Listed Building record MDR4282 - St James' Church, Annwell Lane, Smisby

St James' Church, Annwell Lane, Smisby, originally a 13th century building. 'Smithsby [sic] was originally a chapel of the mother church of Repton, but at an early date, certainly as early as the 13th century, it possessed rights of baptism and sepulture and was regarded as a parochial chapelry. It is a small church, dedicated to St. James, and consists of nave, south aisle, chancel, and tower at the west end. It contains 13th, 14th and 15th century work, as well as 16th century panelling along the chancel walls and the base of the tower. The wood was brought here from Moira Baths 'about forty years ago' [ie in the 1830s], having been previously taken to Moira from Ashby Castle when it was dismantled.' (1) Traces of possible earlier foundations, incorporating an architectural fragment, were uncovered during the implementation of a drainage scheme immediately outside the church in early 1995. (2) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 31 NW 6/67 PARISH OF SMISBY ANNWELL LANE (north side) Church of St James 19-01-67 GV I Parish church. C13, C14, C15, C16 and C19. Coursed squared sandstone with sandstone dressings. Roofs hidden behind plain and battlemented parapets. Chamfered plinth. West tower, clerestoried nave and chancel in one, south aisle and porch, north vestry. West tower of two stages divided by a chamfered string course. Diagonal buttresses to west, angle to east. The south side has a large circular clock face in recessed surround, and a tiny rectangular window below. To the west a three-light window with cusped lancet lights under a four-centred arch. Various tiny rectangular openings. Two-light bell-openings in each direction, with two plain lancet lights and mullions rising from the apex of the lancets. Tall battlemented parapet with four obelisk pinnacles. The north side has a C19 vestry with plain three-light chamfered mullion windows and a doorway with chamfered surround. The north side of the nave and chancel has two buttresses and three two-light chamfered mullion windows under flat arches. Tall three-light east window with bar tracery, and a piece of walling built up into the centre light. The south side of the chancel has a two-light chamfered mullion window and a small single light window placed at an angle. The south aisle has a cross window to the east and two plain two-light recessed and chamfered mullion windows to south. Gabled south porch with moulded copings and plain kneelers. Four-centred arched doorway with hollow moulding. Raised and fielded panelled doors. Single lancet to west end of south aisle. Three two-light recessed and chamfered mullion windows to the clerestory. INTERIOR: low three-bay arcade has circular piers and capitals and double-chamfered arches. Double-chamfered tower arch, the inner order on moulded capitals. A diagonal passage leads from the south aisle into the chancel. Trefoiled piscina in the south aisle. Square aumbry recess to chancel south. Tall unmoulded octagonal font. MONUMENTS: at the west end of the south aisle an alabaster effigy of Joan Comyn, mid C14, and an incised alabaster slab to W Kendall +1500 and wife. On the north wall of the chancel an impressive wall monument to Henry Kendall +1627 and wife, with large kneeling figures facing each other across a prayer dusk. Kneeling children below. Re-used C16 linenfold panelling from Ashby-de-la-Zouch castle, as the dado behind the altar. Raised and fielded panelling in the vestry also said to have come from Ashby. Listing NGR: SK3479619130.' (3)