Description

BALSHAM CHURCH LANE TL 5850 11/6 Church of Holy Trinity 22.11.67 GV I

Parish church. C13 west tower, early C14 chancel and late C14 nave and north and south aisles. Restored 1875. Fieldstone, flint with dressings of clunch and limestone. Slate and copper covered roofs. Plan of west tower, nave and north and south aisles and chancel. West tower of four stages. Embattled. Original buttressing in west wall. In 1589 Thomas Sutton (date and initial in buttress to north wall) added the three - stage buttress with moulded plinths to north and west walls. West doorway, blocked and obscured by later buttresses. Two centred moulded arch with engaged shafts to outer order. Above west window of three lancets also part concealed. C13 lancets to first and second stages of south wall. Bell stage with two quatrefoil openings with plate tracery in two centred arch. Nave: The gable of the original roof is visible in east wall of tower. Clerestory, C19, gault brick restoration or casing of original. Each side of clerestory has six windows, each with vertical tracery. South aisle and south porch rebuilt end C14 by John Sleford (d.1401), rector. Cement rendered walls, and limestone dressings to windows and two-stage buttressing. Parapetted roof and splayed plinth. Five windows, restored, of three cinquefoil lights with vertical tracery. South porch has restored roof but original gable end parapet of two pitches with beast gargoyles. Diagonal buttressing and splayed plinth similar to south aisle. Outer arch of clunch. Two centred and of two orders. Hollow and roll moulded outer order and hollow chamfered inner order on engaged columns. Inner archway, restored. Two centred, chamfered and in square head with dagger ornament to spandrels. Label with male and female masks. C16 door with original plank and muntins. Chancel, early C15, much restored 1875. Flint and stone dressings. Clerestory original. Restored reticulated tracery to fenestration of south and east walls. C19 vestry. North aisle late C14 with north doorway of clunch. Two centred arch with mouldings similar to thdt of south doorway, in square head. Interior: tower arch, mid-late C13 clunch. Two centred arch of three hollow chamfered orders, the two inner orders on engaged columns with moulded capitals and bases. North and south nave arcades of six bays. Two centred arch of two wave moulded orders on piers composed of half octagonal columns to north and south sides and to responds. Moulded capitals and bases. Continuous label with mask stops above the piers. Clerestory and roof rebuilt C19, but roof jackposts on medieval corbels. North and south aisles have late C14 roofs of six bays. Moulded longitudinal mainbeams and principal rafters with bosses at intersection. North chapel has screen incorporating early C17 sunk panelling strapwork overthrow and wood sculpture of St Nicholas. There is some medieval stained glass in the tracery of the windows of the north aisle. The chancel screen is C15 with some restorations. In seven bays including larger centre bay. In two stages with canopy. Open upper stage, now glazed with vertical tracery to the heads and slender engaged shafts between the bays. Canopy has rib vaulting and moulded entablature. Closed lower stage with cinquefoil subcusping to two panels and vertical tracery to the heads of each bay. In the chancel the rear arches of the original early C14 windows are visible. The choir stalls, C15, are particularly fine and were probably the gift of John de Sleford. There are ten to the north and south walls and six return stalls on either side of screen gates. Carved misericords, elbows, traceried back panels with coving. Contemporary prayer desks and pew ends. The roof was rebuilt in late C17 incorporating medieval carved beams. Staggered butt purlin. Font: C13 octagonal bowl on wooden stem and base. Fine C19 carved font cover. Saxon tomb slab at west end of nave. C19 bier in south aisle in carriage. C17 communion table in north chapel. Brash chancel, south side: John de Sleford (d.1401), Purbeck slab with elaborate brass indent; chancel, north side: John Blodwell (d.1462).

R.C.H.M.: record card Pevsner: Buildings of England p294 V.C.H. Cambs: vol VI

Listing NGR: TL5878650861

External Links

• Wikidata Q17528271

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