St Giles Stanton St Quintin

Stanton St Quintin is a small but lively village church. The churchyard is a 'Living Churchyard' which has its own facebook page, and to read about Liz's experience as an 'anchorite' see here!

The most obvious feature of the church is its Norman central tower, although the upper parts are a Victorian addition in 1851 by Hakewill.  The south arcade is from the early 13th century and is notably higher than the tower arch.  The doorway is an architectural puzzle: the shafts and capitals are clearly Norman with beasts’ heads biting into the shafts, but the arch and hood-mould reflects the south arcade.  It may be a later assemblage.  The Perpendicular chancel arch is original but the rest of the ornate chancel dates to 1888 and is by Ponting.  A curious doorway may be seen from the altar, above the chancel arch; maybe to watch the altar from a room in the tower.

The small font is Norman and there are two good sculptures: on the outside west wall of the nave, a Norman figure of the seated Christ whose feet rest on a dragon, and a small Perpendicular St Christopher above the doorway.  Other animals and faces run around the outside walls.  The carved stone pulpit was placed in the church in 1893.

In recent years the interior of the church has been reordered to make it a practical space for all kinds of events.