36. FARNHAM ROYAL.
(O.S. 6 in. liii. S.W.)
Ecclesiastical
(1). Parish Church of St. Mary, stands S.
of the village. Of the 12th-century building
only the Chancel remains, and has walls of
rough flint set in much mortar, with quoins of
old clunch and modern stone; the roof is tiled.
The rest of the church was re-built in the 19th
century.
Architectural Description — The Chancel
(32 ft. by 15½ ft.) has a modern E. window. In
the N. wall is a small 12th-century window,
with a round head in one piece, jambs of
clunch, somewhat weatherworn, and a modern
sill; the doorway of the N. vestry and the arch
opening into the organ-chamber are modern.
In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern, of
c. 1360, much restored, is of two lights with
tracery in a pointed head; the internal sill is
carried down to form a sedile; the second window is of two lights, with a plain pierced spandrel in a pointed head, and has an external
label; the lower part of the window is modern,
the upper part is of late 14th-century date, and
of clunch, re-worked: between the windows is a
blocked doorway, visible outside; it has a two-centred head and is probably also of late 14th-century date; over it is the rough outline of a
blocked 12th-century window, of stone patched
with brick. The chancel arch is modern. The
open timber Roof has collar-beams, and one
plain tie-beam.
Fittings—Brass: In S. aisle—fixed on the
E. wall, to Eustas Mascol, clerk of the works for
Cardinal Wolsey at Oxford, and afterwards
clerk of accounts for all the buildings of King
Henry VIII. within twenty miles of London,
he died 'pistell reder' at Windsor Castle, 1564;
plate broken in two pieces, small part missing.
Locker: on N. side of chancel, with rebated
jambs and shouldered flat head, 13th-century.
Monument: on W. respond of S. arcade—tablet
to Abigail, wife of William Hickman, and
mother of Charles Hickman, rector of the
parish, 1699. Piscina: in the chancel, with
moulded jambs and trefoiled head, round
basin, c. 1250. Plate: includes cup and cover
paten of 1569, Dutch spoon, 17th-century.
Condition—Good.
Secular
(2). Farnham Court, S. of the church, is of
two storeys, built of brick; the roofs are tiled.
Only the N.W. corner, containing one room on
each floor, is original, probably of c. 1670; the
rest of the house was re-built and enlarged in
the 18th and 19th centuries. The gabled N.
wall of the original part is of late 17th-century
brick, and has a projecting chimney stack. A
cellar under the N.W. corner has a heavy oak
beam in the ceiling.
Condition—Good.
(3). The Old Rectory, about ¾ mile N.N.E.
of the church, is of two storeys and an attic,
built probably in the second half of the 16th
century, and timber-framed; the front is
covered with modern plaster, the back re-faced
with modern brick; the roofs are tiled. The
plan of the original house is H-shaped, facing
W., with modern additions to the wings on the
N. and S. In front the original wings are
gabled, and there are four dormer windows.
At the back the original S. wing has a modern
plastered gable; only one post of the 16th-century timber-framing remains on the N. side of
the wing. There are three original chimney
stacks; the stack in the S. wing has small square
angle pilasters, and may be of slightly later
date than the others, which are plain. Interior:—The three original fireplaces have been
partly filled in, and that at the back has a heavy
oak lintel, cut through to admit a modern window. In the ceiling of the kitchen are old,
stop-chamfered beams; another room has some
oak panelling and a door of late 16th-century
date, also some panelling in deal, a copy of the
other.
Condition—Good.
(4). Cottage, on the W. side of the main
road, nearly ½ mile S.S.W. of the church, is of
two storeys, the upper storey partly in the roof,
built probably late in the 16th century, of brick
and timber, restored with modern brick. The
roofs are tiled. The plan was originally rectangular, facing E., with a projecting chimney
stack at the back; modern additions have been
made on the N. and W. The N. half of the
original building is gabled on the E. and W.
The chimney stack is of thin bricks, and has
a semi-circular oven on the S. side. One room
on the ground floor has an original ceiling-beam, with moulded stops.
Condition—Poor.
(5). The Duke's Head Inn, on the W. side of
the main road, 300 yards N.W. of the church,
is of two storeys, built probably early in the
17th century, and entirely re-faced with modern
brick; the roof is tiled. The central chimney
stack is of thin bricks. On the ground floor the
large central fireplace has been filled in, but
retains the heavy oak lintel, and in the ceiling
are old stop-chamfered beams.
Condition—Good.