Details
ALTHORNE FAMBRIDGE ROAD
TQ 99 NW
(north side)
6/3
Parish Church of
11.53
St Andrew
- II*
Parish church. Late C14, altered in early C16, restored in C20. Dressed flint
and stone rubble, with dressings of limestone, clunch and red brick. Chancel of
red brick in English bond. Roofed with handmade red clay tiles. Nave late C14.
Chancel early C16. W tower c.1500. S porch C18. The Chancel has windows in
the E, N and S walls substantially C20, and a substantially C20 S doorway. The
Chancel-arch is C20 except for the plain responds. The Nave has in the N wall 3
windows; the 2 eastern windows are C15, partly restored, each of 2 trefoiled
lights in a 4-centred head with a moulded label; the western window is late C15,
of 2 pointed lights in a square head with moulded label; the heads of all 3
windows have been rebuilt, with alternate flint and red brick voussoirs
externally. Between the 2 western windows is the C14 N doorway of clunch, with
moulded jambs and 2-centred arch, much decayed externally, plain internally,
blocked with red brick. At the E end of the wall is a rood stair, projecting
externally, with a plain lower doorway with square head, blocked. The upper
doorway is in the angle of the N and E walls, each of which has half an arch of
4-centred curvature, rebuilt. In the S wall are 3 windows uniform with those in
the N wall. Between the western windows is the C14 S doorway, with moulded
jambs and 4-centred arch. Moulded cornice and crenellated parapet, restored.
The W tower is in 3 stages, with a stair-turret in the NE corner. The 2-centred
tower-arch is of 3 chamfered orders, the lower part blocked, and the responds
rebuilt in brick. The W window is C20. Flanking it are 2 plain crosses of
brick. The W doorway has moulded jambs and segmental-pointed arch with a
moulded label enriched with carved flowers. The S and W walls of the second
stage have each a window with a trefoiled head and jambs carved with flowers.
The bell-chamber has in each wall a window of 2 cinquefoiled lights under a
4-centred head with moulded label. The stair-turret is lit by 2 chamfered loops
and 2 quatrefoils. There is a string at the level of the bell-chamber windows,
a moulded cornice, and a crenellated parapet faced with dressed flint in a
trellis pattern of stone, restored. Above the W doorway is an inscription in
black letter '+ Orate pro animabus dominorum Johannis Wylson et Johannis Hyll
quorum animabus propicietur deus amen', decayed at the bottom. The plain C18 S
porch is cement-rendered. Fittings: In the S wall of the nave is a C15 piscina
with rounded head and round drain. The font, c.1400, has an octagonal bowl with
sunk panels richly carved with figures (a) baptism of a king (b) man and woman
(c) king and queen (d) seraph (e) 2 men with scrolls (f) martyrdom of St Andrew
(g) 2 figures of men, a moulded under-edge carved with angels (defaced),
panelled stem, with 2 ranges of cusped panels divided by a crenellated band, and
a moulded base carved with square flowers. In the nave there are brasses (1) of
William Hyklott, 1508, 'which paide for the werkmanship of the wall of this
churche', figure in civil costume, Trinity, and indents of 2 children (2) to
Margaret Hyklott, 1502, figures of 2 daughters, one habited as a nun, a Virgin
and child, indent only of main figure. Under the font is a floor slab to
Elizabeth Gordon, 1701. There are 2 bells, the first by Thomas Harrys, late
C15, inscribed 'Vox Augustine Sonet in Aure Dei', the second by Miles Graye,
1638. There is a roughly scratched sundial on a S buttress of the nave. RCHM
1.
Listing NGR: TQ9090398926
