The Church of St. Mary Magdalene

A general view of the south elevation

The oldest building in the village of Whiston is the church of St. Mary Magdalene, which dates back to c.1180, and although my attempts to gain access to the exterior were unsuccessful, I continued my exploration of the village by having a look at its exterior.

A general view of the north elevation

Although the restoration of 1881-83 by the architect John Oldrid Scott has drastically altered the original church, with the whole north elevation, the chancel, porch and the upper parts of the tower being added at the time, there are substantial parts of the mediaeval structure remaining.

A general view of the tower

Starting at the tower, although the remaining Norman masonry is obscured by a thick growth of ivy, which largely covers the south elevation, the irregularly coursed and squared rubble walling to the west and north is 13th century and contrasts strongly with the Victorian masonry to the castellated parapet and the buttresses.

A detail of the parapets to the tower

The porch, with fine grotesques and a niche with a statue of the Virgin Mary, has been built onto the north aisle, which has 12th century foundations but is otherwise 13th and 15th century in date, with the style of the windows and parapets reflecting the later period of building.

Details of the Victorian porch

The south chapel, also of 15th century date and with very similar architectural details, is constructed partly in Rotherham Red sandstone and buff coloured sandstone - which comprises the entire parapet and large sections of walling - and the condition of the stonework to the walling indicates that large sections have been refaced.

The south chapel

Looking closely at the walls, there are various examples of conservative repairs using stone slips – a method of repair which is no longer fashionable, but which was considered a good alternative to a whole stone being replaced in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Examples of conservative repair with stone slips