Church of St Mary the Virgin

Details

BRENTWOOD

TQ69NW HALL LANE, Shenfield 723-1/6/273 (West side) 21/10/58 Church of St Mary the Virgin

GV II*

Parish church. C15 and early C16, restored in late C19, extended in late C19 and C20. Walls cement-rendered, probably of flint rubble, with limestone dressings, and some red brick in English bond, roofed with machine-made red clay tiles; belfry weatherboarded, spire shingled. Chancel, nave, W tower extension and S porch C15, N aisle late C15/early C16, N chapel late C19, N vestry and N hall C20. EXTERIOR: the chancel is structurally undivided from the nave. The E window is C19, except the C15 splays, chamfered 2-centred rear-arch, and external moulded label. In the N wall is a C19 arch to the N chapel, and in the S wall are 2 C19 windows and a C19 doorway. The nave has a late C15/early C16 timber N arcade of 6 bays with moulded columns, each with 4 attached shafts, capitals and bases, all cut in the solid, and timber sub-bases; the E respond and eastern columns have been partly restored and the timber arches are C19. In the S wall are 3 windows, all C19 except the C15 chamfered segmental-pointed rear-arches. Further W is the C15 S doorway with moulded jambs and 4-centred arch, and label with voluted stops. INTERIOR: aligned with the first column of the N arcade is a moulded and crenellated rood-beam. Above it the barrel-vault roof is divided by 2 spiral-carved arch braces which together form a semicircular arch. Aligned with the fifth column of the N arcade is a chamfered tie-beam, probably C19, supporting a C15 cross-quadrate crownpost with 4-way arched rising braces; the remainder of the visible roof is C19. The N aisle has in the N wall 6 C19 windows. Between the 2 western-most windows is a section of early C16 red brick wall and contemporary buttress, which last has been extended in the C19; in this wall is the early C16 N doorway of red brick, set in a slight projection crenellated at the top; the doorway has moulded jambs and 4- centred arch under a square moulded label; the door is of V-edged and grooved vertical boards nailed to battens, blocked and concealed on the inside. In the W wall is a C19 doorway to the former vestry, now extended to form a hall. The visible roof is C19. The W tower extension is square, of the same span as the nave, the walls carried up approx one metre above those of the nave. In the W wall is a C15 window of 3 cinquefoiled lights in a segmental head, with a moulded label; each light has an early wrought-iron grill. The extension encloses the timber-frame of the belfry. The frame has 4 posts on each side, from which spring hollow-chamfered arched braces forming 4-centred arches supporting 4 chamfered tie-beams; all the posts have hollow-chamfered attached shafts aligning with the braces, cut in the solid; the corner posts are additionally hollow-chamfered, and expand to various degrees at the feet; the expanded foot of the SE post is mutilated. The sills have been replaced by concrete plinths. Between the second and third posts on each side is a girt on heavy arched braces; above the girt are saltire braces halved at the crossings. Between the other pairs of posts at each side are short horizontal ties which have been mutilated to various degrees by the insertion of steel stanchions. Above each of the 8 arched braces from the main posts is an original spandrel-post. Ogee-curved braces of square section rise from the E and W spandrel-posts, pass through the spandrels of the inner arches and the C19 floor of the second stage. The C15 S porch is in 2 bays. The walls may have been timber-framed originally but are now of cement-rendered masonry to half- height, with C19 mullions and cinquefoiled lights above. The wallplates and richly moulded tenoned cornices are original, apart from minor repairs at the N ends, chamfered and stopped below for 3 posts and 6 mullions on each side. The 3 hollow-moulded tie-beams are original, with a C19 planted moulding on the outer tie-beam. The 2 inner tie-beams have original chamfered arched braces, short cross- quadrate crownposts, with 4 rising braces on the middle post, 3 on the inner post; one original brace on the renewed outer crownpost. The collar-purlin, rafters and sprockets are substantially original. All the rafters have gauging holes facing S. FITTINGS AND MONUMENTS: on the E wall of the chancel is a C15 stone bracket, semi-octagonal, moulded and carved with foliage and 2 defaced shields, moved from the N wall since the RCHM inspection. The font has an octagonal bowl, moulded and carved with a quatrefoil in each face, with 3 heads and 5 flowers in the centres, and a C20 base and stem. The C19 octagonal pulpit has an earlier stone base with 3 stone steps and moulded coping. In the S porch is an indent for a brass, defaced. In the W tower extension is (1), against the W wall, a monument to Elizabeth [Merrell], wife of Timothy Robinson, 1652; panelled and moulded limestone altar-tomb with skull at end, inscription on front obstructed by a pew, black marble top, alabaster effigy of woman in shroud reclining on tasselled cushion, holding a skull in her right hand, cradling an infant in christening gown in her left arm; 2 shields of arms on wall above; and (2), against the S wall, a limestone tablet or floor-slab of John Ashurst, 1676, and Eleanor his fourth wife, 1677, with shield of arms. On the N wall of the N aisle is a limestone tablet to Elizabeth, wife of Charles White, 1735, their daughter Elizabeth Ann and Elizabeth, and Charles White, 1753, with black marble Ionic columns and scrolled pediment, with shield of arms. On the S wall of the nave is a white marble tablet to Mary, widow of John Gurdon, 1771, and their daughter Mary, 1792, with oval raised border. In the NW lobby are limestone tablets to (1) Maria, wife of RM Robinson, 1821, and (2) the Reverend Philip Salter, 1829, and his wife Jane, 1830. On the N wall of the N aisle are the arms of Charles I, painted on canvas in a moulded wooden frame, and on the N and W walls are 3 hatchments. In the W extension are 12 early C17 pews with panelled backs and ends and moulded rails.

Listing NGR: TQ6055795127

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

373445

Legacy System:

LBS

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