Listed Building record MDR12547 - St Katherine's Church, Church Lane, Rowsley

A parish church that was built in 1855 by Salvin Junior, and was later extended in 1859. It has been built in the Neo-Norman style, of coursed squared and rock-faced sandstone and ashlar. It has a plain tile roof with decorative ridge cresting, and stone coped gables with cross finials. It comprises nave and north aisle with east chapel, south porch, chancel, vestry and organ chamber. The north side is of three bays, divided by pilaster buttresses and with bracket corbels between, beneath the eaves. Inside is a low three-bay north arcade, which has circular piers and semi-circular responds. There are plain round arches from the north aisle into the north chapel and from the chancel into the organ chamber. The nave roof has arched principal trusses on stone corbels. There is a Neo-Norman ashlar font with a wooden cover. In the north aisle is an Anglo-Saxon cross head, dated to the mid 9th century (see SMR 12202). Also in the north aisle an 18th century stone tablet inscribed in excellent script to a charity left by Rachael Ashbourn. The north east chapel has a tiled floor and a rich Decorated style tomb chest with the recumbent effigies of Lady John Manners +1859 and her daughter. The excellently carved effigies are signed by W Calder Marshall RA, London 1862. The chapel is enclosed by wrought iron gates and a screen. There are various 19th century stained glass windows. (1)