Details
TL 7225-7325 PANFIELD CHURCH END
7/9 Parish Church of St.
Mary the Virgin
21.12.67
-
II*
Parish church. Mainly C15, altered in C19. Flint and pebble rubble with some
ironstone, with dressings of limestone and clunch, roofed with handmade red clay
tiles and copper. Timber framed bell-turret (weatherboarded), spire (shingled)
and S porch. Chancel, nave, W bell-turret and S porch C15. N vestry, organ-
chamber and general restoration C19. The Chancel has a C19 E window, a C19 arch
in the N wall, and 2 C19 windows in the S wall. Between the windows is a
doorway of C15 origin, extensively restored. The C15 chancel-arch is 2-centred,
of 2 orders, the outer moulded and continuous, the inner hollow-chamfered and
springing from semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases.
The roof is C19. The Nave has in the N wall an early C15 window, restored, of
3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 4-centred head. Below its W corner is
a C15 tomb recess with hollow-chamfered 2-centred arch. In the S wall are 2
windows of similar date and detail to that in the N wall, but of 2 lights, both
restored. The western window retains an early wrought-iron grill. Between then
is the early C15 S doorway, with moulded jambs, 2-centred arch and label. The
door is C15, of humped planks on ledges with moulded fillets and strap hinges
with incised lines trenched into the front. In the W wall is a moulded recess
containing the W window, early C15, of 2 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a
4-centred head, and earlier doorway re-set, which has continuously moulded jambs
and arch, with moulded external label with headstops. The door is similar to
the S door, but cut down and more restored. The roof of the nave is C15, in 3
bays, the W bay comprising a contemporary bell-turret, the remainder of crown-
post construction. The main tiebeam is cambered, with a hollow-moulded fillet,
on deep wall-pieces with solid hanging knees. The main crownpost is of cross-
quadrate section with broach stops and 4-way arched braces. There are soulaces
and inclined ashlar-pieces to every couple. The E truss has no tiebeam, but has
a collar above the chancel-arch with arch-braces of unusual cranked curvature,
and a short crown-piece supporting the collar-purlin. (C.A. Hewett, Church
Carpentry, 1982, 32-3 and 123). The belfry stands on 4 posts, chamfered with
step stops, the eastern pair with 5-sided attached shafts with moulded bases.
There are arched braces on all 4 sides, and above the E tiebeam a crownpost with
curved down-braces, and outer down-braces to the bell-turret structure. No
access is provided to the upper part, but it appears to be original and of
unusual interest. The S porch is timber-framed, C15, moderately restored. The
outer archway is 2-centred. The E wall has 6 open lights with moulded mullions
and trefoiled and traceried heads; the W wall is similar, but with 3 trefoiled
and 3 cinquefoiled lights. The studs and wallplates are moulded. Both tiebeams
are cranked and moulded, the inner one with wide arched braces. The common-
couples are 7-canted, with soulaces and inclined ashlar-pieces (C.A. Hewett,
Church Carpentry, 1980, 52-3). Fittings. There are 3 bells, the second by
Miles Graye, 1655. In the nave there is an indent for figures of a woman and 3
men, inscription plate, groups of children and 2 shields, early C16. In the N
window of the nave there is C15 glass of canopy heads, and C14-C16 glass of
foreign origin, figures of 2 saints, symbol of St. John the Evangelist and
fragments. There are 2 C15 piscinae (1) in the chancel, with moulded and
cinquefoiled head, and side opening into sedile with hollow-chamfered and
4-centred arch and restored drain, (2) in S wall of nave, with trefoiled head,
grooves for shelves, and square drain. RCHM 1.
Listing NGR: TL7386025344
