St. James' Anston - The Exterior

A view of the south elevation

The parish of Anston comprises the settlements of North Anston and South Anston - separated by Anston Brook - which marks the course of a fast flowing river that once cut through the escarpment of Magnesian Limestone in the Quaternary Period to form a steep sided gorge that is now occupied by Anston Stones Wood.

A view of the north elevation

Although both of these villages, like the nearby Thorpe Salvin and Laughton-en-le-Morthen, are recorded in Domesday Book as being held by Roger de Busli, the church of St. James - which occupies high ground in South Anston - contains only a few fragments of recycled fragments of Norman masonry in its interior.

A view of the east elevation and chancel window

The church, as seen from the exterior, is essentially 14th century Decorated Gothic in style, with a 15th century Perpendicular Gothic tower and clerestory and later restorations and additions from the 19th and 20th century respectively.

A view of the west tower

The entrance to the churchyard was built in 1920 as the Memorial Gatehouse in the form of an embattled lych gate with gables and crosses and contains war memorials dedicated to those who lost their lives in both WWI and WWII.

General views of the lychgate and its war memorials

Walking around the church, the tracery to the chancel and the heavily weathered head stops to the clerestory are the most interesting details, but it is the Westmorland slate roofs and the use of Portland limestone and Rotherham Red sandstone in the north aisle that is of interest to geologists and restorers of historic buildings.

Weathered headstops to the clerestory

With several dolomitic limestone quarries in the vicinity, it is surprising that the north aisle has been essentially rebuilt in Jurassic Portland limestone from Dorset and that various phases of repair have used Rotherham Red sandstone, neither of which would be considered to be a good match for restoration work.

Portland limestone used to restore the north aisle

To the north elevation of the chancel, there are also a series of large memorials, of a type normally seen inside a church, and grey granites – fashionable in the Victorian period – are mixed with dolomitic limestone here.

Various monuments to the north elevation of the chancel