Details
SJ 5220-5320; 20/52
HADNALL C.P.,
SHREWSBURY ROAD (west side)
Church of Saint Mary Magdalene
GV
II*
Chapel of ease, now parish church. Circa 1190 and C14, tower of c.1840,
church restored and enlarged in 1872-4 at cost of £1,000 and further
restored and altered, and vestry added, in 1903-4 at the expense of
F. Bibby of Hardwicke Grange in memory of his father J. J. Bibby (d.1892).
Dressed grey sandstone with grey sandstone ashlar additions (west tower
tooled); plain tile toofs. 3-bay nave, 2-bay chancel, south porch,
north vestry and west tower. Tower in late C13 Gothic style and late
C19 and early C20 work in a C14 Gothic style.
Tower: three stages.
Diagonal buttresses with chamfered offsets up to top of second stage,
chamfered offset to second stage, moulded string to belfry, moulded
parapet string course with carved decoration and corner gargoyles,
stepped battlemented parapet with ogee trefoiled-panels, and pyramidal
cap with weathervane. Chamfered lancet belfry openings with ogee-trefoiled
heads, louvres, and returned hoodmoulds; chamfered square recess to
east with returned hoodmould; second stage with seven-foiled circular
west window and tall narrow chamfered blind lancets to north and south;
first-stage chamfered west lancet with cinquefoil head, hoodmould with
carved stops, and chamfered offset rased over above. Nave: chamfered
plinth, restored C14 buttresses (angle at corners) with steeply chamfered
offsets, moulded parapet string course, C19 battlemented parapet with
trefoil-headed panels at ends, C19 clerestory with triple trefoil-
headed lights, and parapeted gable end to east with cross at apex.
Lead downpipes with shaped rainwater heads fed by carved stone gargoyles.
South side: C14 and C19 windows to right with two trefoil-headed lights,
cusped tracery and double-chamfered reveals; single double-chamfered
lancet with trefoil head to left. C12 round-arched doorway in second
bay from left with returned hoodmould and c.1903-4 panelled door with
glazed trefoiled panels and elaborate ironwork including lock plate
and hinges. C14 or C15 and late C19 or early C20 gabled porch;
timber-framed on chamfered grey sandstone plinth; curved braces to front,
shields lettered "TD" and "ID", curved struts in gable with pierced
quatrefoil panels between, trefoil-pierced barge boards and panelled
pendant finials; sides have pierced leaded cinquefoil lights with wrought-
iron grilles. Benches within and C14 or C15 jointed cruck truss to
rear with continuous chamfer North side: two windows to left of two ogee
trefoil-headed lights with cusped tracery and double chamfered reveals;
double-chamfered trefoil-headed lancet to right. Blocked C12 doorway
in second bay from west with chamfered reveals, imposts, roll-moulded
round arch and returned hoodmould. Chancel: circa 1903-4, except for
C14 east wall. Double-chamfered plinth, chamfered and moulded string
course at cill level, moulded cornice, angle buttresses with chamfered
offsets and trefoiled gabled tops, battlemented parapet with chamfered
coping, and parapeted gable end with chamfered coping and cross at
apex. Lead downpipe to south fed by stone gargoyle. Rooflight with
shaped lead top. South side: window to left of two cinquefoil-headed
lights with quatrefoil tracery and returned hoodmould and pair of cinquefoil-
headed lancets to right with moulded arches and continuous hoodmould.
C14 east window of three ogee trefoil-headed lights with reticulated tracery,
moulded reveals and hoodmould (formerly returned). Vestry to north
of chancel: chamfered plinth, coped parapet and large external stack
to left with chamfered offset and three octagonal shafts with broaches
and moulded cornice. Lead downpipes and rainwater heads. Chamfered-
mullioned window of three quatrefoil-headed lights beneath gable to right
and diagonal porch to right with 4-centered arched panelled door.
Left-hand return front has straight-sided arched window of three trefoil-
headed lights with wrought-iron grilles and returned hoodmould. Right-
hand return front with small chamfered lancet.
INTERIOR: late C19
or early C20 five-bay nave roof with chamfered ogee arch-braced collars
springing from hammer beams with billet decoration and shields resting
on carved stone foliage corbels; king post and pierced trefoil panels
above collar. 2-bay chancel roof with cusped moulded arch-braced collars
springing from hammer beams on carved stone foliage corbels, carved
and crested wall plate, pierced screen over ashlar pieces, and single
purlins with cusped ceils below. Cusped panels to rooflights. Double-
chamfered tower arch with chamfer dying into responds and hoodmould
with carved stops; pair of small chamfered openings in apex of roof
above. Late C19 or early C20 chamfered and moulded chancel arch with
inner moulding dying into responds and hoodmould with carved stops.
North side of chancel with double-chamfered round arch to organ chamber
and vestry. C14 piscina to south-east of nave with chamfered ogee
arch. Chancel piscina with pierced ogee arch and panelled spandrels,
and chancel south windows with chamfered trefoiled rear arches. C14
east window with moulded rear arch. Fittings: some late C19 but mostly
early C20. Elaborate carved wooden reredos with traceried panels,
pierced cusping and cresting. Similar altar table. Wainscot panelling
to sanctuary with cusped heads. Recessed panelled sedilia. Altar
rails with twisted balusters, square dies, and ramped handrail. Patterned
marble floor. Choir stalls with traceried-panelled fronts; desks and
vicar's pew with traceried panels and carved animal poppyheads, pelican
etc. Sumptuous organ screen with central canted break, cresting etc.
3-bay chancel screen with traceried lower panels, open upper panels
with pierced tracery and twisted shafts, and decorative canopy with
pierced cresting. Eagle lectern. Wooden pulpit with canted front,
traceried panels, twisted shafts, scalloped top with adjustable reading
desk, and four steps up. Nave with plain wainscot panelling and pews
with linenfold and traceried-panelled fronts and ends. Movable benches
at rear of nave with C17-style splat-baluster backs. Octagonal carved
stone font from Malta given by Mr Bibby in 1880 and consisting of marble
shafts and floral decoration; carved wooden canopy of 1923. Four wooden
benefactors' boards beneath tower. Free-standing hexagonal wooden
newel staircase to tower with pierced splat balusters. Monument: tablet
to Rowland, First Viscount Hill (d. Dec. 10, 1842) by Thomas Carline
with mourning grenadier and tenant flanking lion. Stained glass: east
window of 1888 and north and south nave windows of 1892 and 1897, by
C. E. Kempe. Hadnall was formerly a chapelry of Myddle.
D.H.S. Cranage,
An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire, Shrewsbury
Churches, pp.857-8; B.O.E., p.136; Kelly's Directory of Herefordshire
and Shropshire (1905), pp.102-3.
Listing NGR: SJ5220520054
