Parish Church of St Andrew

Details

TL 8628-8728 EARLS COLNE HIGH STREET (south side)

9/94 Parish Church of St. 21.6.62 Andrew

GV I

Parish church. C14, C15 and C16, with earlier origin, and much rebuilding and restoration, c.1864. Flint rubble with limestone dressings, and some red brick in English bond, roofed with handmade red plain tiles. Nave of unknown origin, possibly C13, Chancel and S aisle c.1340, W tower c.1460, partly rebuilt in 1534, N aisle, N chapel, and S chapel C19. S porch C19, retaining the C15 roof. The fabric of the Chancel is medieval, but no original features are apparent; it has 2 diagonal buttresses. The Nave has a C19 N arcade of 3 bays. The S arcade, c.1340, is of 3 bays with 2-centred arches of 2 moulded orders; the octagonal piers and semi-octagonal W respond have moulded capitals and C19 bases; the E respond is C19, the E arch has been rebuilt, and elsewhere there is much C19 surface alteration. The roof of the Nave is C16, in 5 bays, with moulded principals, collars, and arch-braces to them, hollow-chamfered wind-braces, saltire bracing above the collars, and a carved boss on each collar. The N chapel has a reset window of c.1340, partly restored, of 2 trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a 2-centred head. The S chapel is C19, with some C14 moulded voussoirs re-used in the W arch. The S aisle has in the S wall 2 restored C14 windows, each of 2 cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a 2-centred head, with moulded label and rear-arch; further W is the S doorway, with C14 splays and moulded 2-centred rear-arch; the W window incorporates some old stones. The roof of the S aisle is late C14, of 6 bays, with moulded wallplates, principals, collars and purlins, and a carved boss on each collar; one has the de Vere molet. The roof of the S porch is of crownpost construction in one bay, with moulded and crenellated wallplates, moulded tiebeams, and hollow-chamfered collar-purlin and axial braces. The W tower is of 3 stages, with diagonal buttresses and a SE stair-turret; the 1534 rebuild is in red brick. The C15 tower-arch is moulded and 2-centred, and springs from moulded and shafted responds with moulded capitals to the shafts. The W doorway is C19; to either side of it is a C15 moulded string course with carved flowers and heads. The second stage has in the E and W walls a single C15 light with a trefoiled head; a similar window in the N wall has been removed. The bell-chamber has in the E, S and W walls a C15 window of 3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a square head. In the N wall is a restored early C16 window of 3 cinquefoiled lights in a square head. The crow-stepped and crenellated parapet is enriched with panels of flint inlay having cinquefoiled or trefoiled heads; the larger panels have each the de Vere molet; in the middle of the E and W sides is a carved achievement of arms; below the E one is the date 1534 and the regnal year H.8.25. The first floor has 2 bridging beams each way, with wall-pieces with arched braces. The stair-turret has an early C16 doorway of brick with a 4-centred head, and a parapet with flint inlay and the de Vere molets. The weather-vane is late C17 or early C18, with a copper corona and cock. Monuments. In the S chapel and S aisle are monuments (1) of Richard Harlackendon, 1602, and Elizabeth (Hardres), Elizabeth (Blatchendon), Jane (Josceline) and Anne (Dewhurst), his wives, small painted wall-monument of alabaster with kneeling figures of man and wives flanked by pilasters supporting an entablature, achievement and 4 shields of arms, restored early in the C18, (2) to Jane and Mabell Harlackendon, 1614, plain rectangular tablet, (3) to John Eldred, 1646, rectangular tablet with marble frame and cornice, supported on 2 stone heads, (4) to Mehetabell, daughter of Edward Eileston, 1657, oval tablet with white marble frame, (5) to John Eldred, 1709, plain stone, removed from Little Birch, (6) to Samuel Tufnell, 1722, and members of the Cressener family, (7) to Daniel Androwes, 1681, his widow Mary, 1729, white marble table with coat or arms, (8) to John Eldred, 1682, his son John, 1717, and his son John, 1732, white marble tablet with coat of arms, removed from Little Birch, (9) to George Biddulph, 1726, his widow Frances, 1753, and his niece Elizabeth Wale, white marble tablet with coat of arms, (10) to John Wale, 1761, his wife Anne, 1770, and Richard Wale, 1761, black marble tablet in white marble surround, with coat of arms above, and below a roundel with a winged Mercury carved in low relief by I.F. Roubiliac, (11) to Henry Anderson, 1823, white marble on grey marble with side-scrolls, (12) to Anne (Carwardine) Probert, 1836, white marble urn on black marble. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TL8606628826

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

115942

Legacy System:

LBS

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.