Stantonbury

196. STANTONBURY.

(O.S. 6 in. ix. N.E.)

Ecclesiastical

(1). Old Parish Church of St. Peter (see Plate, p. ), at Stanton Low, 1 mile N.E. of the new parish church. The walls are of yellow limestone rubble; the dressings are of similar stone, with some clunch. The roofs are tiled. The Nave and a small Chancel were built probably c. 1150. The chancel was lengthened, and a N. arcade inserted in the nave c. 1250, but the aisle was either never built or was subsequently destroyed. In the 14th century the E. window was inserted, and the chancel widened; a S. chapel was added in the same century, but was subsequently destroyed. In the 15th century the W. wall of the nave was re-built and thickened, probably to support a bell-cot, and windows were inserted in the nave. The North Porch was added in the 16th century. The whole building was restored in the 20th century.

The church is especially interesting on account of the fine 12th-century work of the chancel arch.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (29 ft. by 13 ft.) has an E. window of c. 1340, and of three uncusped lights with intersecting tracery in a two-centred head; above it is a circular light, apparently of the 13th century: the windows are not in the middle of the wall, and at the S. end is a straight joint indicating the extension of the chancel. In the N. wall are two 15th-century windows, the eastern of one cinque-foiled light, roughly worked in clunch; the western of two trefoiled lights, also of rough workmanship. In the S. wall is a squint with a round head, now blocked, partly of 12th-century work re-used, but evidently opened when the S. chapel was added in the 14th century; W. of the squint are traces of an arch with square chamfered jambs, apparently of the 14th century, now blocked, but formerly opening into the chapel. The 12th-century chancel arch is semi-circular and of three orders, the outermost order cheveron-moulded, with pellet ornament, the middle order ornamented with grotesque heads of birds and animals; the innermost order has been re-built, in a two-centred form with re-used 12th-century material; the two outer orders are carried on detached shafts, two of them being enriched with lozenge ornament, four-leafed flowers and pellet ornament; the third shaft is twisted, and the fourth octagonal, with fluted cheveron moulding and pellet ornament; three of the capitals are carved with grotesque beasts, the fourth has foliated ornament; the plain moulded abacus on each side is carried across both capitals; the bases are of 'Attic' type. The Nave (25½ ft. by 18 ft.) has a buttress at each end of the 15th-century thickening of the W. wall; beyond the buttresses the corners of the gable are carried on four courses, corbelled out from the original W. wall. The N. arcade of two bays, now blocked, is of mid 13th-century date; the two-centred arches are of two chamfered orders, and the labels have serrated ornament; the column consists of four engaged circular shafts, with moulded capitals and bases; the square responds are chamfered and have foliated corbel-capitals: in the blocking of the eastern arch are straight joints, apparently indicating that a window was inserted, the head of the arch forming that of the window: in the blocking of the second arch is a 13th-century doorway, re-set; it has a two-centred head, of one chamfered order and a label with serrated ornament; a flat wood lintel takes the place of the rear arch. In the S. wall, at the E. end, inside, is the E. splay and part of the rear arch of a 13th-century window; further W. is an early 15th-century window of two cinque-foiled lights, originally with a quatrefoil over them and a two-centred head; the top of the window is now cut off by the wall-plate, the wall having been lowered: W. of this window are the remains of a 12th-century window, now blocked; they consist of the small round external head, cut from a single stone, part of the W. jamb of the internal splay, and the semi-circular rear arch: at the W. end of the wall is the S. doorway, which is similar to the N. doorway, and now blocked. In the W. wall is an early 15th-century window of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head; under the window, inside, is a rough segmental blind arch, and, in the gable, is a small opening with a rough trefoiled head. The North Porch has a 16th-century entrance archway of two chamfered orders, the outer order square, the inner segmental pointed; in the E. wall is a small unglazed window, also of the 16th-century, with a two-centred head; against each side wall is a stone bench, the top being formed by a 13th-century slab with a cross incised on it. The Roof of the nave is probably of the 15th century, and is of the queen-post type, roughly worked.

Fittings—Bell: hung in splay of opening in W. gable, probably 17th-century or of earlier date, no marks. Brasses and Indents. Indent: In chancel —large slab, with leaded rivets, possibly of Flemish brass. Chest: now in new parish church—of oak, with three panels and fluted frieze in front, late 17th-century. Lockers: In chancel—in N. wall, under eastern window, two, one long, the other with rebate for door; at E. end of wall, a third, almost square, in W. side a small square hole, opening into a cavity in the wall. Font: octagonal basin, with trefoiled panels, curiously worked, possibly 12th-century, re-cut in 17th century. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Floor-slabs: In chancel—(1) to Sir John Temple, 1632, and Dorothy, his wife, daughter of Edmund Lea, 1625; (2) to Eleanor, widow of Sir Peter Temple, and daughter of Sir Tymothy Tyrill of Oakley, 1671, inscription, and arms on a lozenge, inlaid in white marble; (3) to Charles Tyrill, 1694, inscription, and arms on a lozenge, inlaid in white marble. Niche: In nave—S. of chancel arch, with rough two-centred head. Piscinae: In chancel—with rough two-centred head, two basins of unequal size; in nave—in S. wall, at E. end, with square head; date of both uncertain. Pulpit: with carved panels and frieze, early 17th-century. Reredos: In nave—set in splay of N. doorway, worked stone with two small trefoiled panels, possibly part of reredos, 15th-century. Stoup: In nave—E. of N. doorway, rough recess with remains of stoup, broken, recently opened. Miscellanea: In chancel—on iron bracket, funeral helm, skull in one piece with slight ridge, spike added for crest, hinged vizor on pivot, with bossed sight-slits, forged in one piece, bevor on pivot, wood crest, Saracen's head, and cartouche, probably 17th-century, but partly made up from a genuine helmet of earlier date; with the helm, short sword, pair of funeral gauntlets, rowel spur, rowel missing, probably 17th-century. In nave—table, chamfered legs with diamond-shaped stops, mediæval, the rest 17th-century; at W. end, under W. window, stone bench.

Condition—Good; has been recently restored.

Unclassified

(2). Mound, S.W. of the old parish church, is enclosed in an area excavated to a depth of 5 ft. On the S.E. is a bank with a berm on the E. side. A cutting has been recently made in the face of the bank and revealed a stone wall.