Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Madley, County of Herefordshire

Description

SO 43 NW; 4/42

MADLEY CP

Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Formerly listed as the Parish Church of St Mary)

26.01.62

Parish church. C12, C13 and C14, restored 1870, 1878 and 1883. Sandstone
rubble, sandstone ashlar, tile and stone slate roofs. Aisled three-plus-
three-bay nave, chancel and crypt with polygonal east end, west tower,
south chapel and north porch, the last formed from the north transept of
earlier cruciform C12 church.

Tower has three and a half stages separated
by string courses, embattled parapet with raised embattled corner over
newel, clasping buttresses to north-west and south-west, outshuts to north
and south, battered plinth to west; first stage is fenestrated only to west
having three slightly stepped lancets with chamfers and hood mouldings,
shafts and plain capitals in two and three orders; second stage has pairs
of 2-light chamfered lancets with labels, one pair to north and south and
two pairs to west; top stage has three chamfered lancets of equal height
with labels to each of the four faces; west doorway has deeply moulded 2-
centred head with fillets, attached shafts and plain capitals, label extends
into string, also with fillet, C13 strap hinges to door; outshuts forming
west ends of aisles each have a small chamfered lancet; clock on north face:
"VICTORIA/ 1901". North aisle has four small chamfered lancets with a
central weathered-buttress to the west of the north porch which has a
central trefoil-headed gable light, one small round-headed chamfered light
to each flank and outer 2-centred arch with double roll moulding and label;
to the east of the porch are four windows each of three lights with ogeed
and trefoiled heads, quatrefoil tracery and labels, the east window has
one chamfered 2-centred light also with a label. Nave clerestorey has
seven single-light 2-centred windows, the third from the west obscured by
the porch gable above which is visible the roof line of the former transept.
Crypt and chancel over falling ground have moulded plinth, 2-centred windows
each of one trefoiled light with label to the crypt, and apse; north wall
of chancel has three trefoiled tracery windows, the west one of three lights,
the other two of two lights; east end has angle buttresses, east window
reported in RCHM as having three trefoiled and ogeed lights with two
quatrefoils in tracery above (undergoing restoration at time of survey, July 1985).
The north-east-and south-east windows have two cinquefoiled lights with
cinquefoil and quatrefoil tracery, beneath the south-east window is a doorway
into the crypt with a 2-centred head; the four south windows are of two lights
and similar to those on the north side; four eastern buttresses have pinnacles,
pyramidical tops with ball-flower decoration running up to angles to crockets;
crocketted turrets, one to each side at junction of nave and chancel;
continuous large ballflower cornice below eaves. South (Chilstone) Chapel has
large 2-centred 5-light east window with four rows of restored quatrefoil
tracery to the south of the 2-light trefoil-headed and traceried window of
the east end of the south aisle; south wall has five restored 3-light windows
with quatrefoil tracery set between regular buttresses, above is a moulded
cornice in two bands; west window has restored trefoil tracery. Next to
the south door is a segmentally-headed 3-light C15 window, each light having
a cinquefoiled head, under a label with two restored head-stops; in the
south wall of the tower outshut are two small chamfered lancets. South doorway
is similar to that in the west side of the tower with fillet mouldings;
elaborate, probably C19, strap hinges.

INTERIOR of porch has restored wagon
roof, triangular-headed doorway above floor level to right of north doorway
which has a 2-centred head, fillet mouldings and head stops. Main roofs
have restored collar trusses, some with arch braces to collars, that over
the south chapel, probably C14, is the least restored; beneath the upper
stages of the tower are heavy horizontal baulks. Nave arcade has 2-centred
C13 double-chamfered arches, circular piers with octagonal abaci and water-
holding bases. South chapel arcade of five bays, 2-centred double chamfered
arches, four clustered shafts to each pier, ball-flower frieze on abaci.
Chancel arch is 2-centred, double chamfered, the inner order supported by
fillet moulded shafts with moulded capitals and water-holding bases; above
the arch is a small central 2-centred arch with two continuous roll mouldings
presenting a plain segmental head to chancel side; over the chancel arch RCHM
reported signs of large figure painting, probably a Doom. Chancel has piscina
with 2-centred head, recessed trefoil and quatrefoil drain linked to similarly
headed three-bay sedilia with quatrefoil shafts and ball-flower enrichment,
fragments of C13 stained glass to angled windows at east end and relatively
complete east window, reported by RCHM, with St John and Christ at the Last
Supper and The Adoration. Crypt has central octagonal pier, without an abacus,
supporting ten ribs and is reached from east ends of nave aisles. Tower arch
is 2-centred with three chamfers; entry to newel of tower has chamfered semi-
circular head and elaborate C13 strap hinges on ledged plank door. On north
side of the chancel is an early C17 aedicule framed by two composite columns
enclosing two figures at a prie-dieu for Peter Farnons and family; seven stalls
with misericords and desks to each side of chancel; on the south side two brass
plaques for John Gough, died 1618, and his wife, Marie, died 1620. In south
chapel another Gough brass wall plaque, for Thomas Gough Jnr, died 1741, aged
25, with incised encomium and following conclusion:

Reader be wary how you catch at Time,
he has a lock before but bald behind
Mourn for the mourners not for the dead,
For he's at rest they in tears.
Bene Vixit, qui bene Latuit.

Two piscinae in south wall, both C13, one with trefoiled ogee head. Chest
tomb for Richard and Anne Willison by John Gildo, possibly an Italian, of
Hereford, of 1574, mutilated effigies, 2-panelled sides with pointed heads
separated by tapered Ionic pilasters, each north panel containing a stylised
weeper; nearby on west wall "CATALOGUE OF BENEFACTION/ LEFT TO THE POOR OF
MADLEY/ 1821/ J YATES Heref "; several wall slabs of C18 to early C19 date;
beneath east window an elaborate C17 panelled screen in three panels with
carved vine leaves and twisted columns, probably Iberian, in front of which
is C17 communion table. Font under tower has massive undecorated circular
bowl on large cyclindrical steps, possibly C13. South aisle has late medieval
chest with strap hinges, richly embroidered 3-panel altar frontal with a chalice
in the centre and "INI". North aisle has doorway with 2-centred head leading
down to crypt and formerly up to rood loft; above is a doorway with a 3-centred
chamfered head and chamfered jambs at rood loft level; brattished C15 beam
probably part of rood screen; C15 and C17 parclose screen encloses the
Lulham Pew, balustered columns, acanthus carving and acorn finials, seven-bay
cinquefoiled C15 panelling to north and south, brattished top; bell next to
north door inscribed "IDHN"; square-headed piscina with semi-octagonal drain
on north side of north pier of chancel arch.

Listing NGR: SO4199838721

External Links

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