Clehonger

14 CLEHONGER (C.b.)

(O.S. 6 in. XXXIX, N.W.)

Clehonger is a parish on the right bank of the Wye, 3 m. W.S.W. of Hereford. The principal monument is the church.

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of All Saints, stands near the middle of the parish. The walls are of roughly squared and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, all of red sandstone; the roofs are covered with stone slates. The E. wall of the tower incorporates the W. wall of the Nave of a 12th-century church, and there is re-used material of the same period in the walls of the chancel. In the 13th century the church was largely re-built, the West Tower was added early in the century, and the South Aisle and arcade built or re-built about the middle of the century. In the first half of the 14th century the North Chapel was added, and in the same century the top stage of the tower was added. The W. wall of the S. aisle was re-built in the 17th or 18th century, and the church was restored in the 19th century when the Chancel was re-built and the South Porch added.

Among the fittings the effigies are noteworthy.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (26¼ ft. by 19¾ ft.) is modern, but incorporates some re-used material, including portions of the E. window which is of early 14th-century origin, and of three lights in a two-centred head; the side lights are cinque-foiled. The two single-light windows in the N. wall have cinque-foiled heads of the same date.

The Nave (42¾ ft. by 19¾ ft.) has in the N. wall a 14th-century segmental-pointed arch of two chamfered orders, the outer continuous, and the inner dying on to the responds; farther W. are two windows, the eastern a 14th-century window of three trefoiled ogee lights in a square head; the partly restored western window is of early 14th-century date and of two pointed lights in a two-centred head; the N. doorway, now blocked, is probably of 14th-century date and has chamfered jambs and a square head. The S. arcade is of c. 1250, and of four bays with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders; the cylindrical columns have moulded capitals and bases and the responds have attached half-columns; the springing-level of the W. respond is lower than the rest.

The North Chapel (20½ ft. by 12¼ ft.) has in the E. wall a 14th-century window similar to the eastern window in the N. wall of the nave. In the N. wall is a re-set window similar to the E. window of the chancel.

The South Aisle (41¼ ft. by 16 ft.) has in the E. wall a late 13th-century window of three pointed lights in a two-centred head. In the S. wall are two late 13th-century windows each of two pointed lights with a plain spandrel in a two-centred head; the early 13th-century S. doorway has a round arch of two moulded orders with a moulded label; the inner order of the jambs is moulded and the outer has on each side a detached shaft with a simple foliated capital and a moulded base; the abacus of the capital is continued round the inner order.

The West Tower (16¼ ft. by 17¼ ft.) is of four stages (Plate 3) with an embattled parapet. The ground stage is of early 13th-century date, but incorporates the 12th-century W. wall of an earlier nave containing a round-headed window, now blocked and only visible on the internal face of the wall; the early 13th-century tower-arch is two-centred and of one plain order with chamfered imposts. The N., S. and W. walls of this and the second stage have each a narrow lancet-window of the same date as the tower-arch. The third stage has in each wall a 13th-century lancet-window; the upper part of this stage is of different stone, but of much the same date as the work below. The bell-chamber is of early 15th-century date, and has in each wall a window of two trefoiled lights in a two-centred head. The string-course of the parapet has four carved gargoyles.

The Roof of the nave is of the 17th century, and of four bays with heavy moulded tie-beams, chamfered plates and trellis-framing above the tie-beams; it has much modern repair. The roof of the S. aisle is of similar date and character.

Fittings—Altar: In tower—against W. wall, slab with five Consecration-crosses, mediæval. Bells: four; 4th by John Finch, 1640. Brackets: In N. chapel—on E. wall, shaped and moulded corbel, late 14th or 15th-century. In S. aisle—on E. wall, shaped roof-corbel, re-used as a bracket, 15th or 16th-century. Brass: In N. chapel—said to be of Sir John Barre and Eden (Hotoft) his wife, figure of man in armour of c. 1470–80, head on helm with talbot-head crest, feet on lion; figure of woman in butterfly head-dress, with two dogs at feet. Coffin-lids: In nave—re-used as head to N. doorway, tapering slab. In S. aisle—in recess in S. wall, mutilated slab with ornamental cross in low relief; re-used in sill of E. window, fragment with part of incised cross. In tower—two, one with ornamental incised cross and the other with ornamental cross in relief and border. All the above probably 13th-century. Doors: In N. doorway—of battens with strap-hinges, having fleur-de-lis ends, 13th or 14th-century. In S. doorway—of nail-studded battens with hollow-chamfered ribs, strap-hinges with fleur-de-lis ends, and pierced scutcheon-plate, probably 16th-century, with earlier iron-work and modern repairs. Glass: In nave—in eastern window in N. wall, in three main lights and tracery, miscellaneous collection of fragments including diapered quarries, borders, portions of inscriptions, "Jerem . . . phet," and tabernacle-work, two shields-of-arms (a) gules three bars argent, (b) barry or and azure a bend gules charged with (three?) leopards' heads argent, portions of figures including two crowned heads and an angel, mostly 14th-century. In N. chapel—in N. window, two triangular panels with dragons, 14th-century. In tower —in W. window, diapered quarries and borders, 14th-century. Locker: In N. chapel—in E. wall, rectangular recess rebated for door, mediæval. Monuments: In N. chapel—(1) altar-tomb re-set and re-built, with moulded capping and base, and supporting an effigy (Plate 51) of a man in armour of c. 1335–40, with ridged bascinet, scalloped camail, cyclas, scalloped skirt over hawberk, sword on left side, right hand on dagger, left hand on shield, with arms, barry on a bend three leopards' faces, head on cushion supported by two angels, one much broken, feet on hound with collar; on shield, two scratchings dated 1630 and 1709; (2) small altar-tomb with effigy (Plate 48) of a woman, altar-tomb with moulded capping and base, at E. end a recessed panel enclosing a crest of a bush of feathers, two panels on S. side enclosing blank shields hanging by their straps; effigy in tight-fitting gown with hip-belt, buttoned sleeves, long hair bound with fillet, necklace with buckle and long cloak, head on cushion supported by mutilated angels, at feet a large goose, pulling cloak with its beak, mid 14th-century; on N. wall, (3) to Herbert Aubrey, 1671, and Elizabeth (Bedle), his wife, 1676, partly painted freestone wall-monument (Plate 54), with scrolls, enriched apron, entablature with broken pediment, swags, cherubs and cartouche-of-arms. Piscinæ: In chancel—recess with chamfered jambs and trefoiled ogee head; round projecting drain, perhaps belonging, re-set farther W., 14th-century, re-set. In N. chapel— in S. wall, recess with chamfered jambs and trefoiled ogee head, shaped drain, 14th-century. In S. aisle—in S. wall, recess with chamfered jambs and pointed head, shaped drain, sides of recess cut back as rest to shelf, 14th-century. Plate: includes a late 17th-century cup and cover-paten given by Edmund Ballard, and a dish of 1671 with three added shields on the rim. Recess: In S. aisle—in S. wall, with moulded jambs and segmental-pointed head, early 14th-century, probably tomb-recess. Miscellanea: Re-used in S. wall of chancel —nine 12th-century worked stones from an arch. On the E. side of the churchyard is the base of a churchyard-cross, of octagonal form, splayed out to square at the bottom, on top, socket for shaft, mediæval.

Condition—Good.

Secular

(2). Cottage, immediately E. of the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered on a stone base; the roof is covered with slates. It is of 17th-century date, and has a low lean-to addition at the S. end and an extensive modern extension at the N. end. The stone chimney-stack at the S. end of the cottage has a re-built brick shaft. Inside the building the timber-construction is exposed, and in the ceilings are some stop-chamfered beams and exposed joists.

Condition—Good.

(3). Cottage, at Manor Farm, 350 yards W.N.W. of the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed with brick nogging; the roofs are covered with slates. It was built in the 17th century on a central-chimney type of plan and has modern lean-to additions on the E. side and at the S. end. It has been partly refaced with brick. Inside the building some of the timber-construction is exposed as are also some chamfered beams and joists in the ceilings.

Condition—Good.

Unclassified

(4). Earthwork, called the Bowling Green, on the N. side of the Madley-Hereford road, ¼ m. S.W. of the church, is a rhomboidal enclosure of about ½ acre. It is bounded on the S. and E. sides by broad low banks, that on the latter side having a small semi-circular projection half-way along the outer scarp. On the W. side are traces of a very slight ditch, and the N. side is formed by a bank which is both narrower and higher than the others. This bank is continued some 35 and 20 yards beyond the enclosure respectively towards the E. and W. On the top of the bank is a single worked stone about 1 ft. by 6 in. starting about 10 in. above the ground. Running parallel with the N. bank at the E. end is a scarp forming a slight terrace and ditch for a few yards before returning at right angles towards the N.E. corner of the field in which the earthwork is situated.

Condition—Fairly good.