Church Guide 4

The Exterior

After leaving the inside of the Church, the visitor is encouraged to take a walk round the outside.  The porch is a notable feature, with an attractively carved verse from George Herbert’s poem ‘Sunday’ adorning the space over the outer doors.

 

Immediately to the right as you leave the porch there is a statue of the Patron, St Osmund, raised up on the buttress.  Osmund was the first bishop of Salisbury, and died in 1099.  Some will tell you the church was given this dedication because it was the nearest name they could find to ‘Osmaston’, but the compiler of this guide is not convinced.

 

 

 

St Osmunds Church bellMove away from the porch onto the garden path to gain an idea of the building’s impressive height and sturdy brick construction.  The roof is covered in Cornish slate and the small pinnacle belfry houses a single bell, removed from St James the Less.

 

 

 

The protruding vestry block was a later addition in the 1930’s.  The more modern church hall was added to the buildings on the campus in the early 1970’s, when the original sunken garden and crucifix were removed.  Pevsner describes the building as ‘A pleasant brick church with lancet windows, transept, and a fleche’ (a spire with windows).

 

 

 

 St Osmunds Churchyard and vicarage

 

 

The land for the church was given by the Midland Railway.

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