East Claydon

129. EAST CLAYDON.

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)xviii. S.E. ^(b)xxii. N.E.)

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin. The walls of the chancel and the tower are of squared stone, those of the tower partly plastered; the other walls are of rubble, the S. chapel being of yellow limestone, the nave of grey limestone. The roofs are tiled, except that of the nave, which is covered with lead. The earliest detail is that of the South Chapel, which was added to the Nave in the first half of the 13th century. About the middle of the 14th century the Chancel, with the chancel arch, was re-built, and late in the 15th or early in the 16th century the nave was widened towards the N., and re-roofed, and the West Tower was added. In the 19th century, the North Vestry, the North Aisle and arcade, and the South Porch were built, and the church, especially the chancel, was much restored.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (26 ft. by 14½ ft.) has a modern E. window. In the N. wall are two windows; the eastern has a few old stones in the jambs, but is otherwise a modern copy of the western window, which now opens into the modern vestry and is of mid 14th-century date, much restored; it is of two trefoiled lights with flowing tracery in a pointed head: between the windows, also opening into the vestry, is a small 14th-century doorway, with continuously moulded jambs and two-centred head, enriched with four-leafed flowers. In the S. wall are two windows similar to the eastern window in the N. wall. The 14th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered orders; the outer order is continuous, and the inner rests on corbels crudely carved with winged grotesques, partly restored; below the corbels is a much scraped moulding of uncertain date, which is mitred round the outer order, forming a kind of abacus, and is carried back to the N. and S. walls of both nave and chancel; the centre of the arch is about 1 ft. 3 in. S. of the axis of the nave. The Nave (47½ ft. by 22 ft.). The E. wall has, now visible in the vestry, a fragment of the weathering of a former steeppitched roof of the chancel, and S. of the chancel, outside, is a similar fragment. In the N. wall is a modern arcade of three bays; further W. is a lancet window, of which a few stones are possibly of the 13th century. In the S. wall, at the E. end, is the upper doorway of the rood-loft, with a restored or modern shouldered head; the stone staircase ascending to it, entered from the S. chapel, has been partly destroyed: W. of the staircase is an arched opening into the S. chapel, much restored, but probably of the 15th century; the opening is not carried to the floor, and is wider on the S. side of the wall than on the N., the W. jamb being skewed; the arches on the N. and S. sides have chamfered ribs, that on the N. side having a much restored label with headstops, one being of the 15th century; further W., opening into the S. chapel, is a 13th-century arch, obtuse two-centred, and of one square order, with an indented label, and slightly chamfered jambs which have moulded imposts and bases; W. of the arch is the S. doorway, probably of the 13th century; it is of one continuously chamfered order, with a segmental rear arch, rather high up, and a rough external relieving arch; the head is of clunch, and the jambs are much restored: W. of the doorway is a window of two uncusped lights with an uncusped double spandrel in a pointed head, almost entirely modern. The clearstorey has two windows in the S. wall, each of three cinque-foiled lights and of late 15th or early 16th-century date. The South Chapel (18½ ft. by 9½ ft.). The E. and W. walls are gabled. There are two lancet windows in the E. wall, two in the S. wall, and one in the W. wall, all with internal rebates, wide internal splays and chamfered rear arches, they are all of the 13th century, much restored; the W. window has been less restored than the others. The North Aisle is modern, but has, in the E. end of the N. wall, a 16th-century doorway, re-set, with double-chamfered jambs and head, and crudely carved foliage in the spandrels. The West Tower (11 ft. by 10 ft.) is of three stages with an embattled parapet, diagonal buttresses at the W. angles, and a stair turret in the S.W. angle. The pointed tower arch is of late 15th or early 16th-century date, and of two slightly chamfered orders, the outer order continuous and the inner dying into the N. and S. walls of the tower; it is slightly out of centre with the nave. In the S.W. angle is the doorway of the stair-turret, with continuously moulded jambs, and four-centred head. The W. doorway is of the same date as the tower arch, and is of two orders separated by a hollow, the outer order square and the inner four-centred; the W. window, of the same date, is of three cinque-foiled lights under a four-centred head. The second stage has, in the N. wall, a round-headed window of uncertain date. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a late 15th or early 16th-century window of two uncusped lights in a square head. The late 15th or early 16th-century Roof of the nave is of low pitch, with heavy chamfered principals, wall-brackets, purlins, wall-plates and rafters.

Fittings—Bells: include sanctus of 1657. Brasses and Indents. Indent: In churchyard—in slab near S. doorway, of plain cross with base, uncertain date, much weathered. Communion Table: In vestry—small, plain, with turned legs, early 17th-century. Font: plain octagonal bowl with moulding at the bottom, octagonal stem, moulded base, 15th-century, much scraped. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Floor-slab: In chancel—to William Abel, 'Lord of this manor, died high Sherife', 1661, inscription, and arms a saltire engrailed. Piscinae: In chancel—in N. wall, re-set to form modern credence niche, jambs, probably of piscina, moulded, decorated with four-leafed and circular flowers, 14th-century. In S. chapel—in S. wall, with shouldered chamfered head, 13th-century. Plate: includes cup and cover paten of 1569, shape of cup altered. Miscellanea: In tower—over W. window, corbel, apparently half-figure of angel, 15th-century, much defaced.

Condition—Good, considerably restored.

Secular

Main road, N. side

^a(2). White House Farm, house and moats, 100 yards N. of the church. The House is of two storeys and an attic, and is partly timber-framed, with filling now covered with rough-cast, and partly of stone and brick; the roofs are tiled. It was built c. 1600, and the porch was added c. 1650.

The house is a good example of domestic architecture of c. 1600.

The plan is of an irregular L-shape; the main block extends towards the E. and has been internally much altered; in the short S.W. wing are two rooms and the staircase. Both wings are gabled at the ends. On the S. front the overhanging upper storey of the main block is supported on moulded beams and a plaster cove, the lower beam being old and the upper beam renewed; in the middle of the elevation is the porch (see Plate, p. 24), which is built of brick at the sides and of stone in front, with a cornice, and a parapet with pediment and moulded coping; in the pediment is a modern panel; the entrance has a four-centred arch under a square head with carved spandrels, and is flanked by fluted pilasters on pedestals; the doorway inside the porch has an old moulded wooden frame, and the door is also old: at the E. end of the front, on the ground floor, is an old window of three lights, in a plain wooden frame with iron casements and pierced furniture; W. of the porch, a buttress, 6 ft. wide, has a niche with a four-centred head. The S.W. wing has, in the E. wall, a bay window, of c. 1600, with moulded head, jambs, mullions and transom; in the W. wall some irregular timber-framing is exposed. On the N. side of the main wing is a buttress. The chimney stacks have square shafts set diagonally, re-built and partly modern.

Interior:—In the S.W. wing the parlour has an old fireplace with moulded stone jambs and four-centred head, much scraped and restored. The staircase, of c. 1600, is enclosed, and has no handrail or balusters. The attic has two original doorways with solid moulded frames.

One Moat is at the back of the house, and N. of it are traces of another moat.

Condition—Of house good, much altered; of moats, poor.

^a(3). House, about 300 yards W. by N. of the church, is of two storeys, and was built of timber and brick c. 1600, re-fronted with stone and rough-cast in 1675, and enlarged with brick in the 18th century; the roofs are tiled. The plan of the original building is rectangular, but the present internal arrangement is probably of 1675; the 18th-century additions form an L-shaped wing at the back. The S. front has, over the main entrance, a stone panel with the initials 'E^VM', for Edmund Verney of East Claydon, and Mary Abell his wife, the date 1675, and a shield with a cross, five molets thereon for Verney, impaling a saltire engrailed for Abell; the windows on the first floor are of 1675, and have plain solid frames and iron casements; under the eaves is a plaster cove. At the back is an original window with moulded jambs, head and mullion of wood, and there is an original chimney stack with V-shaped pilasters.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (4–10)

These buildings are nearly all of one storey and an attic, built probably in the 17th century. The walls generally have original timber-framing, with brick filling of later date. The roofs are tiled or thatched. (See Plate, p. 103.)

Main road, N. side (cont.)

^a(4). Cottage, W. of (3), now three tenements. Condition—Fairly good.

E. side

^a(5). Cottage, about ¼ mile N.W. of the church. It was built probably c. 1600, but re-fronted and partly re-built with brick in the 18th century. The plan is L-shaped.

Condition—Good, much altered.

S. side

^a(6). Barn, belonging to a modern farmhouse, about 400 yards W. by N. of the church. The roof is of rough construction.

Condition—Poor.

^a(7). Cottage, at the N.E. corner of the road to Botolph Claydon. It was built probably c. 1600, and is L-shaped in plan, the longer wing projecting towards the E., and the shorter wing towards the N.; in the angle between the wings is a modern lean-to addition. The S. and W. walls have been largely re-built with brick. The ends of the wings are gabled and have heavy rough timber-framing, of early 17th-century date, with later brick filling. At the E. end of the longer wing the overhanging upper storey rests on beams with plain curved brackets. The large central chimney stack is original, and has a moulded plinth and square shafts with moulded caps.

Condition—Fairly good, much altered.

^a(8). Cottage and Barn, opposite to (4). The cottage is of the central chimney type and is gabled at each end.

Condition—Good.

^a(9). Cottage, now two tenements, about 120 yards N.W. of the church. The gabled ends have been partly re-built with modern brick.

Condition—Good, much altered.

^a(10). Cottage, about 70 yards W. of the church. The walls have been partly covered with modern rough-cast.

Condition—Good, much altered.

Monuments (11–22)

These buildings are nearly all of one storey and an attic, constructed of brick and timber in the 17th century, and partly restored with modern brick. The roofs are thatched or tiled.

Botolph Claydon.

The East Claydon road, W. side

^b(11). Cottage, about ½ mile S.W. of the church, and ¼ mile N. of the cross-roads, in the middle of the hamlet. It was built on a rectangular plan, possibly in the 16th century. The timber-framing has large wall-posts with diagonal braces; one end is partly re-faced with late 17th-century brick. The chimney stack is of old thin bricks.

Condition—Fairly good, much altered.

^b(12). Cottage, 230 yards N. of the cross-roads. All the brick filling is modern.

Condition—Fairly good.

^b(13). Cottage, now three tenements, about 200 yards N. of the cross-roads. The timber-framing has a heavy wall-post with diagonal braces.

Condition—Fairly good, much restored and altered.

^b(14). House, 30 yards N. of the cross-roads, is of two storeys and an attic. One wing is apparently part of a 17th-century building.

Condition—Fairly good; much modern work.

^b(15). Post Office, about 150 yards N. of the cross-roads. An 18th-century wing has been added.

Condition—Fairly good.

The Middle Claydon road, N. side

^b(16). Cottage, at the N.W. corner of the cross roads. It is of the central chimney type. The original timber-framing has wall-posts with diagonal braces filled with, and partly replaced by brick of later date; the ends have half-hipped gables.

Condition—Good, much altered.

^b(17). Cottage, now three tenements, about 130 yards W. of the cross-roads.

Condition—Good, almost entirely re-built.

^b(18). Cottage, 200 yards W. of the cross-roads. It was built probably c. 1600. The plan is rectangular, with a chimney stack at each end.

Condition—Fairly good, much altered.

S. side

^b(19). Cottage, 200 yards W. of the cross-roads. It is of the central chimney type with a modern addition at each end.

Condition—Fairly good, altered and restored.

^b(20). Cottage, now two tenements, 120 yards W. of the cross-roads. At the N. end is a modern addition. The chimney stack is of old thin bricks.

Condition—Fairly good, altered and restored.

^b(21). Cottage, now two tenements, 50 yards W of the cross-roads.

Condition—Fairly good, altered and restored.

^b(22). Cottage, at the S.E. corner of the crossroads. At the N. end is a modern addition.

Condition—Fairly good, much altered.

^b(23). Cottage, on Bernwood Farm, about 100 yards S. of the cross-roads, is of two storeys. It is of the central chimney type, built c. 1600, and probably had at one time another room at the E. end; an 18th-century addition has made the plan L-shaped. The walls of the older part have closely set timber-framing and wall-posts with diagonal braces; in front, at one end, is a timber-framed gable, and at each end of the building is a half-hipped gable with a heavy tie-beam. The chimneys are original.

Condition—Good.

^b(24). Coppice Lowhill Farm, about 1¾ miles S.W. of the church, is a 17th-century building of two storeys: the lower storey has been re-faced with modern brick; the upper storey retains the original timber-framing and brick filling. The roofs are thatched. The plan is L-shaped, with a modern addition of one storey in the angle between the wings; the porch is also modern. The central chimney stack is possibly of late 17th-century brick. Interior:—In some of the ceilings are old beams, and one room has a large open fireplace.

Condition—Fairly good.