ENTRANCE PORCH
The square flagstone with two metal rings covers the place where the remains of an unknown child were laid to rest at an unrecorded date.

WEST END
On entering the church, you will have passed through an inner door with two glass panels and, as was mentioned earlier, they give the date (1233) when the first mention of a priest in the parish of Alwinton was recorded. These panels were donated by the local community through fund raising quiz nights in the Star Inn, Harbottle as part of the churches redecoration scheme in celebration of the Millennium 2000.

Fonts: There are two fonts. The plain rounded bowl font is from the Reormation and is used for baptisms, whilst the one from the late Victorian period is in the north isle.

THE WINDOWS
All the stained glass at Alwinton was made by Wailes & Strang (1838-1860), Newcastle upon Tyne. With 100 employees, they were the second largest stain glass manufacturer in the country outside of London. William Wailes (1808-1881) who founded the company lived in Saltwell Towers, Gateshead and donated Saltwell Park to the town. He was trained by Augustus Pugen. The factory moved to Bath Lane, Newcastle in 1841, with the showroom in the Exchange Building - now occupied by J.G.Windows Ltd. He was joined by his son in law Strang in 1860. His grandson, William Wailes made the South Choir window of Lindisfarne Church, Holy Island in 1915.

NORTH AISLE
The lower part of the north wall is described as ancient and may predate the Norman Conquest, and like the foundations of the chancel this is all that remains of the original church. The 13th century east wall contains a piscina from the same period, used to drain away holy water to prevent its reuse. This aisle contained the Shilmoor, Clennell, and Barrow porches, and the renaissance table tombs are those of the Clennell family.

The modern altar is dedicated to Marie Todd, a committed Christian who served Alwinton parish for many years and to the memory of her husband.

CHANCEL ARCH
The present archway was built on the foundations of the Norman arch, which was pulled down during the rebuilding of the church in 1851.

CHANCEL
The chancel contains the oldest remaining parts of the 11th century church being the foundations from the archway and up to half its length along the north wall, and the foundations for two thirds of the south wall, incorporating the lancet windows.

The east gable is 17th/18th century with a three light window inserted in 1852 made by Wailes & Strang of Newcastle upon Tyne.

The north wall has a lancet window, set low near its west end, which has been widened by cutting back from the outside.

The reconstructed south wall contains another 13th century piscina though this one differs from that in the north aisle by having a plain pointed fenestella.

Next comes a 19th century two light window with 14th century tracery at its head. This is followed by an 11th century or early 12th century window, whilst the windows on the west end of the chancel in the north and south walls, are 13th century. The ‘modern’ Priest’s door was added in the 17th century.

As was described earlier, the difference in height between the nave and the chancel was the result of raising the chancel floor in the 14th century to provide a family crypt for the Clennell family. This was sealed off in the 1960s and is no longer in use.

THE SOUTH AISLE/ BIDDLESTONE PORCH
Once the Selby family’s private Lady Chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it was also their private burial chamber prior to them using the crypt below the chancel. In 1991, it was re-furbished by the parish to be used as a place to meet, particularly after worship.

A gravestone dated 1774 is to be found in the southwest corner.

The south aisle also contains the Fenwick-Clennell vault and a mural dated 1796.

EXTERNAL POINTS OF INTEREST
Built into the gable end of the south porch: The coat of arms of Thomas Selby and Elizabeth Lumsden. A curiously shaped cross once stood on the lower-pitched 17th century gable.

East Gable: One of the quoins at the southeast corner has ‘Roman’ cross-hatching and may have been from a pre-conquest building.

The church bell: The first church bell, gifted by ‘Mr Tho. Selby of Bitelson and Mr Louk Clennell of Clennell’ in 1771 was badly cracked and on the 20 May 1990 Helen Richardson of Harbottle presented the parish with a new bell cast from the original metal by John Taylor of Loughborough. It is dedicated in memory of Bernard her husband who was the doctor here for many years.