Hawridge

50. HAWRIDGE.

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)xxxiv. S.E. ^(b)xxxv. S.W. ^(c)xxxix. N.W.)

Ecclesiastical

^c(1). Parish Church of St. Mary, S. of the village, was re-built in 1855–6; some of the old material was re-used, and some of the original fittings remain.

Fittings—Bells: two, 2nd by Richard Chandler, 1676. Brasses: In the vestry—in a chest, loose, (1) to Dame Dorothe Pakyngton, daughter of Sir Thomas Kytson, wife, first of Sir Thomas Packington, Knight, and secondly of Thomas Tasburgh, 1577, inscription only, in black-letter; see brass (2). In nave—(2) slab with shield bearing a fesse between three luces impaling paly a chief with three roundels therein quartering a cheveron between three molets, indents of inscription and two shields; see brass (1). Chest: in vestry, small, plain, rough workmanship, with three locks, formerly painted, probably mediæval. Font: with shallow round basin ornamented with circular flowers and foliage, round, moulded stem, of clunch, crude workmanship, 13th-century. Floor-slab: In nave—to John Seare, 1682, Mary his wife, 1685, Mary his daughter, 1687, John, his grandson, son of Richard and Elizabeth Seare, 1699, incised inscription.

Condition—Of font, good; of brass, poor.

Secular

^c(2). Ring-work round Hawridge Court Farm (see also (3) below), S.W. of the church, stands on level ground on the summit of a ridge about 570 ft. above O.D. The defences consist of a single rampart and ditch, of which the S.W. half is wet, and are very strong in comparison to the size of the enclosed area which only covers ⁴/5 acre. There are breaks in the rampart, with corresponding causeways across the ditch on the E. and S., and another on the N., where the house stands. The rampart is 16 ft. high and 53 ft. wide, and the ditch is 4 ft. deep and 45 ft. wide.

Condition—Fairly good.

^c(3). Barn, at Hawridge Court Farm, is of timber and brick; the roof is tiled. It was built probably in the 16th century; the lower storey was originally open, with posts to support the upper storey, but is closed in with brick.

Condition—Good.

^b(4). Cottage, now three tenements, ½ mile N.W. of the church, is of brick and timber, partly covered with plaster; the roof is tiled. It was built in the 17th century, but has been much altered and enlarged. The chimney stacks have been re-built with old thin bricks.

Condition—Good, much re-built.

^b(5). Cottage, now two tenements, N.W. of (4), is of two storeys, built probably in the 17th century, and timber-framed; the brick filling is not original, and the timbers are patched; modern additions have been made at the N.W. end. The roof is tiled. There are wide, open fireplaces on both floors.

Condition—Fairly good.

^b(6). Cottage, now three tenements, 220 yards N.W. of (4), is of two storeys, built of timber and brick; the roof is tiled. It is dated 1571, and was originally a plain rectangular building of the central chimney type; a block was added at the N.W. end in the 17th century, and modern additions have been made at the back and at the S.W. end. The N.E. front retains the original timber-framing with very heavy posts at the ends and in the middle; the upper storey projects, and the supporting joists have curved brackets. The original entrance in the middle is blocked; on the lintel is inscribed R.G., I.G., H.G., E.G., 1571. The 17th-century addition at the N.W. end is gabled. Interior:—A wide open fireplace remains, and the stop-chamfered joists carrying the first floor are original. The upper storey is open to the roof, which has plain trusses of queen-post type, with cambered tie-beams.

Condition—Fairly good.

^a(7). Botchmore Farm, ⁷/8 mile N.W. of the church, is a rectangular house of two storeys, built c. 1600, and timber-framed, with brick filling; a block at the N.W. end, added late in the 17th century, is of brick. The roof is tiled. The whole building has been much restored and altered.

Condition—Poor.