Parish Church of St Germanus

Details

TL 81 NW FAULKBOURNE

3/40 Parish Church of St. Germanus 21.12.67

GV I

Parish church. Mainly late C12, with C13 alterations, restored in C19. Walls of flint rubble and some Roman brick, mainly plastered, with dressings of Barnack stone, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. S porch and vestry of red brick in Flemish bond. Timber framed bell-turret and spire, clad with shingles. Aligned NE-SW, Nave with slightly narrower Chancel, extended approx. 2 metres to NE in late C13. Early C18 S porch, C19 S vestry. In both side walls of the Chancel the original quoins of Barnack stone are present to a height of one metre, rebuilt above. The E end has diagonal buttresses with string courses. The E window, late C13 and partly restored, is of 3 pointed lights under a 2-centred head, with moulded external and internal labels and headstops; the NE external headstop is defaced. In the centre of the N wall is a C12 window of one round-headed light, partly restored, with widely splayed jambs. In the S wall are 2 windows; the eastern, late C13 and partly restored, is of 2 pointed lights under a 2-centred head; the western window is a 'low-side' of the first half of the C14, much restored, of one trefoiled and transomed light under a 2-centred head. Between these windows is the original C12 doorway, with semi-circular arch springing from chamfered abaci. This doorway and the western window are enclosed by the C19 vestry. There is no Chancel arch. The Nave has in the N wall 3 windows; the easternmost is of c.1340, restored, of 2 trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil under a 2-centred head; the other windows are original, of single round-headed lights with widely splayed jambs. Between them is the N doorway, early C13, with square head on shouldered jambs, blocked with C18 brick. In the S wall are 2 windows; the eastern is early C15, of brick, partly restored; it is of 3 lights with 4-centred heads with moulded mullions and vertical tracery in a square head, with moulded label; the western window is original, similar to those in the N wall. W of this is the original S doorway, set in a gabled projection, with a semi-circular arch of 2 orders, the outer roll-moulded and supported on square shafts with chamfered arrises. The capitals have a simple cross-shaped ornament in low relief and the bases resemble inverted capitals; the base of the E shaft has a round abacus with cable ornament; the other abaci are square and plain. The door leaf is C14/C15, with hollow moulded durns forming a 2-centred head, and 4 humped planks of irregular widths, the joints covered by hollow-moulded fillets, on a simple rivetted portcullis frame, with 3 rear strap-hinges, drop-handle, and later stock lock; the bottom rail has been replaced. The outside has a graffito TN 1744. In the W wall are 5 windows arranged in 2 tiers. The middle upper window is a single round-headed light flanked by circular lights, restored; the lower windows are C19. The roof of the Nave is 7-canted, originally in 3 bays (excluding the bell-turret), but the western tiebeam has been severed; the eastern tiebeam is inside the Chancel. Octagonal crownposts with unusual arched stops are mounted on the remaining tiebeams, with thin axial braces to the collar-purlin. The soffits of the rafters, collars and soulaces have nail holes, and were formerly plastered. The roof timbers then exposed are lightly charred; the crownposts appear to be inserted. The bell-turret at the W end of the nave is supported on 2 trusses, of which the western is supported on the W wall. The eastern is supported on a N post with chamfered attached shaft; externally a short length of timber hangs from the end of the tiebeam, apparently part of a former external post. The S post is mounted on a frame enclosing the S doorway, with solid knees at the angles. There are chamfered arched braces below the E tiebeam, and arched braces above it. Straight diagonal braces at the front and sides of the turret are later insertions, lapped and nailed. The date of the original structure is probably C14/C15; spire not examined. Early C18 S porch of red brick in Flemish bond, with black headers mainly on E side. Segmental outer arch, crow-stepped gable. Fittings. There are 2 bells, the second by Robert Burford, c.1400, inscribed 'Sancta Katerina Ora Pro Nobis'. The font is octagonal with concave sides, moulded lower edge and moulded base, C15. In the Chancel there are 3 brasses: (1) in the NE corner, partly covered, with 2 shields and indent for inscription plate, early C16 (2) to Henry Fortescue, Esquire of the Body to Queen Elizabeth, 1576, figure in full armour with 3 groups of 10 children below, marginal inscription and 4 shields of arms (3) to Mary, successively wife of Sir Edward Darrell, Philip Maunsell and Henry Fortescue, 1598, figure of lady with inscription plate and 4 shields of arms. Against the N wall of the Chancel there is the upper part of a coffin lid, C13, with chamfered edges and cross in low relief, and 4 super-imposed circles; and against the S wall is another coffin lid or tomb-lid of Purbeck marble with gabled head and carved figure of a knight with flat-topped helm, kite-shaped shield and long surcoat, much eroded and fractured across the middle, C13. In the Chancel there is a floor slab to Elizabeth, wife of Mordant Cracherode, 1693, with shield of arms. On the wall there are monuments (1) to Sir Edward Bullock, 1644, panel of black marble with white marble architrave, surmounted by a cartouche of arms (2) to John Bullock, 1809, and his wife Elizabeth, 1793, female figure and double portrait medallion in low relief, in white marble, backed by black marble with shield of arms, in the Neo-Greek style. On the S wall of the Chancel there is a monument to John Bullock, 1711, and his widow Hannah Maria, 1759, sculpture of a seated female figure holding a ring, with inscribed oval shield, flanked by urns, backed by a grey marble obelisk surmounted by a painted shield of arms, by Peter Scheemakers. On the N wall of the Nave there are mounuments (1) to Josiah Bullock, 1751, and his widow Hannah, 1783, white marble tablet with Corinthian pilasters, open segmental pediment, cherubs' heads and 2 painted shields of arms (2) to John Harrison, rector, 1797, his wife Elizabeth (Allen), 1750, and 3 children, marble tablet. On the S wall of the Nave there are monuments (1) to the Reverend Dr. Richard Bullock, 1754, and Whalley Bullock, 1767, and (2) to the Reverend Robert Parkinson, 1791, oval marble tablet. On the W wall there is a monument to Elizabeth, widow of the Reverend Foote Gower, 1797, white and grey marble tablet with draped lamp. In the NE window of the Nave there is C14 glass, spire of canopy with foliated border and shield of arms. In the Chancel there are 5 bench-ends and 2 buttressed fronts, one with linenfold panels, and 3 carved popey-heads, early C16, made up with modern work. On the spire there is a wrought-iron weather-vane pierced with date 1701. RCHM 2.

Listing NGR: TL8003016573

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