Ballingham

5 BALLINGHAM (E.c.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)XLVI, N.W., ^(b)XLVI, N.E.)

Ballingham is a small parish on the right bank of the Wye, 6½ m. S.E. of Hereford. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Dubricius, stands near the middle of the parish. The walls are of local rubble with ashlar dressings; the roofs are covered with slates. The Nave appears to have been built in the 13th century. Late in the 14th century the Chancel was perhaps re-built, the West Tower added, and the W. wall of the nave re-built. The South Porch was added early in the 15th century. The church was restored in 1884–5, when the N. and S. walls of the nave were partly re-built.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (19¼ ft. by 17 ft.) has an E. window of late 14th-century origin, completely restored except the external reveals and sill; it is of three trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a two-centred head. In the N. wall is a partly restored late 14th-century window of two cinque-foiled ogee lights with quatre-foiled tracery in a square head. In the S. wall is a similar window, and further W. is a blocked late 14th-century doorway with chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head. There is no chancel-arch, the space between the two roofs being filled with wooden panelling, covered externally with slates.

The Nave (36¼ ft. by 20¼ ft.) has in the N. wall three windows; the two easternmost are almost entirely modern and each of two trefoiled lights; the westernmost window is a small lancet-light of early 13th-century date. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern uniform with the corresponding window in the N. wall; the western window is of mid 14th-century date and of three trefoiled ogee lights in a square head; the 15th-century S. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred arch.

The West Tower (about 8 ft. square) is of late 14th-century date and of three stages, with splayed plinth, a plain parapet and a plain octagonal stone spire rising from within it. The ground-stage has in the E. wall a doorway with chamfered jambs and three-centred head; in the W. wall is a small loop-light which has been enlarged. The second stage has in the N., S. and W. walls a loop-light. The bell-chamber has in each wall a window of one trefoiled light. Below the parapet on the S. and W. faces of the tower are carved grotesque gargoyles.

The South Porch is of early 15th-century date, and has an outer archway with moulded jambs and two-centred arch in a square head with traceried spandrels enclosing blank shields; above the archway are remains of a 'black-letter' inscription with the word "(p)erson," and in the middle of the parapet is a shallow niche with a pointed head and with the coping carried over it in the form of a gable. The side walls have each a window of two trefoiled lights in a square head with a moulded label. The porch has a stone vault with moulded ridge, diagonal and wall-ribs, springing from moulded corbels and having a restored eight-pointed panel in the middle enclosing a decayed rose; the ridge-ribs are modern.

The Roof of the nave is of trussed-rafter type, with scissor-braces and is perhaps of the 14th century.

Fittings—Bells: three; 2nd inscribed in Lombardic capitals, "Virginis egregie vocor campana Marie," 14th or 15th-century. Communion Table: with modern legs and framing, made up boarded top with remains of inscription AS 16—. Font: octagonal bowl with curved underside, round stem and chamfered base, probably 13th-century. Monument and Floor-slabs: Monument: In nave—on W. wall, to William Scudamore, 1649, black-and-white marble tablet with Ionic side-columns, entablature, pediment, achievement and three shields-of-arms. Floor-slabs: In chancel— on S. wall, (1) to Sir John Scudamore, K.B., 1684, with shield-of-arms and other enrichments. In churchyard—S. of nave, (2) to [William Seycell], 1660, and to William Seycell his son, 1681, and Allse, wife of William Seycell, senior, 1697; (3) to Margery, wife of William Roberts, 1660, William their son, 1692, and Mary, wife of William Roberts, 1707. Panelling: In space between roofs of chancel and nave with chamfered styles and rails, possibly 15th-century. Plate: includes early 18th-century cup, and a cover-paten inscribed "Ballingham, 1574, 1718." Pulpit: formed of three panelled sides each of three panels, those in middle range with arcading and pilasters with guilloche-ornament; top panels carved with arabesque-ornament, early 17th-century. Sundial: In churchyard—S. of nave, three steps of former churchyard cross, now supporting a shaft, probably 18th-century, with a bronze dial by N. Witham of London.

Condition—Good, much restored.

Secular

^b(2). Ballingham Hall (Plate 14), house, outbuilding and barn, 80 yards N.E. of the church. The House is of two storeys, the walls are of stone with ashlar dressings and the roofs are covered with slates. It was built c. 1602, and is of T-shaped plan with the cross-wing at the N.W. end. The S.W. front has a moulded string-course between the storeys and a two-storeyed porch; the gable of the cross-wing has a moulded finial and an oval panel below; the gable of the porch has a similar panel. The windows have square moulded labels. The outer arch of the porch is segmental, and the battened front door is original. The door-head on the N.W. front is modern, but above it is the original four-centred door-head with the inscription "William Scudemore, 1602." Inside the building is some original panelling and chamfered ceiling-beams.

The Outbuilding, N.E. of the house, is of rubble and of two storeys. It was built in the 17th century, and has three original window-openings with moulded labels. The Barn, S. of the house, is of the 17th century, timber framed and of seven bays with trusses having either queen-posts or raking struts.

Condition—Good.

^b(3). Barn, 40 yards N.W. of the church, was built in the 17th century, and is timber-framed with a slate roof. Some of the timber-framing is exposed, and the roof is of five bays with two pairs of raking struts to each truss.

Condition—Good.

^b(4). Cottage, 335 yards N.W. of the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and partly re-faced with stone; the roofs are covered with slates. It was built in the 17th century, and has exposed ceiling-beams and joists.

Condition—Fairly good.

^b(5). Dunn's Farm, house ¼ m. N. of the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered; the roofs are tiled. It was built in the 17th century, but has modern alterations in stone and brick. Some of the timber-framing is exposed.

Condition—Fairly good.

^b(6). Outbuilding, at Lower Ballingham Farm, 300 yards S.W. of the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and with a slate roof. Much of the timber-framing is exposed, as are the chamfered ceiling-beams.

Condition—Fairly good.

^a(7). Miners' Arms Inn and two tenements, nearly 1 m. S.W. of the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and partly re-faced with modern stonework. It was built in the 17th century and extended to the E. late in the 18th century. Some of the timber-framing is exposed, as are the ceiling-beams and some of the joists.

Condition—Good.