Ramsden Bellhouse

70. RAMSDEN BELLHOUSE. (D.c.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)lx. S.E. ^(b)lxviii. N.E.)

Ramsden Bellhouse is a parish 2½ m. E. of Billericay.

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Mary (Plate, pp. xxxviii-ix) stands about the middle of the parish. The tower or belfry and the S. porch are timber-framed. The West Tower or belfry is of the 15th century, and the South Porch is perhaps of late 14th-century date. The rest of the building is modern.

Architectural Description—The West Tower is timber-framed, and consists of a central rectangular structure with the roof carried down over annexes on the N. and S. There is a third annexe on the W. side with a pent-roof. Placed astride the main roof is the timber bell-chamber, surmounted by a short octagonal spire. The main structure rests on four oak posts with curved braces and modern added struts. In the W. wall of the W. annexe is a 15th-century oak doorway with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head with spandrels carved with foliage, a rose and a shield. The bell-chamber has in each wall a two-light window with modern pointed heads.

The South Porch is timber-framed, and probably of late 14th-century date. The outer archway is two-centred and is flanked by openings with ogee heads. The gable has foiled barge-boards and the side walls have modern diamond-shaped mullions. The roof has one tie-beam with curved braces, old rafters and a central purlin.

The Roof of the chancel has three tie-beams, the two western with plain king-posts; the middle tie-beam has early 16th-century twisted foliage ornament; the westernmost is probably of the 15th century and the easternmost probably of the 17th century. The 15th-century roof of the nave is of three bays with four king-post trusses, chamfered tie-beams and one plain and three rebated king-posts, one with moulded base; the tie-beams have mortices for braces, except the easternmost, which is probably of later date.

Fittings—Bells: three; 1st by William Land, 1615 or 1618; 2nd by William Lambert, 1638; 3rd by Richard Phelps, 1711. Chairs: In chancel —two, with carved backs and front rails, twisted posts, early 18th-century. Chest: In nave—large and heavily bound with iron, lid in two portions, each with five strap and three link-hinges, four hasps and staples, two handles at ends and two handles to lids, probably mediaeval. Door: In W. doorway of tower—of battens with fillets planted on, late 15th or early 16th-century. Font: octagonal stem and moulded base, 15th-century, bowl and part of base modern. Font-cover: of wood with eight voluted supports to turned middle-post, late 17th or early 18th-century. Plate: includes Elizabethan cup of 1562 with two bands of engraved ornament, small paten of about the same date, also engraved but without foot. Recess: In nave—re-set in N. wall, with stop-moulded jambs, trefoiled and sub-cusped head and quatre-foiled spandrels, moulded cornice above, late 14th-century, probably piscina or stoup.

Condition—Good, mostly re-built.

Secular

^b(2). Homestead Moat, at Cox Green, 1,500 yards N.N.W. of the church.

^a(3). Chitham's Farm, house and moat, about 1¼ m. N.W. of the church. The House is of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered; the roofs are tiled. It was built probably in the 16th century with a central block and N. and S. crosswings, but has been much altered and added to on the S. and W. The upper storeys of both the cross-wings originally projected on the E. front, but the upper storey of the S. wing has been under-built. Inside the building one small room has exposed ceiling-beams.

The Moat entirely surrounds the house.

Condition—Of house, good, much altered.

^b(4). Barn, at Ramsden Bellhouse Hall, N.W. of the church, is timber-framed and weather-boarded, with a thatched roof, and was built probably in the 17th century. The barn has two porches on the S. side.

Condition—Poor.

^b(5). Stable, at E. end of churchyard, is of the 17th century, timber-framed and weather-boarded; the roof is thatched.

Condition—Fairly good.

^a(6). House, on S. side of the road to Billericay, nearly 1¼ m. N.N.W. of the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered; the roofs are tiled. It was built probably in the 16th century, and now consists of a rectangular block with an E. cross-wing and a staircase block in the S.W. angle, to which has been added a modern wing extending towards the S. The base of the chimney-stack at the E. end is original, and inside the building some of the timber-framing is exposed.

Condition—Fairly good, much altered.