Description

TL 3244 BASSINGBOURN-CUM-KNEESWORTH NORTH END
(East Side)
15/51
Parish Church of
22.11.67 St Peter and St Paul

GV I

Parish church. Early C13 tower survived till 1897 and was rebuilt in C14
style. Nave replaced in late C13 by nave arcades, north and south aisles and
clerestorey added in c.1350. Chancel c.1330. South porch late C14 restored
in C19, external turret to rood screen C15. Vestry built to north side of
chancel c.1500 demolished c.1750. Restorations; by Edward Nightingale
(d.1723), chancel east window c.1844, south chapel 1862, aisles, nave and
roofs rebuilt by Nash of Royston architects in 1864-5, west tower rebuilt
1897. Walls of flint rubble and clunch with original clunch dressings and C19
limestone replacement. Roofs of lead and slate. South elevation: West tower
of three stages with embattled parapet and small leaded spirelet belfry blind
arcade with two-light belfry window. Embattled nave, moulded cornice with
gargoyles, six restored two-light windows with ogee tracery in flat arches
with drip moulds. Pent roof to south aisle, and slightly wider two-bay chapel
to east end with moulded plinth continuous around two stage angle buttresses,
three restored windows of three ogee-headed-lights with flat arches and drip
moulds. Small quatrefoil window in fabric of perhaps original nave to west of
chancel. Three bays of chancel with moulded plinth and plain parapet and
similar three-light windows with mouchettes in two-centred ogee-arches with
foliate finals to drip moulds. (Octagonal stair turret and priest's door in
north elevation, north-east bay of chancel with blocked window and locker and
piscena of former chapel and vestry). South porch rebuilt in C19 on high
flint and stone plinth with two-centred moulded wooden arch and trefoil
spandrels and cinquefoiled lights on each side. Roof of two bays with crown
post and cambered tie beams. South doorway, restored two-centred arch of two
sunk-chamfered orders with moulded label. Interior: Nave arcades of six bays
with two-centred arches of two hollow or plain chamfered orders, octagonal
piers and semi octagonal responds with moulded caps and spurred bases.
Chancel arch two-centred of two moulded orders with filleted attached shafts
and moulded caps and bases. Tower arch replaced C19 with four-centred head.
Chancel north wall, small recess perhaps an Easter Sepulchre, south wall
double piscena with trefoiled heads and crocketted ogee labels, sedilia with
three seats and arcade of three ogee arches with crocketted labels. Screen,
C15 with ogee head to doorway recently painted. Two niches defaced on east
wall of south chapel. Font of polished C13 purbeck marble, octagonal bowl on
circular plinth with eight shafts. Roof to chancel of five bays with king and
queen posts, moulded tie-beans and principle rafters with carved bosses,
possibly late C15. South door wooden planks with notched lap rear frame C14
or earlier (similar to High Roding, Essex); chancel north door C14. Brasses.
In nave; purbeck marble floor slab with figures of man and woman to 'JOHN
TURPIN 1494 with Margaret his wife, also WILLIAM TURPIN Esq Principal of New
Inn was here interned - 1575, also JANE TURPIN widow and benefactor to this
church and to ye poore - 1597 THOMAS TURPIN - 1627 with ANN his wife and
EDWARD TURPIN - 1683 and ELIZABETH his wife and CHILDREN of them'. Monuments:
Nave; black marble tablet with moulded and enriched frame with apron, deaths
head and drapery to Geoffrey and Elizabeth Nightingale 1664 and 1681. Tower
buttress; white marble tablet Sarah Hewerdine 1739, black tablet to Rev.
George Pennington 1832 and Catherine his wife 1839, white marble tablet to
Joshua Lilley 1848, Elizabeth his wife 1852 and their daughter 1825. Floor
slabs; in chancel to Ann wife of Rev. W. Cowling 1807, draped figure of man in
white marble with inscribed tablet to Henry Butler 1647, black slab to
Charlotte widow of Porter Bringlove 1843; in nave, black marble slab to Edward
Nightingale 1804 and others black slab to Thomas Fair 1822, small black slab
to Rev John Williams 1770, black slate to Edward Nightingale 1723, black slab
to Edward Nightingale 1723, black slabe to Edward Nightingale 1750 and Eleanor
his wife, black slab to Charles Nightingale 1757, to Capt Robert Nightingale
1784, George Mauby 1812, to Ernest Barnard 1750, to Ephrain Sell 1830 and
Simeon Sell farrier 1822. Glass in south window of chancel C14 and possibly
C16. Stone tablet in tower with moulded border and Nightingale shield of arms
inscribed 'This library was founded and erected by Edwd Nightingale of
Kneesworth Esq. AD 1717. This church was entirely paved with free stone at
his proper cost and charge. These together with the clock now in the steeple
and many other Benefacions to this church and parish were the efforts of his
liberality to them ... died and interned 1723'. The library was installed in
new cases in the vestry in 1900, in 1969 the books were sold to libraries of
Cambridge and Essex universities. Two wheel-less ploughs formerly in the
tower are on loan to Saffron Walden Museum. Two C13 coffin lids.

RCHM report 1950
VCH Vol. VIII p.27
Pevsner Buildings of England p.301
Hewett, C. Church Carpentry p.103

Listing NGR: TL3306644073

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17528238

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)