Church of St Lawrence, Bradfield, Essex

Description

BRADFIELD THE STREET
TM 13 SW

3/87 Church of St. Lawrence
17.11.66
GV II

Parish church. Probably C13 remnant Nave and Chancel, restored C19, C15/C16
West Tower restored C18 and C19, C14 South Porch restored C19. C19 North and
South Transepts, South Vestry and North Organ Chamber. The cement rendered
walls are probably of rubble. Stone door and window dressings. Stone quoins to
lower stages of West Tower, the upper stages rebuilt in red brick, with stone
gargoyles to parapet band. Red plain tiled roofs. Chancel. C19 east window of
3 trefoiled lights with vertical tracery over, 2 centred head and label,
chamfered 2 light lancet to south wall. C19.gabled south vestry, north wall 2
light window under a square head, south wall, chamfered 2 centred doorway, 3
graduated lancet windows above. C19 gabled south transept, angle buttresses,
south window similar to Chancel east window. Stone plaque below window reads
"This Church enlarged 1840 I.H. Randolph, Vicar." The north transept is similar
but with 2 light windows under 2 centred heads and labels. Nave, south wall,
western 2 light lancet windows, 2 similar windows to those in north wall.
Gabled south porch. Chamfered 2 centred doorway, double vertically boarded
doors, stone plaque over reads" James Hardy. Benj. Carrington 1840". Return
wall windows each of 2 trefoiled lights, pointed quatrefoil over, chamfered 2
centred heads, that to east blocked. C19 north organ chamber, gabled east wall,
trefoiled 2 light 2 centred windows under a square head, roundel to apex,
chamfered segmental headed window to north wall. West Tower of 3 stages. The
lower stages probably early C16 with many repairs, of plastered rubble with
limestone quoins. Buttresses to western angles. The upper stage of C18 and C19
red brick with parapet, brick band decorated with gargoyles. Each face of the
upper stage has a-chamfered 2 centred sounding louvre. West face, second stage
window much worn but with cinquefoil tracery, west window of 2 cinquefoiled
lights in a 3 centred head, with moulded label. West doorway has double
chamfered jambs 2 centred arch and moulded label. Nailed plank and muntin door.
Weathervane in form of a gridiron. Interior. South porch. Boarded 5 cant
roof. South door moulded 2 centred arch, Cl9 moulded and panelled door.
Chancel. Moulded 7 cant roof, moulded wall plates and purlins. Later carved
wall plate over organ. Prayer and Exodus boards, adjacent to east window. 2
C17 carved chairs. Piscina, possibly C13 to south wall with chamfered 2 centred
arch, sexfoil drain. Double Piscinae, north wall, double 2 centred arches
moulded and enriched with dog tooth ornament, moulded label with stops, central
shaft with moulded capitals and bases, restored, possibly C13. Lancet window to
west of north wall. Blocked C13 west window in south wall. Chancel arch of
unknown date, of 2 chamfered orders, the outer continuous, the inner resting on
attached shafts with moulded capitals. The wooden altar rails appear to be made
up of 3 types of C18 balusters possibly from elsewhere . Important features of
the Church are the floor slabs with brasses and indents relating to the C16/C17
Grimston family and their wives. There were 14 but only 13 were identified and
relaid in 1958 when the Chancel was restored by the fifth Earl of Verulam, a
descendant. The family adopted the name Harbottle Grimston during this time.
The brasses to Joane (Harbottell) wife of Thomas Rysbye, 1598 shows a figure of
a woman in an embroidered stomacher, ruff and cap with shield of arms over.
John Harbottle 1577, inscription and shield of arms. Jakys Reynford 1520,
inscription. Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Grimstone 1604, inscription only.
Dr. L.Go Hayne became Vicar in 1871, a musician, composer and collector of
antique carvings. He had a passion for organs and installed the organ in 1875
at the same time installing some pipes under the floor q.v. Mistley Church
3/251. It is possible he installed the double piscinae, altar rails and pulpit.
Hanging on the south wall is a C16 funeral helm with visor, renewed crest and
tabard. C19 north vestry has a boarded roof and vertically boarded walls. Nave,
north and south transept roofs, each with 2 tie beams, queen posts and central
arched braces to collars. Plaster above collars. Pulpit, semi-hexagonal with
panelled sides C18 with C16 and C17 attached carvings and panels. South
transept. Wall memorials to Rev. Charles and Rev. Henery Unfreville 1774 and
1766. Lewis Agassiz 1866. Elizabeth Agassis by Chantrey, undated, wife of
Lewis, alabaster kneeling figure of a mourning female. North transept. A wall
memorial to Squadron Commander Edwin Harris Dunning DSC., RN., of Jaques Hall
gives an Admirality citation that Sqd. Cmmdr. Dunning was wounded in a fight
with German seaplanes, June 1916. He performed a great service for the Navy,
landing an aircraft on the deck of a Man-of-War whilst it was underway, he made
2 successful landings but was killed on the third run. This had never been done
before and made the aeroplane indispensable to a fleet. 7 August 1917. There
is a small brass on the east wall showing the bi-plane landing on the deck of
HMs Furious. There are panelled walls to the pews, 2 C20 stained glass windows
in the north wall of the Nave by Rosemary Rutherford, given by Miss M.L.
Dunning. Over the south doorway are the Royal Arms of George III in iron.
There is a memorial removed 1972 from St. Johns Church, Horsley Cross. West
Tower arch, 2 centred of 2 chamfered orders, the outer continuous, the inner
resting on attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. Font, C12/C13
octagonal bowl, each face with 2 pointed panels, centre stem with plain circular
shafts at each angle, C20 octagonal base. C20 bronze of Christ with the Madonna
and 2 cherubs. Said to be a C14 bell with the inscription "I am the Koc of this
floc wit Gloria Tibi Domini", it is notable for an inscription partly in
English. C. Deedes and H.B. Walters Church Bells of Essex. 1909. Bradfield
Church, Essex and notes on the Grimston Family at Bradfield, Denis Bayley,
sometime curate of Mistley with Bradfield and President of the Essex
Archaeological Society, 1961. Pevsner, Essex, 1976. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TM1444430785

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Church of St Lawrence

A Grade II Listed Building in Bradfield, Essex

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