Parish Church of St Mary

Details

KELVEDON CHURCH STREET TL 8418-8518 (south-west side)

9/145 Parish Church of St. 21.12.67 Mary

GV I

Parish church. C12 origin, extended in C13, C14, C15, C16 and C19, restored in 1877. Walls mainly of coursed flint rubble, partly cement-rendered, partly of red brick in English bond, dressings of limestone and clunch, roofed with handmade red plain tiles and lead substitute. Spire timber framed and shingled. Nave probably early C12, but only the NW angle retains original detail; N aisle and arcade c.1230; S aisle and arcade c.1250; Chancel and W tower c.1360; clerestorey and third stage of tower Cl5; N chapel and N vestry early C16; S chapel and S porch C19. The Chancel has a C19 E window. In the N wall is a C14 window of one cinquefoiled light with moulded label and chamfered semi-circular rear-arch, now opening into the N vestry. Further W is a doorway inserted in the early C16, made up of the jambs and head of a C14 window formerly of 2 cinquefoiled lights in a 2-centred head. W of the doorway is an early C16 archway of plastered brick with a moulded and 4-centred arch, moulded E respond and splayed W respond, both with moulded capitals and bases. At the W end of this wall is a blocked doorway to a former rood-loft stair, with chamfered 4-centred head. In the S wall is a C19 arch and arcade of 2 bays. The chancel-arch of c.1360 is 2-centred, of 2 wave-moulded orders; the responds have semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases, partly restored. On each side of the chancel-arch is a C15 squint with chamfered jambs and 4-centred head; that on the S side is restored. The C14 roof of the chancel comprises 18 couples framed in 7 cants with moulded wallplates, partly restored. The N vestry has a re-used C15 E window of 2 cinquefoiled lights under a square head with a moulded label, partly restored, and an old external wrought iron grill. The N wall is of early Cl6 brickwork, with a C19 doorway. In the SW angle is a C16 doorway of brick with a 4-centred head, which opens into a triangular lobby, with a similar doorway into the N chapel. The door is C16, of plain battens, with a later false frame planted on externally. The N chapel has a N wall of C16 brick with a stepped gable and a roll moulding below each step, and a roll moulding above the plinth which continues along the N wall of the N vestry. It has one window of plastered brick, of 4 transomed lights with intersecting tracery in a 4-centred head with a moulded label; in the gable are 2 blocked small vents or niches with semi-circular heads. The C16 W archway is of plastered brick, and has a moulded and 4-centred arch and moulded responds with capitals and bases. The roof of the N chapel has moulded wallplates, the remainder restored. The S chapel is C19; re-set in the E wall is a C15 window of 2 cinquefoiled lights, restored. Re-set in the S wall are 2 windows, the eastern of 2 trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a 2-centred head with a moulded label, much restored; the western window is C15, of 2 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 2-centred head with a moulded label. Between the windows is a doorway, possibly of C14 origin but covered with cement render. The Nave has in the E wall, N of the chancel-arch, a C16 doorway at the level of the former rood-loft, with chamfered jambs with broach stops, rebated at the base for a door, and chamfered 4-centred arch. The N arcade, of c.1230, is of 3 bays with 2-centred arches of 2 moulded orders, with a chamfered label to the S. The E respond has a moulded corbel carved with stiff-leaf foliage, restored; the front column is moulded and has 4 attached shafts with moulded and foliated capitals, mutilated on the W side (probably for a former pulpit) and moulded bases; the second column is cylindrical with a moulded and foliated capital and moulded base; the W respond has 2 angle rolls and a restored attached shaft; the S shaft has a simple foliated capital, the N shaft has a plain capital. Further W are traces of a blocked opening, possibly of a C12 window. The NW quoin is mainly of Roman brick. The S arcade, of c.1250, is of 3 bays with arches similar to those of the N arcade. The E respond is C14, with a semi-octagonal attached shaft and capital, partly restored; the first column is cylindrical with a moulded capital and chamfered base; the second column, of later date, is cylindrical with a moulded capital (partly restored) and moulded base; the W respond has 3 attached shafts, the middle shaft and the capitals restored. The C15 clerestorey has on each side 4 windows, each of 2 cinquefoiled lights, mainly restored. The C15 roof of the Nave is in 4 bays, with moulded arched braces of 4-centred curvature to the tiebeams, and tracery in the spandrels; the tiebeams and one brace are C19. Moulded arched braces below the principal rafters support pendants with carved bosses at the apices. At half-bay intervals there are false hammer-beams with painted carved figures, and similar braces, principal rafters, pendants and bosses. The side-purlins are moulded, butted to the principals. The ridge-piece has moulded pendant braces. The rafters are plain, of horizontal section. The wallplates are moulded. Wall-pieces at bay intervals are supported on stone corbels. (C.A. Hewett, Church Carpentry, a study based on Essex examples, 1982, 32-3, 114 and Plate VI). The N aisle has in the N wall 2 C15 windows, the eastern of 2 cinquefoiled lights under a square head with a weathered moulded label, external old wrought iron grill and unusual keystone rear-arch, plastered over; the western window is of 2 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 2-centred head with a moulded label; further W is the C15 N doorway, with moulded jambs, 2-centred arch and weathered label. In the W wall is a window similar to the eastern window in the N wall, but with a plain segmental rear-arch and normal sill. Externally there is a moulded cornice with 2 grotesque heads at the W end, and a crenellated parapet of brick, mostly rendered. The S aisle has in the S wall 3 windows and a doorway, all C19 except the westernmost window, which is late C14, re-cut and re-set, of 2 cinquefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a square head. The W window is C19. There is a moulded cornice and crenellated parapet. The roofs of both aisles are of lean-to form, with plain rafters of horizontal section. The W tower is of 3 stages, the lower 2 having C14 detail, the bell-chamber C15. The 2-centred tower-arch is of 2 moulded orders; the responds are of 2 chamfered orders with moulded capitals and bases; above the arch is a plain 2-centred opening, blocked. The W window is wholly restored except the moulded jambs, splays and chamfered 2-centred rear-arch. In the N, S and W walls of the second stage is a single light with a trefoiled ogee head, all restored. The bell-chamber has in each wall a window of 2 cinquefoiled lights in a square head, much restored. There are 2 plain string courses, and a crenellated parapet with carved grotesques at the angles. Small shingled spire. Fittings. There are 2 piscinae, (1) in the S chapel, re-set, with moulded jambs and cinquefoiled ogee head, and quatrefoiled drain, C14, (2) in the S wall of the S aisle, with chamfered jambs and trefoiled ogee head, and quatrefoiled drain, C14. In the NE angle of the N chapel is a niche, with 4-centred head, moulded cornice, and cusped support of exposed brick, early C16. In the N wall of the N aisle, W of the N door, is a small niche with moulded jambs and trefoiled head. There are wall monuments earlier than 1840: on the E wall of the Nave, N of the Chancel-arch, (1) to Rev. Edward Chester, 1787, plain white marble cartouche with urn in low relief; in the S chapel, on the S wall, (2) to Thomas Crane, 1654, black and white marble oval tablet with wreath, garlands, arched cornice and skull above; in the S aisle, (3) to Thomas Abdy, 1684, and Rachel Gurdon, 1689, carved white marble tablet with pediment and cartouche of arms, (4) to Sir Anthony Abdy, 1794; carved white marble, with gadrooned base with foliage and vine-ornament, frieze with foliage and shield of arms, moulded cornice with urn and lamps above, (5) to Sir Thomas Abdy, 1685, Mary (Corselis), his wife, 1645, Abigail, his daughter, wife of Sir Mark Guyon, 1679, and William, son of Sir Thomas, 1682, white marble with carved curtain flanked by fluted pilasters with egg-and-dart capitals, broken pediment, achievement, 3 cartouches and a shield of arms; in the N aisle, (6) to Philip Browne Dalton, 1835, white tablet on black marble, (7) to Jane, wife of Rev. Charles Dalton, 1837, and daughters Louisa Anne, 1817, and Sarah Anne, 1837, white tablet on black marble. In the N aisle, at the W end, are floor-slabs (1) to William Abdy, 1682, black marble with shield of arms, (2) to Anna Abdy, 1692, white marble with inscription in inscribed heart, and carved arms, (3) to Thomas Abdy, 1697, black marble with shield of arms, (4) to Joanna Abdy, 1710, white marble with inscribed arms and border. On the E column of the S arcade is a painted stone shield of England quartering France (modern) with a label and surmounted by a crown, C15. In the N vestry is an oven, early C16. In the second window of the N aisle are fragments of C15 glass, including sun and stars, leopards' heads and leaf-ornament. In the vestry is C16 and C17 oak panelling, including panels carved with a figure subject, Ahasuerus and Esther, or Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, birds, foliage, linenfold, etc. In the N aisle are lead plates, embossed 11) 1675, Iohn Tayler, Plvnmer, (2) 1675, John Wood, John Clenche, Churchwarddins, (3) Henry Robinson, plumber, 1765, (4) Thomas Leapingwell, William East, Church Warddins, L765. Numbers (2) and (4) have embossed geometrical borders. On the S wall of the W tower are the Royal Arms of Queen Anne, 1709, on canvas. On the W wall of the Nave is a pair of Commandments, gilt paint on black boards with gilt gesso frames, C18. On the C19 S door is a plain stock-lock of uncertain date. There are 6 bells; the third is by Henry Pleasant, 1705; the second and fourth are by John Briant, 1803; and the fifth is by Miles Graye, 1615. RCHM 2.

Listing NGR: TL8564518566

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

116458

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Hewett, C A, Church Carpentry A Study Based on Essex Examples, (1982), 32-3, 114

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