124. COLD BRAYFIELD.
(O.S. 6 in. ii. S.E.)
Ecclesiastical
(1). Parish Church of St. Mary, at the S.W.
end of the village, is built of limestone rubble, with
some shelly oolite; the dressings are of stone; the
roofs are tiled. The history of the building is obscured by restorations, but the Nave is apparently
of c. 1160; the Chancel was lengthened c. 1225;
later in the same century the North Porch and
West Tower were added and the N. doorway was
apparently re-set; windows were inserted in the
15th century. The church was completely restored
and re-roofed in the 19th century.
Architectural Description—The Chancel (25½ ft.
by 16 ft.) has an E. window of two lights in a two-centred head; the opening is apparently of the
15th century; the tracery is modern. In the N.
wall the junction of the 12th and 13th-century
work is visible, and the 12th-century rubble is of
slightly larger stones; in the S. wall the difference
is not clearly defined. The N. wall has, at the E.
end, a window similar to the E. window, but
smaller; further W. is a 13th-century lancet window, chamfered and rebated externally, and with
a wide internal splay; at the W. end of the wall
is a low-side window of one lancet light, externally
similar to the other lancet, but with a flat lintel
over the internal splay. In the S. wall are three
windows, all similar to those opposite to them in
the N. wall, but the easternmost window is entirely
modern, the second partly restored; the third has
an external rebate and has been much restored.
The chancel arch is modern, except the responds,
which are of c. 1160, and have shafts with scalloped
capitals and moulded abaci continued round the
responds; the S. shaft has cheveron ornament.
The Nave (31 ft. by 19 ft.) has, in the N. wall, two
windows, the eastern a much restored lancet of
mid 13th-century date; the western is a small
12th-century window with a round head, also much
restored; externally it is covered by the porch,
and below it is the N. doorway, almost entirely of
12th-century work, re-set; the slightly pointed
head is of two orders, the inner order chamfered
and continuous and the outer order moulded and
resting on 13th-century shafts with moulded
capitals. In the S. wall are two windows, the
eastern of two lights in a two-centred head; the
opening is of the 15th century and the tracery
is modern; the western window is similar to
the other but entirely modern: E. of it is a
straight joint, probably representing the E. jamb
of a 13th-century S. doorway, and a mutilated
moulding outside was possibly the abacus. The
West Tower (7½ ft. by 6½ ft.) is of two low stages,
with a modern embattled parapet and small
diagonal buttresses. All the detail is of mid or
late 13th-century date. The small tower arch is
of one slightly chamfered order, with square jambs,
and plain abaci, and is of crude workmanship. The
S. and W. walls have each a plain rough loop-hole.
The bell-chamber has a much weathered lancet
window in each wall. The North Porch (8½ ft. by
6½ ft.) has detail of late 13th-century date. The
two-centred entrance archway is of two moulded
orders, the outer order springs from shafts with
moulded capitals and bases, the inner order is
continuous; in the W. wall is a rough loop-hole.
Fittings—Bells: three; 1st by John Clarke,
1607; 2nd by Alexander Rigbe, 1688. Chest: In
nave—in recess in E. wall, plain with panelled lid
and front, 17th-century. Font: small, octagonal,
stem roughly moulded, uncertain date. Lockers:
In nave—in E. wall, two; in S. wall, one, without
rebate. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Floor-slabs:
In chancel—(1) to Anna Farrer, 1697; (2) to Jane
Ferrar, 1678–9; (3) to Anna Farrer, 1690. In
nave—in recess at E. end, (4) fragments, 17th-century, illegible; in recess in N. wall, (5) to
Edward Bodington, 16—; at W. end, (6) to Ann
Bodington, 1696. Piscinae: In chancel—with
rough pointed head, uncertain date. In nave—
modern, with old stone in W. jamb. Plate:
includes cup, late 16th-century, no date-letter.
Recesses: In nave—in N.E. corner, two, one in
E. and one in N. wall, with segmental heads,
curiously conjoined, uncertain date, probably
connected with nave altar.
Condition—Good, much restored.
Crawley, North, see North Crawley.