Shabbington

82. SHABBINGTON

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

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene, stands at the S. end of the village, and is built partly of limestone rubble with dressed quoins, and partly of larger stones with courses of rough herringbone pattern. The roofs are tiled. Some of the walling, set in herringbone pattern, and the plan of the Nave are of c. 1100, but the earliest remaining detail is of the first half of the 14th century. The Chancel was apparently remodelled c. 1340, and new windows were inserted throughout the church during the 14th century. The West Tower was added late in the 15th century. The church was restored in the 19th century, and the North Porch is modern.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (21 ft. by 16½ ft.) has an E. window of c. 1340, of three cinque-foiled lights and tracery in a two-centred head, with an external label which has mask-stops; on each side of the window, in the walling, are small rough pointed arches, apparently also of c. 1340, but said to be modern. In the N. wall are two windows, the eastern of c. 1340, and of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil and tracery in a two-centred head: the western is a low-side window with chamfered jambs and square head; the shutter is modern. In the S. wall are two windows; the eastern, of c. 1340, is similar to the N.E. window; the western is of the same date, but of two uncusped two-centred lights with an uncusped double spandrel in a two-centred head; the external label is chamfered. The two-centred chancel arch is of two continuously chamfered orders, and is of c. 1340. The Nave (43 ft. by 22½ ft.) has, in the N. wall, two windows; the eastern of two trefoiled lights and tracery, is modern externally, but the moulded rear arch is of c. 1340, much restored, and has shafted jambs with plain bell-capitals and moulded bases: the western window is modern: the doorway between the windows is much restored; a few stones in the jambs, and the internal splay are apparently of the 14th century: at the E. end of the wall, a short length of quoining, visible internally, is probably the E. jamb of the doorway to the former rood-loft. In the S. wall are two modern windows; between them is the 14th-century S. doorway, similar to the N. doorway, and also much restored; the relieving arch has 12th-century voussoirs, apparently re-set. The West Tower (11½ ft. by 10½ ft.) is of one stage, and has, on the W., two large sloping buttresses of a later date than the rest of the tower, a diagonal stair-turret in the S.W. angle, and an embattled parapet. The two-centred tower arch is of late 15th-century date, and of two chamfered orders dying into flat responds. The two-centred W. doorway, of two continuously chamfered orders, and the W. window, of three cinque-foiled lights and tracery in a two-centred head, are of the same date as the tower arch. The stair-turret is lighted by small quatrefoils, and the ringing-chamber by small windows with square heads; the bell-chamber has four windows, each of two uncusped lights under a square head, all of late 15th-century date. The 15th-century Roof of the nave has a moulded wall-plate, four rough tie-beams and queen-posts; the collar-beams and rafters are plastered; at the E. end a short bay has two cambered tie-beams with wall-brackets and curved braces, probably to form a canopy over the rood; this bay is boarded at a lower level than the rest of the roof.

Fittings—Font: plain octagonal bowl, and tapering stem, date uncertain, much scraped. Monuments: In chancel—on W. wall, (1) tablet to Sir William Clerke, baronet, 1678. In porch—in W. wall, (2) coffin lid, with incised marginal inscription, French, in Gothic capitals, much defaced, early 14th-century. Niches: in N. and S. walls of tower, two, shallow, rectangular, each with projecting sill, in which are two holes. Piscina: in chancel, with cinque-foiled head, stone shelf, original drain, 15th-century. Plate: includes cup and cover paten of 1683. Pulpit: hexagonal, with plain moulded panels, simple carved frieze, dated 1626. Miscellanea: in S.E. corner of nave, voussoirs, two, late 12th or early 13th-century.

Condition—Good; two bad vertical cracks in W. wall, but the sloping buttresses have apparently stopped damage probably caused by settlement of tower.

Secular

(2). Cottage, now two tenements, 50 yards N. of the church, is of one storey and an attic, built probably c. 1600; the walls have framing of fairly heavy timbers with diagonal braces; the filling is now covered with plaster. The roof is thatched. The plan is of the central chimney type, considerably altered internally; at each end of the building is a half-hipped gable. The plain square chimney stack is original, but has a modern shaft.

Condition—Fairly good.

(3). Cottage, about ¼ mile N. of the church, is of one storey and an attic, built probably c. 1600, and timber-framed; the filling is now covered with plaster, and the upper storey is under-built with brick. The roof is tiled. The plan of the central chimney type; the chimneys have been re-built.

Condition—Fairly good.