stands between the Hall on the west and the Parsonage and village on the east. There was a Rector and a Vicar here A.D. 1287.
Trowell (St. Helen). Early English chancel. Portion of the south side has been altered and rebuilt with Perpendicular work. On the north side, between the priest's door and the west end, is a lancet window, 10½in. wide, 5ft. 6in. high to springing, 32in. from floor to cill, and 4ft. from ground outside to cill. The lower portion appears to have had a shutter, but is now blocked up with a stone. Village and main road on north side of church.
Shelton (St. Mary and All Saints or St. Mary). E.E. chancel, rebuilt with old material. Western lancet 15in. wide, 3ft. from plinth to cill. Eastern lancet 11in. wide, 5½ft. from plinth to cill. Both windows are now glazed and no trace of shutters left. The jamb stones of the western lancet are marked with Roman numerals, I. to VII.
Orston (St. Mary). Early English chancel (40ft. long), restored 1888, the old stone, where sound, being re-used. Between the priest's door on south side and the east end of aisle, a beautiful two-light cusped window was inserted at a later date in place of the single lancet. Each light is 15in. wide, 2ft. 10in. from floor to cill, 3ft. 10in. from ground outside to cill, 7ft. 3½in. from cill to spring of arch. The internal splays are equal, but appear to have been wider in the lower part, which indicates a transom. The openings are now glazed. The houses lie all around but chiefly on the south side. On the jamb between the window and the door there is a "dial marking," 7in. diameter, and on the buttress in centre of south aisle there is a larger dial, 16in. diameter, marked with Roman numerals.
Gedling.
Gedling (All Hallows). Early English chancel (46ft. by 20ft.). Walls as high as string-course, built circa 1175; upper portion containing lancets added circa 1230, when a new priest's door was inserted to replace an older one. The western lancet was removed, 1320, and the present two-light Decorated window substituted (the tracery is modern, but an exact copy). Below this window there is an aperture 19in. wide, 36in. high, 4ft. 4in. from original floor to cill, and 5ft. 6in. from ground. The opening has wide equal splays inside, rebated for shutter; the upper iron hook on the west jamb and the catch for bolt still remain. On the north side of chancel, immediately opposite the "low side window," a three-light Perpendicular window was inserted (circa 1400), the cill coming a little below the string-course. There are two blocked doorways in the north wall; one of them was the entrance to a vestry now destroyed. A small lancet, high up, at west end of nave, probably gave light to the singing gallery.
Basford (St. Leodegarius). Early English chancel, with four lancets and priest's door on south side, details similar to the work at Gedling. Beneath the cill of western lancet, which is 7ft. 4in. above floor, a square-headed two-light opening, each light 12in. wide, 33in. high, with plain chamfered mullion between, but whether it had a shutter or not cannot be determined, as the opening is now built up and plastered over inside, and only shews on the outer walls, which now form the wall of a modern vestry, entered from the chancel by the ancient priest's door. The north side has been altered to make room for the organ. Although this church looks so very modern, the main walls are old, and contain some good Early English work. A small window in the eastern face of the belfry, in the western tower (rebuilt), looks into the church.
Keyworth.
Costock.
Keyworth (St.Mary the Virgin or St. Mary Magdalene). E.E. The window at the west end of the chancel on the south side has a transom level with adjoining windows, and a rectangular opening beneath 24in. square, the drip moulding being stepped to enclose it, 3ft. 2in. from floor to cill, 2ft. 8in. above ground. The internal cill is flat, and formed a seat; splays equal, but not so wide below transom as above it. The opening is now glazed, but retains the iron saddle bar and the hooks in the western jamb. There is a small "dial marking " on a stone close to the aperture. The village lies on the south side.
Costock, i.e. Cortlingstock (St. Giles). The western opening of a two-light Decorated window in the south wall of chancel is brought down below the cill, and forms an independent opening 16in. wide, 2ft. 5in. high, 2ft. 10½in. floor to cill, 4ft. ground to cill. This is the most perfect specimen of a shuttered opening in the county, and appears never to have been "stoned up." The oak shutter was in existence until 1862; the iron hinge hooks still remain in the western jamb; the iron slot for the bolt and two iron "turns" for fastening on the opposite side; flat cill, equal splays inside, making the internal opening 3ft. lin. wide and 16in. from chancel arch. Iron grille outside formed by two stancheons and two saddle bars. The Hall and village lie chiefly on the south. It is quite impossible to see the altar or the fresco, which once adorned the east wall, through this opening. The heights are suitable for confession if that theory is entertained, i.e. if we can say that the penitent stood up all the time and did not kneel. In my opinion the facts all favour the sacring bell theory.