Description

TL 7225-7325 PANFIELD CHURCH END

7/9 Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin 21.12.67

- II*

Parish church. Mainly C15, altered in C19. Flint and pebble rubble with some ironstone, with dressings of limestone and clunch, roofed with handmade red clay tiles and copper. Timber framed bell-turret (weatherboarded), spire (shingled) and S porch. Chancel, nave, W bell-turret and S porch C15. N vestry, organ- chamber and general restoration C19. The Chancel has a C19 E window, a C19 arch in the N wall, and 2 C19 windows in the S wall. Between the windows is a doorway of C15 origin, extensively restored. The C15 chancel-arch is 2-centred, of 2 orders, the outer moulded and continuous, the inner hollow-chamfered and springing from semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The roof is C19. The Nave has in the N wall an early C15 window, restored, of 3 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 4-centred head. Below its W corner is a C15 tomb recess with hollow-chamfered 2-centred arch. In the S wall are 2 windows of similar date and detail to that in the N wall, but of 2 lights, both restored. The western window retains an early wrought-iron grill. Between then is the early C15 S doorway, with moulded jambs, 2-centred arch and label. The door is C15, of humped planks on ledges with moulded fillets and strap hinges with incised lines trenched into the front. In the W wall is a moulded recess containing the W window, early C15, of 2 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 4-centred head, and earlier doorway re-set, which has continuously moulded jambs and arch, with moulded external label with headstops. The door is similar to the S door, but cut down and more restored. The roof of the nave is C15, in 3 bays, the W bay comprising a contemporary bell-turret, the remainder of crown- post construction. The main tiebeam is cambered, with a hollow-moulded fillet, on deep wall-pieces with solid hanging knees. The main crownpost is of cross- quadrate section with broach stops and 4-way arched braces. There are soulaces and inclined ashlar-pieces to every couple. The E truss has no tiebeam, but has a collar above the chancel-arch with arch-braces of unusual cranked curvature, and a short crown-piece supporting the collar-purlin. (C.A. Hewett, Church Carpentry, 1982, 32-3 and 123). The belfry stands on 4 posts, chamfered with step stops, the eastern pair with 5-sided attached shafts with moulded bases. There are arched braces on all 4 sides, and above the E tiebeam a crownpost with curved down-braces, and outer down-braces to the bell-turret structure. No access is provided to the upper part, but it appears to be original and of unusual interest. The S porch is timber-framed, C15, moderately restored. The outer archway is 2-centred. The E wall has 6 open lights with moulded mullions and trefoiled and traceried heads; the W wall is similar, but with 3 trefoiled and 3 cinquefoiled lights. The studs and wallplates are moulded. Both tiebeams are cranked and moulded, the inner one with wide arched braces. The common- couples are 7-canted, with soulaces and inclined ashlar-pieces (C.A. Hewett, Church Carpentry, 1980, 52-3). Fittings. There are 3 bells, the second by Miles Graye, 1655. In the nave there is an indent for figures of a woman and 3 men, inscription plate, groups of children and 2 shields, early C16. In the N window of the nave there is C15 glass of canopy heads, and C14-C16 glass of foreign origin, figures of 2 saints, symbol of St. John the Evangelist and fragments. There are 2 C15 piscinae (1) in the chancel, with moulded and cinquefoiled head, and side opening into sedile with hollow-chamfered and 4-centred arch and restored drain, (2) in S wall of nave, with trefoiled head, grooves for shelves, and square drain. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TL7386025344

External Links

• Wikidata Q17557312

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Recommended Books

• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
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  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
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  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)