Listed Building record MDR2574 - St Mary's Church, Church Lane, Newton Solney

St Mary's Church, Church Lane, Newton Solney, possibly originally a 12th century building. 'Apart from the mention of Newton Solney as one of the chapels of Repton in 1271 and 1279, no further reference to it can be found until 1552 when it was visited by the Church Goods Commissioners. The church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, and consists of nave and side aisles, chancel with north chapel, and tower surmounted by a spire at the west end. 'This picturesque little church contains an admixture of almost every style of architecture, the work of succeeding centuries being plainly written on its face'. The earliest work is 12th and 13th century work but the greater part is 14th century.' (1) 'St Mary the Virgin's Church is largely 14th century in date, with some Norman remnants, such as the doorway in the north wall of the tower. The roof was renewed in the 17th century and the church was rebuilt in 1880 by F J Robinson.' (3) 'The bells of St Mary's are of historical significance. One is dated to c1380 and made by an unknown founder from Leicester.' (4) From the National Heritage List for England: 'PARISH OF NEWTON SOLNEY CHURCH LANE SK 22 NE 1/48 19-1-67 Church of St Mary the Virgin II* Parish Church. C14, C15 , C18. Restoration in 1880 by F J Robinson. Coursed squared sandstone and ashlar. Welsh slate roofs with decorative ridge tiles. Chamfered plinth, plain and castellated parapets. West tower, aisled nave, south porch, chancel and north vestry. The south aisle continues alongside part of the chancel. West tower of two stages divided by a chamfer to the west. The west elevation has a 2-light window of c1300 with Y-tracery, set in a deeply splayed surround. The south side of the tower is embraced by the aisle. The north side has re-set carved C12 chevron decoration. Rectangular slit bell-openings to three sides. Recessed octagonal stone spire set behind battlements. Tall gabled lucarnes with Y-tracery and tiny lancet lucarnes high up. Lean-to north aisle has a plain E.E. west lancet and two heavy squat buttresses. To the north another buttress and a round arched doorway said to be Norman, but with its simple continuous roll moulding, more likely to be C17 or C18. Plank double doors with elaborate C19 hinges. To the left are two pairs of paired lancets in deep chamfered surrounds. Heads at the springing of the two arches in the centre. Clerestory has three 2-light windows under flat arches with cusped lancet lights. Gabled north vestry has a segmental arched doorway to west, a 3-light window with reticulated tracery to north and a low window with Y-tracery to east, all C19. To the north paired polygonal chimney stacks rise from half way up the gable, with foliage stops where they interrupt the coping. The chancel has to the north a window of two cusped depressed ogee lights under a flat arch. The chancel has angle buttresses and a C19 3-light east window with intersecting tracery with Dec and Perp motifs. The south side of the chancel has a 3-light window under a flat arch with the unusual tracery motif of cusped depressed ogees, inverted above and with lozenge shapes above again. A similar window is at Repton Church. Gabled south aisle. Pair of 2-light east windows with Y-tracery and elongated trefoils. Gableted buttresses divide the bays on the south side. All the windows have flat arches. The first from the east is of three lights with reticulated tracery. Then two 2-light windows with cusped lancet and trefoil motifs. A similar window beyond the gabled south porch. The porch entrance has roll and filleted mouldings and nook shafts. Hoodmould on foliage stops. C19 plank doors with scrolled C-hinges. Clerestory as on the north side. Interior: Three bay C14 arcades have octagonal piers and semi-octagonal responds. Moulded capitals and to south single chamfered, to north double chamfered arches. Tower arch with a step and a chamfer, the chamfered order on moulded corbels. No division between nave and chancel. Two-bay chancel north arcade with an octagonal pier and double chamfered, almost triangular, arches. One bay to south with C19, almost round arch. Double chamfered, the inner order on moulded corbels, similar to the tower arch. C19 boarded roof with arched principal trusses on corbels. C19 cusped wheel window over the tower arch, with nailhead. Two-bay arcade at the east end of the south aisle. Plain octagonal font, possibly C17. Recess in the south wall of the tower contains a broken effigy of a knight of c1375. Under the tower, the mid-C13 headless effigy of a knight . Also under the tower a late C14 alabaster effigy of a knight and a monument to Sir Henry Every +1709, erected c1734. By Thomas Carter the elder. Semi-reclining figure in Roman attire, originally with a pyramid behind. Single chamfered piscina in the south wall of the chancel. Tiled floors and most of the furnishings date from c1880. Several C19 stained glass windows, the east, c1862, with quite strong dramatic line and modelling. Listing NGR: SK2792425770.' (5)