Church of St Nicholas, Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex

Description

TOLLESHUNT D'ARCY CHURCH STREET
TL 9211-9311
(east side)
7/54 Church of St.
30.12.59 Nicholas
GV I

Parish church. Mainly late C14, and early C15, restored in C19. Stone rubble,
partly plastered, with dressings of limestone and clunch, roofed with handmade
red clay tiles, slates and lead. Nave and W tower late C14, Chancel early C15,
N chapel and S porch later C15, N vestry early C16, altered in late C19. The
Chancel, plastered externally, has a C19 E window. In the N wall is an early
C15 window of 2 cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a 2-centred head
with moulded label (one jamb restored) with hollow-chamfered segmental
rear-arch. Further W is a C19 archway to the C16 N vestry. In the S wall are 2
windows; the eastern is similar to that in the N wall, much restored; the
western of one cinquefoiled light in a square head with recessed spandrels
outside and inside, set lower in the wall, early C15. The early C15 chancel
arch is 2-centred, of 2 chamfered orders; the responds have each a
semi-octagonal attached shaft with moulded capital and base. N of the arch is a
plain squint. The roof of the Chancel is in 2 bays, 7-canted and plastered to
the soffit, with a moulded tiebeam, moulded and crenellated wallplates, and
crownpost of unusual quatrefoil section with fillets on and between each foil,
and 4-way rising braces; the wallplates return along the E wall to the E window.
The N vestry has in the E wall a reset C15 window of 2 cinquefoiled lights under
a square head with moulded label. In the N wall is a C15 window of one light
similar to that in the S wall of the Chancel. Further W is a C19 doorway
incorporating old material. In the W wall is a doorway with wooden frame and
2-centred arch with recessed spandrels. The Nave has a moulded plinth and
crenellated parapet. In the N wall is a later C15 4-centred archway of 2
hollow-chamfered orders, dying on to the hollow-chamfered responds. Further W
is a late C14 window of 3 trefoiled lights with tracery in a segmental head,
with a restored moulded label. Further W is a late C14 doorway with moulded
jambs and 2-centred arch, converted to a window. In the S wall are 2 windows
uniform with that in the N wall, but much restored; above the westernmost is the
mark of the C18 segmental head. Further W is the late C14 S doorway, with
moulded jambs and 2-centred arch; the splays have shallow sockets for a
draw-bar. The 2 door-leaves are late C14, with double-ogee moulded ribs and
side-frames, and a rivetted rear portcullis frame, the rails dovetailed to the
side-frames, and 2 iron hooks for the draw-bar (illustrated in C.A. Hewett,
Church Carpentry, 1982, 91). The roof is ceiled to a segmental arch. The N
chapel has a moulded plinth and string course and a plain parapet. It has in
the E wall, above the C16 doorway, a blocked window with a segmental rear-arch.
In the N wall is an early C16 window of brick, of 2 lights in a 4-centred head
with a moulded label; the jambs and mullion are restored. In the W wall is a
C15 window of 2 lights similar to that in the N wall of the Chancel, restored.
The C15 roof is of low-pitched lean-to form, with 3 moulded principal rafters, 2
moulded purlins, and moulded wallplates. Arched braces spring to the central
principal from wall-pieces terminating in carved heads of a man and a woman.
The W tower is of 3 stages, with a moulded plinth, 2 moulded string courses and
a crenellated parapet. The late C14 tower-arch is 2-centred, of 2 hollow-
chamfered orders dying onto the side walls. The early C14 W window is of 2
trefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a 2-centred head with moulded label
and head-stops. The second stage has a plain rectangular opening in the S and W
walls. The bell-chamber has in each wall a window of 2 lights, cinquefoiled on
the W side, the others trefoiled, with square heads, with minor restoration. The
floor of the bell-chamber is original, of plain joists with a framed bellway,
and there are traces of a former floor to the second stage. The low-pitched
roof retains one heavy ridge-beam. The late C14 porch has a moulded string
course; the outer archway has moulded jambs and 2-centred arch with moulded
label and defaced headstops. The side walls have each a window of 2 trefoiled
lights under a square head, without labels. The roof is ceiled; some profiled
sprockets are visible, implying that the original rafters are present; the gable
is plastered. Fittings. A C15 piscina in the S wall of the N chapel has
moulded jambs and cinquefoiled 2-centred arch in a square head with traceried
spandrels, drain destroyed. The font is octagonal with panelled bowl, the
panels alternately filled with roses and shields (one with a plain cross, of
which the arms are mutilated), moulded upper and lower edge, buttressed stem and
hollow-chamfered base, late Cl5/early C16. In the S porch is a mutilated recess
for a stoup. Fragments of C13 and C15 glass in the N window of the nave, and
of C14-C16 glass in the N window of the N chapel. Reset on boards in the N
chapel are brasses (1) part of the border of a large Flemish brass, c.1375,
engraved on both sides with figures of apostles and winding ribbon with portions
of the Creed in Latin, the background richly ornamented with conventional vine
leaves and bunches of grapes; on one side are seated figures of the Virgin and
Child, St. Philip, St. Bartholomew, and symbols of St. Mark and St. Luke; on the
reverse is an abandoned design with the figures of St. James the Less and St.
Thomas and symbols of St. Luke and Mark, (2) of John de Boys, 1419, figure in
plate armour with feet on lion (upper part of helmet and parts of sword missing,
broken below the knee-pieces and at the left ankle) and Margaret (Battail) his
wife, figure with veiled head-dress and long gown, with a lap-dog at her feet,
inscription plate missing, (3) of Katherine,wife of Thomas Darcy, 1535, figure
with pedimental head-dress, gown with square neck-line, partlet, tight sleeves
with fur cuffs, with pomander hanging from jewelled clasp of belt (both lower
corners and a small part of right arm missing) (with on the reverse, part of an
abbot or bishop in vestments, c.1400), (4) of Anthony Darcy, 1540, figure with
flat-topped helmet and plate gorget, with feet on greyhound, 'crude local
workmanship, copied from the brass of John de Boys, the style of armour an
incongruous mixture of that of the early C15 and the mid-C16', and inscription
plate in English of superior workmanship with elaborate floral border (with
on the reverse an inscription to Robert le Wale and Maud his wife, both died
1362) and 2 shields of arms (with on the reverse, C15 figures of priests), (5)
of Philippa, wife of Thomas Darcy, 1559, figure with French hood, overgown with
short puffed and slashed sleeves, plain undergown with small ruffs at neck and
wrists, and ribbon ties, and suspended ornament inscribed IHS, and inscription
in Latin,(6) of Thomas Darcy of Langbrooks (now Limesbrook Farm), 1624/5,
inscription only. Also a large stone slab with indents corresponding with the
brass of Anthony Darcy, 4 shields and the Flemish border (N. Briggs, The Brasses
of the Darcy family at Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex, Transactions of the Monumental
Brass Society, IX, part VII, October 1960, 338-53). In the S wall of the
Chancel is a recessed and canopied tomb of Sussex marble, tomb cut down to form
a seat, canopy with shafted and panelled jambs, flat arch with traceried
spandrels, quatrefoiledfrieze with crenellated cresting, soffit and reveals of
recess panelled, and at back indents of a cross, inscription plate and 4
shields; the front of it, with moulded base, 3 recessed diamonds, and indents
for 3 brasses, is reset in the N wall of the Chancel; it has been identified as
of Thomas Darcy, 1558, and his third wife Elizabeth (Munday), 1559, erected by
Robert Bedingfield, her second husband (N. Briggs, above). The slab, much worn,
is in the S porch. On the N wall of the N chapel is a monument to Thomas Darcy,
1593, and Camylla (Guycciardyne), his wife, of marble, with moulded and
gadrooned base having thereon a kneeling figure of man in armour and wife at
prayer-desk, set in a recess flanked by square pilasters and surmounted by
obelisks and an achievement of arms; in front of the base, figures of 3 sons and
6 daughters. There are 6 bells, the third and fourth by Pack and Chapman, 1772,
and the fifth and tenor by Gardiner, 1755. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TL9282111702

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Church of St Nicholas

A Grade I Listed Building in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex

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