Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 17/09/2014
TQ68NW
723-1/11/127
BRENTWOOD, East Horndon,
BRENTWOOD ROAD (East side (off)),
Church of All Saints
21/10/58
GV II*
Church. C15, C16, & early C17. All red brick, English bond bricks. 8" x 4" x 2" (0.2m x 0.1m x 0.05m) stone dressings, originally fine oolite but repaired with various stones, peg-tiled roofs. C15 nave and chancel (mis-aligned and probably over earlier building) with N & S transepts to nave and projecting N chapel to chancel. C16 and C17 west tower. C16 chapel to S of chancel and S porch.
EXTERIOR: S elevation, central prominent gabled transept with porch on W side as lean-to to transept with continuous catslide roof. Transept has rectangular stone window with label comprising 3 cinque-foiled lights with grilles, plain leaded diamond panes. Above, smaller brick window with flattened triangular head now with two C20 diamond paned lights in wooden frames, sundial in gable, square stone plate virtually illegible. To W, pilaster buttress at transition to porch; two centred arched porch doorway with C20 two leaf boarded door. Above, small trefoil arched recess, angle buttress at porch W corner. To E of transept, S chapel to chancel breaks forward with diagonal buttresses at E & W corners. 2 bays, central plain buttress, 2 similar rectangular stone windows with labels, cinquefoiled lights, grilles, and diamond leaded panes; one 3-light one 2-light. To W of transept and porch, tall brick window, recessed, 4 centred arched head, half height grille, diamond leaded panes. Angle buttress. Square W tower with W side and upper stage re-built in C17, large diagonal double shouldered corner buttress. Ground floor, small wood latticed arch headed window, above, string course with clasping octagonal corner buttresses, rising to cyma and ovolo-moulded cornice, stepped parapet above between buttresses continuing up as turrets. Belfry opening in upper stage, brick, set in projecting panel, elliptical head, wood latticed infill; shingled pyramidal roof with weathervane. N elevation, central transept with similar windows to S transept; also, small stone square-framed quatrefoiled lights to E and level with head of lower window. Single angle buttresses at E and W corners of transept. 7 cant roof truss members, visible in brickwork in gable. To E, C20 replaced stone window in chancel with cinquefoiled arched head. Projecting N chapel has lean-to roof grading into chancel roof, no windows but two large crosses on pedestals in burnt headers, one partly obscured by later memorial plaque. E end of chancel has a shallow recess with twin trefoil heads on a corbel table, all in brick; corner diagonal buttress. W of central transept, nave wall blank except for a stone C14 doorway - 2 centred arched head with double chamfer mouldings and hollow moulded label, boarded door, lower section trapped by raised concrete sill cast against door. W tower, similar elevation to S side. E end elevation, twin gabled ends of chancel and smaller S chapel with plain central and outer diagonal buttresses. Chapel has prominent burnt header bricks with remnants of upper `X' patterning. Chancel, C19 stone E window and surrounding brickwork. 3 cinquefoiled lights with supermullions containing 4 trefoiled heads. S chapel, stone window with depressed arched head and label - 3 cinquefoil leaded lights. W end, tower has large double shouldered diagonal buttresses rising to string course at base of belfry stage. Details similar to S & N elevation except that ground floor has a plain rectangular wooden framed doorway with C20 boarded door; immediately above, twin elliptical headed lights, closed by simple wood latticing.
INTERIOR: nave 3 bays, crown-post roof, 2 crown-posts, cross-quadrate section four-way braced to soulaces of seven cant trusses, tie-beams moulded, wall-plates similar and embattled. Doorway to tower in C17 timber-framed partition. S doorway of stone, early C16, 2 centred arched head in rectangular surround with label - all moulded, quatrefoils in spandrels with shield and rose, traces of red colour. Ritual protection graffito on label head. Contemporary door of five vee-grooved boards, each with slight central arris, rear portcullis frame, 2 strap hinges with punched chevron decoration, pull ring and rear plate, wooden lock case. Square spy hole with bars later cut through. N doorway now blocked by monumental stone slab cramped to wall. Transepts, both have upper galleries - guard rails to nave have early C17 turned balusters, also, evidence of linking rood loft/gallery between. Principle stair in N transept, S transept has fireplace in S wall. Chancel roof arched and boarded with moulded ribs in rectangular pattern, carved bosses at intersections of flowers, birds and shields. N side chapel walls have 2 ranges of foiled sunk panels. Brick curved vault, ribbed, with shield bosses at intersections. S side chapel, reached through two stone arcade bays, 4 centred arches of 2 moulded orders of cyma and hollow chamfer, deep central cavetto, quatrefoil section shafts; deeply cut elegant octagonal capitals, traces of red paint. S chapel ceiling, roll and hollow moulded axial and common joists, close set, oak board infill. W tower has free standing C17 internal timber sub tower to support belfry frame - 4 outer posts braced down to N & S sills.
MONUMENTS: several removed for safe keeping - most notable in church now is of Alice (Cogesale) wife of Sir John Tyrell 1422, incised limestone slab, figure of woman in horned head-dress and fur lined cloak, under vaulted canopy with shafts containing figures of children, "one of the outstanding flat engraved monuments of Europe" now raised on C20 brick platform beneath arcade to S chancel chapel. Also, in N chapel, indent raised on C20 brick base, marginal inscription partly survives to Sir Thomas Tyrell [1476] and Anne (Marney), his wife. S chapel, S wall, monument to Sir John Tyrell 1676 and Martha (Washington) his wife 1679, also monument to Sir Charles Tyrell 1714 and Martha his wife 1690 - marble, fluted pilasters, broken pediment.
HISTORICAL NOTE: this remarkable church has had a chequered history of decay, theft and vandalism. In 1970, declared redundant, and extensive conservation began, leading to adoption by the Redundant Churches Fund (now The Churches Conservation Trust). Excavation then revealed fragments of indurated conglomerate under chancel/S chapel arcade reinforcing plan evidence of probable earlier Saxon/Norman building. The Church of All Saints forms a group with the stable (qv) and Freman monument (qv), both in the churchyard.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Essex: 1965-: 168).
Listing NGR: TQ6355889524
