| Summary : Parish church with a tower dating to the 11th and 13th centuries, arcades dating to the 13th and 14th centuries, rebuilt aisles of 1879 and a mid 19th century rebuilt chancel. It is constructed from dressed stone with a Welsh slate roof and consists of a west tower, nave, south porch, chancel and vestry. |
More information : NU 0193 1630 Ingram Church. Of the pre-Conquest structure all that is known to remain is the lower part of the west gable on either side of the tower arch, which was then inserted in the old wall. (A tentative date of about 1050 for the west wall of the nave, and about 1060 for the insertion of the arch is suggested).
The tower which is said to be Saxo-Norman, was not bonded to the old gable, the face of which had been pointed before the tower was built. This tower was rebuilt on the original foundations with original materials 1895-1908. (See plan from authority 1). (1)
Ingram Church, dedicated to St Michael, "has a square Norman
west tower which is clearly a later addition to a pre-existing
nave. (Possibly pre-Conquest nave).
The tall thin walls of the nave have later been pierced by pointed arcades, but considerable sections of the original walling remain at the west as evidence of the earlier, aisleless plan.
No doorways or windows have survived to fix the character of the
original fabric with certainty, but we are inclined to accept it as pre-Conquest on the evidence of its having preceeded the Norman tower and of its thin side walls." (2)
The original pre-Conquest walling is only visible from within the Baptistry on the north side of the tower arch about 3.0m - 4.0m
above floor level and although its thickness is not directly
measurable by estimation it would appear to be approximately
0.2m to 0.3m in thickness. The majority of this original walling
is covered by the later reconstructed Norman tower (built from the original dressed ashlar) and the facing of the tower arches.
Sections of weathered undressed stone are visible in the upper
part of the nave arcade (about 0.5m wide) which has been pierced with later 13th century arches, and could possible represent parts of the original pre-Conquest walling referred to by authority 2, the
date of which is not indicated on the reproduced plan.
The church is at present used as the Parish Church of Ingram. (3)
Grade II* Church of St. Michael Parish church. Tower C11 and C13. Arcades C13 and C14. Aisles rebuilt 1879. Chancel rebuilt mid C19. Dressed stone, Welsh slate roof. West tower, nave, south porch, chancel and vestry. Unbuttressed broad, square, west tower. Small C12 window in lower stage, paired lancets in bell stage. Plain parapet. 4-bay nave with lancets;2-bay chancel. East end has 3 stepped lancets with shafts and shaft rings. Interior: C11 unmoulded tower arch on plain imposts. 3-bay north and south arcades have octagonal piers with moulded bases and capitals and double-chamfered arches, those on south side with
fleurs de lys at the point of springing. Plain west responds look C11 but with semi-octagonal bases so may be later rebuilding. To east of arcades are stretches of solid wall with concave cornices round 3 sides, and then another bay with similar octagonal responds and arches whose capitals are of C14 type. C14 chancel arch. Lower half of C14 monument to a priest built into chancel north wall. Octagonal font with heraldic panels, leaf forms, geometric patterns and the date, March 11th 1662.
Grade II Lychgate, 20 yards East of Church of St. Michael
Lychgate. c1920. Ashlar base, oak frame and local slate roof.
Entrances formed of arched tie beams on moulded curved braces, King and Queen posts above. Sides have similar construction but with plain studs below the tie beam. Cross-gabled roof. (4)
Not dealt with in the course of the RCHME: SE Cheviots Project. (5)
|