Details
TL 73 NE GREAT YELDHAM CHURCH ROAD, West Side
4/33 Parish Church of St.
2l.6.62 Andrew
GV I
Parish church, mainly C14 and C15. Walls of flint rubble with limestone
dressings, except the S gable of the porch, which is of red brick. The lower
stages of the W tower are of flint and brick rubble with limestone dressings,
the top stage of red brick in English bond. Roofs of W tower and N aisle of
lead, others of handmade red clay tiles. Chancel, Nave and N aisle c.1350,
S tower c.1400 later converted to S porch, S chapel and W tower late C15, upper
room and brick gable over S porch added in early C16, S vestry, organ-chamber
and general restoration C19. The E window of the Chancel is C19. In the N
wall are 2 mid-C14 windows; the eastern is of 2 trefoiled ogee lights with
tracery under a segmental-pointed head and chamfered label. The western window,
restored, is of one lancet light carried down below a transom to form a low-side
window; the upper light is rebated for a shutter or casement; the lower light
is chamfered. In the S wall is a window similar to the eastern window in the
N wall, but the sill is carried down to form a seat; the splays are cut square,
with trefoiled and sub-cusped heads, C14. Further W is a C19 arch. The mid-C14
Chancel arch is 2-centred and moulded, and has moulded responds with moulded
capitals and bases. Plain wooden corbels project on both sides to support the
former rood-beam. The screen is late C15, restored, of 6 bays with cinquefoiled
ogee and sub-cusped heads, tracery above them, buttresses and pinnacles between
the bays, moulded and crenellated cornice and moulded middle rail, close lower
panels with traceried heads, the 4 lower panels on the S side with remains of
painted figures (a) almost obliterated (b) of St. Ursula with arrow and book
(c) bishop or abbot with claw-hammer, probably St. Eloy (d) St. Edmund the King.
On each side of the chancel-arch is a C15 squint with cinquefoiled ogee head
on the E face and a V-head on the W face. The roof of the chancel is C19, with
one chamfered tiebeam with step stops. The Nave has a N arcade of 2 bays,
c.1350; the arches are segmental-pointed and moulded; the column is moulded
and shafted, with a moulded capital and base; the responds have attached similar
half-columns. To the E there is an opening, mainly C19, but incorporating a
quatrefoil drain in the sill, C14. In the S wall there is a 4-centred arch,
late C15, of 2 chamfered orders on the S side and one continuous moulded order
on the N side; the responds are chamfered and shafted, with moulded bases and
capitals. Further W is the late C14 S doorway, with moulded and chamfered jambs
and 2-centred arch, and segmental-pointed rear-arch. The chamfered label has
mutilated head-stops. The doors are original, of V-edged boards on battens,
with a wrought iron scutcheon and drop-handle. Near the W end of the wall is
a blocked doorway leading to the stair-turret of the former S tower, with
chamfered jambs and a moulded 2-centred arch, late C14. The nave roof is C19,
with one chamfered tiebeam with step stops. The N aisle has in the E wall a
window which is mainly C19, except the moulded splays and segmental-pointed
rear-arch, c.1350. In the N wall are 2 windows, mainly C19 except the splays
and the segmental-pointed rear-arch of the western window, C14. Below the
western window are traces of the original N doorway. The window in the W wall
is C19, except some re-used jamb-stones and the moulded splays and rear-arch,
C14. The S chapel has in the S wall a window which is mainly C19, except the
lower part of the moulded splays, C15. In the S wall there is a piscina with
moulded jambs, cinquefoil ogee head and quatrefoil drain, C14. The W tower was
built entirely c.1490. It is of 3 stages with a moulded plinth and strings, a
SE semi-octagonal stair-turret, and a crow-stepped crenellated parapet; the
middle merlon on each side has a carved figure of an angel, and there are
crocketed
pinnacles at the angles; the offsets of the angle buttresses have crenellated
cornices. The 2-centred tower-arch is of 3 moulded or chamfered orders, the
2 outer being continuous; the inner order of the respond has moulded bases and
capitals. In the S wall the doorway to the stair-turret has chamfered jambs
and a 4-centred arch. The W doorway has a richly moulded 2-centred arch and
jambs with a moulded label mitred to a square label, with plain spandrels. The
W doors are original, the rear frames of ledges and stiles rivetted at the
crossings, with continuous curved edge members hollow-moulded at the front, and
hollow-moulded fillets over the joints between the planks. The partly restored
W window is of 3 trefoiled ogee lights with vertical tracery in a segmental-
pointed head with a moulded label. In the W wall of the second stage there is a
small window of one trefoiled light with a moulded square label; the head of the
light is blind. The bell-chamber has in each wall a window of 3 trefoiled and
transomed lights under a 4-centred head with a moulded label and head-stops.
The S porch is the ground stage of the mid-C14 S tower, never finished. It is
of 2 storeys with an attic, and has a crow-stepped S gable of brick. The outer
entrance has richly moulded responds with moulded bases and capitals, and a
moulded 2-centred arch with an ogee label which is moulded and crocketed;
flanking it are small pilasters finished with gablets, pinnacles and carved
finials. The E and W walls each have a small window of one pointed light with
moulded jambs, head and label; the eastern one now opens into the S chapel. The
S gable has a blocked window of 3 pointed lights under a square head with a
moulded label; to each side of it there is a niche with moulded jambs, pointed
head and ogee label, crocketed, and with carved finials and stops, C14. In the
porch is a stoup having an arched recess with hollow-moulded edge, a rectangular
well, with cusped designs below it, probably C14. The font has an octagonal
bowl with moulded lower edge, the stem panelled on 5 sides only, possibly late
C15. The pulpit is octagonal with arcaded panels enriched with guilloche
ornament and moulded top, early C17. There are brasses on the W wall of the S
chapel (1) to Elizabeth (Quarles), wife of John Symonds, 1666, inscription only
(2) to Richard Symonds, 1627 and Elizabeth (Plume) his wife, plate with kneeling
figures of man, woman, 5 sons and one daughter, and shield of arms (3) to
Orlando Fitzsymonds, 1691, inscription only. There are monuments on the N wall
of the chancel to Elizabeth Tripp, 1785, oval tablet of white marble, and (2) to
the dowager Viscountess Bateman, 1769, with Ionic pilasters, pediment, and
cartouche of arms. In the S chapel there are monuments on the E wall (1) to
Richard Fitzsymonds, 1680, tablet with carved drapery, cherub-heads and
cartouche of arms (2) to Susanna (Bastwick), wife of Dr. Burgoyne, 1685, black
and white marble tablet with entabulature broken pediment and cartouche of arms
(3) to Gregory Lewis Way, 1799, white marble tablet with urn on grey marble
ground; and on the W wall, to John Symonds, 1692, black and white marble tablet
with carved pilasters, entablature supporting cherubs and cartouche of arms.
Over the S door there is a painted coat of arms of George III, 1772, unframed.
At the W end of the nave there are 2 boards containing the Ten Commandments in
gilt lettering, C18, with gilt frames. There are 6 bells; the first, second and
sixth are by Lester and Park, 1766; the third and fourth are by Miles Graye,
1660, the latter recast in 1908; and the fifth is by William Land, 1612, recast
in 1908. RCHM 1.
Listing NGR: TL7577838667
