Church of St. Etheldreda

Details

TL 71 NE
7/222

WHITE NOTLEY
CHURCH HILL
Church of St. Etheldreda

GV
II
Parish church. C11 chancel then with an apse and chancel arch. C13 apse removed and present square extension built, possibly also the arch in the north wall. Circa 1250 south aisle and south arcade of nave and late C13 north aisle and north arcade. C14 south porch. Late C15/early C16 timber belfry. Circa 1885 north vestry, possibly on the site of a former chapel. C19 and later restorations.

Flint rubble, the north and west walls plastered. Limestone clunch and Roman brick and tile dressings. Red plain tiled roofs. Cross finial to Chancel gable end. Square weatherboarded belfry surmounted by an octagonal spirelet.

Exterior: chancel. East window of three lancets restored C19. Brick buttresses to north and south walls. Three windows to south wall, C19 lancet eastern with C13 internal detail, central of similar form and date, restored, western circa 1330. Two trefoiled lights with tracery and two centred head. Between these windows is a C13 doorway with chamfered jambs and two centred head. C14/C15 framed and battened door. East of this door are traces of a C11 arch in Roman brick and the former end of the chancel.

The C19 north vestry with two-light eastern window adjacent to which is a re-set round headed window. Gabled dormer with two lights. North aisle with four brick buttresses, eastern window of two cusped two centred head lights in a pointed segmental head. The western window similar. North doorway. C13 with double chamfered two centred arch. South aisle, south wall with three two-light windows in two centred heads, the two eastern are C14 restored, western C19/C20. There is a square headed window to the east wall, west wall with C19 single light windows to north and south and a similar date central three-light window with tracery in a moulded segmental pointed head with label. Above this window is a small pointed light with label. Buttresses to each angle and right and left of central window. C14 gabled south porch with cambered tie beam and two arched braces forming a two-centred arch. East and west sides with brick plinth and six lights with diamond mullions, collars to each rafter pair, cusped bargeboards. C14 south door, moulded, panelled and with tracery to upper part. Strap hinges.

Interior: chancel. Roof of seven cants with moulded and carved wall plates. Four C17 panels between ashlars one relating to Henry Neville, Knt. and Alice his wife 1639. C19 stained glass to windows. C19 mosaic reredos. C19 altar rails. Piscina C13 double trefoiled heads, sunk quatrefoil over, above which is a C19 pointed arch. To west of piscina are three trefoiled arches in plaster, date and use unknown. Two centre archway in north wall discovered during restorations of circa 1885. Above this archway was the small round headed window, now in the east wall of the vestry. It is cut in a single stone believed to be a Saxon gravestone. It contains stained glass provisionally dated circa 1220 depicting a crowned figure holding a relic (thought to be the oldest piece of English stained glass in Essex). There are two roundels of stained glass in the north aisle window, one a child's head and one a robed crowned figure, probably 200 years later in date. Also in the vestry is a small piscina once part of the original chapel, and three painted lino panels of the Lord's prayer and 10 Commandments.

The C11 Chancel arch has square responds and semi-circular arch of Roman brick. To either side of the chancel arch are plastered and painted niches with semi-circular heads. Paintings possibly C16. Nave roof, seven cants with two tie beams on wall pieces with arch braces, these form four centred arches with void spandrels. South arcade circa 1250 of three bays with arches similar to north arcade. Moulded capitals and bases to round columns. Grafitti to eastern pillar. North arcade, late C13 of three bays with octagonal columns and two centred arches. There are traces of paintings to pillars and walls. In the south wall the line of the two centred arch of the former doorway to the rood stairs is visible. "Thou God Seest Me" painted over north doorway.

C12 large dugout chest. C14 octagonal font, moulded base, two centred arches to stem, bosses to soffit. Circular panels to each face with shields and faces, one a child in a robe. North Aisle. Screen early C16. Five bays, moulded cornice and mullion. Central doorway with trefoiled and sub-cusped heads, carved spandrels. Side bays with ogee heads, moulded mullions and cornice with three mortices over. South aisle screen. Early C15. Five bays including middle doorway with trefoiled and sub-cusped head, side bays with cusped and traceried heads, moulded cornice and mullions. North aisle roof, six bays, moulded wall plate, curved braces to principals. South aisle roof, similar with carved heads at the feet of principal rafters. Hatchment, Charles II. C20 carved wood pulpit, with pierced panels, centre panel of Christ the Shepherd supported by a winged angel and surmounted by two kneeling angels. Floor slab Wm and Katherine Cordale 1750, 1770. Bell turret. Late C15/early C16. Four supporting columns with moulded capitals. Arch braces to side girts. Two centred arches to front and rear, that to front with cusping. See Church Carpentry, C.A.Hewett for detailed drawing. RCHM 1

Mr Dennis King of Norwich pronounced the figures depicted St Etheldreda, who is the only female saint depicted with a crown (Queen) and book (Abbess). The Bishop of Colchester stated that we must assume she is the patron saint of White Notley Church. The church was re-dedicated to St Etheldreda, Sunday 4th October 1959.

Listing NGR: TL7854618236

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

115094

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Hewett, C A, Church Carpentry A Study Based on Essex Examples, (1982)

End of official list entry

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