Farnham Royal

36. FARNHAM ROYAL.

(O.S. 6 in. liii. S.W.)

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of St. Mary, stands S. of the village. Of the 12th-century building only the Chancel remains, and has walls of rough flint set in much mortar, with quoins of old clunch and modern stone; the roof is tiled. The rest of the church was re-built in the 19th century.

Architectural Description — The Chancel (32 ft. by 15½ ft.) has a modern E. window. In the N. wall is a small 12th-century window, with a round head in one piece, jambs of clunch, somewhat weatherworn, and a modern sill; the doorway of the N. vestry and the arch opening into the organ-chamber are modern. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern, of c. 1360, much restored, is of two lights with tracery in a pointed head; the internal sill is carried down to form a sedile; the second window is of two lights, with a plain pierced spandrel in a pointed head, and has an external label; the lower part of the window is modern, the upper part is of late 14th-century date, and of clunch, re-worked: between the windows is a blocked doorway, visible outside; it has a two-centred head and is probably also of late 14th-century date; over it is the rough outline of a blocked 12th-century window, of stone patched with brick. The chancel arch is modern. The open timber Roof has collar-beams, and one plain tie-beam.

Fittings—Brass: In S. aisle—fixed on the E. wall, to Eustas Mascol, clerk of the works for Cardinal Wolsey at Oxford, and afterwards clerk of accounts for all the buildings of King Henry VIII. within twenty miles of London, he died 'pistell reder' at Windsor Castle, 1564; plate broken in two pieces, small part missing. Locker: on N. side of chancel, with rebated jambs and shouldered flat head, 13th-century. Monument: on W. respond of S. arcade—tablet to Abigail, wife of William Hickman, and mother of Charles Hickman, rector of the parish, 1699. Piscina: in the chancel, with moulded jambs and trefoiled head, round basin, c. 1250. Plate: includes cup and cover paten of 1569, Dutch spoon, 17th-century.

Condition—Good.

Secular

(2). Farnham Court, S. of the church, is of two storeys, built of brick; the roofs are tiled. Only the N.W. corner, containing one room on each floor, is original, probably of c. 1670; the rest of the house was re-built and enlarged in the 18th and 19th centuries. The gabled N. wall of the original part is of late 17th-century brick, and has a projecting chimney stack. A cellar under the N.W. corner has a heavy oak beam in the ceiling.

Condition—Good.

(3). The Old Rectory, about ¾ mile N.N.E. of the church, is of two storeys and an attic, built probably in the second half of the 16th century, and timber-framed; the front is covered with modern plaster, the back re-faced with modern brick; the roofs are tiled. The plan of the original house is H-shaped, facing W., with modern additions to the wings on the N. and S. In front the original wings are gabled, and there are four dormer windows. At the back the original S. wing has a modern plastered gable; only one post of the 16th-century timber-framing remains on the N. side of the wing. There are three original chimney stacks; the stack in the S. wing has small square angle pilasters, and may be of slightly later date than the others, which are plain. Interior:—The three original fireplaces have been partly filled in, and that at the back has a heavy oak lintel, cut through to admit a modern window. In the ceiling of the kitchen are old, stop-chamfered beams; another room has some oak panelling and a door of late 16th-century date, also some panelling in deal, a copy of the other.

Condition—Good.

(4). Cottage, on the W. side of the main road, nearly ½ mile S.S.W. of the church, is of two storeys, the upper storey partly in the roof, built probably late in the 16th century, of brick and timber, restored with modern brick. The roofs are tiled. The plan was originally rectangular, facing E., with a projecting chimney stack at the back; modern additions have been made on the N. and W. The N. half of the original building is gabled on the E. and W. The chimney stack is of thin bricks, and has a semi-circular oven on the S. side. One room on the ground floor has an original ceiling-beam, with moulded stops.

Condition—Poor.

(5). The Duke's Head Inn, on the W. side of the main road, 300 yards N.W. of the church, is of two storeys, built probably early in the 17th century, and entirely re-faced with modern brick; the roof is tiled. The central chimney stack is of thin bricks. On the ground floor the large central fireplace has been filled in, but retains the heavy oak lintel, and in the ceiling are old stop-chamfered beams.

Condition—Good.