| Summary: | A church is mentioned in the Doomsday book, and this is prehaps the nave and Western part of the chancel of the present church, which shows clears signs of their early Norman date. There is much herringone work on the South side of the nave, East of the porch, as well as in the South wall of the chancel. A near complete early Norman window on the SE side of the nave was re opended I 1961, and its internal splay was covered in 13th century red- pianted decoration. Its original external jambs are of tufa. Above the porch is the Eastern tufa jamb of a scout window, and this also can be seen inside. The South, or there may be still two other Norman windows above the later arcade. The SE quoin to the nave is the original one, and there are other odd tufa blocks on the NW corner of the nave, and in the rebulit SW corner. The chancel was enlarged Eastwards in the 13th century and two lancets were put into the South wall with, internally, a two bay blind arcade. Only the Western arch is fully visible, but part of the blocked Estern one can be seen, as well as the free-standing shaft in the middle. The simple pointed arch into the North chapel was totally restored in the 19th century,but it almost certainly replaves an earlier 13th century ne leading into the 13th century NE chapel of the De Leybourne family. A fine later 13th century heart-shrine is now set into the late 15 century North wall of this chapel. It was "rediscoverd" in 1861, and fully discussed by the Revd. L.B. Larking. The Western tower was also probably first bulit in the 13th century, but it is totally refaced externally and internally the lancets in the first and second stages are coverd in plaster/render. The restored South nave doorway may also be 13th century.
The three light East window in the chancel has reticulated tracery, but is totally restored in Bathstone. It prehaps reflects an earlier 14th century window wich still has shafts on the internal jambs. There is also an early 14th century lancet here. Part of the Reigate-headed piscina in SE corner of the chancel, with above it a trefoiled lancet which clearly replaced the earlier 13th century lancet here. Part of the Reigate stone West jamb of this earliear Window is still visible in the outside wall. At about the same time, a new two-light window was put the SE corner of the nave. This window, and its pair to the Westare entirely of the 1874 restoration, but was a larger windoe here before, and its larger internal wall-recess also suggests an early 14th century date. The two-bay North arcade of the nave, to the North aisle, and the chancel arch are also rebulit in the early 14th century with octanginal piers a doubl hollow-chamfered arches. The North aisle must at this time have been wider. The South porch may have been added later 14th century or 15th century. It has a very large Ragstone blocks I its South side, and a two-centred arch over. |
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