45. FLAMSTEAD.
(O.S. xxvii. N.W.)
Ecclesiastical
(1). Parish Church of St. Leonard, stands
in the middle of the village. It is built of
flint rubble with stone dressings, and is patched
with brick; the roofs are covered with tiles
and lead. The West Tower is of c. 1120, and
possibly some of the masonry of the Chancel
may be of that date. The foundations of the
side walls of the contemporary Nave were found
in the W. bays during repairs, and showed that
the internal width was not altered when the
North and South Aisles and the present arcades
were built in the 13th century. Three of the
responds of the arcades differ from the other
work in having distinct diagonal tooling, which
suggests that preparations were made for arcades
during the 12th century, even if they were not
actually built until later. The tower arch
was under-built in the second half of the
13th century. The chancel was remodelled
c. 1330–40, when the E. end was probably re-built, and the North Vestry added; the N. aisle
may also have been re-built in the 14th century;
in 1332 Sir William de la Zouche founded a
chantry, possibly at the altar in the N. aisle, as
the N.E. window of the aisle is of that date.
The clearstorey of the nave, the upper stage of
the tower, with spire, and the rood-loft stairs
were built in the 15th century; the North and
South Porches were added probably about the
same time, and the E. arch of the N. arcade
widened. Later work consists only of repairs,
and the church has been recently restored.
The building is of especial interest as giving
evidence of a large village church of the 12th
century, and on account of the detail of the
13th-century arcades.
Architectural Description—The Chancel
(31 ft. by 16½ ft.) has, in the N. wall, a 13th-century lancet, and a modern doorway into the
vestry; the E. window and the two S. windows
have modern tracery copied from 14th-century
work, and in the S. wall is also a priest's doorway with modern stonework outside; the 14th-century chancel arch is of two chamfered orders.
The Vestry (16 ft. by 9 ft.) has, on the ground
floor, a narrow square-headed light of the 14th
century on the E., and two on the N., with a
fireplace between them; in the S.W. angle is a
curved recess containing a spiral iron staircase. Only the stone corbels remain of the
floor of the upper storey. The Nave (67 ft. by
21 ft.) has N. and S. arcades of six bays, with
pointed arches of two hollow chamfered orders,
octagonal shafts, foliated capitals and moulded
bases; the arches have labels on the side facing
the nave, and also on the side towards the aisle
in the two eastern bays of the N. arcade; the
N.E. respond was re-built when the easternmost
arch of the arcade was widened; the other
responds have slender detached shafts, but
that on the N.W. has a wooden shaft and
a capital made up with plaster. The 15th-century clearstorey windows, four on each side,
are of two cinque-foiled lights with square heads.
The North Aisle (10½ ft. wide) has a 15th-century E. window of two cinque-foiled lights,
and in the N. wall are two similar windows, in
addition to the 14th-century window, and a
plain 15th-century doorway. The South Aisle
(9 ft. wide) has, in the S. wall, a 15th-century
window of three cinque-foiled lights, restored,
and two windows which have been entirely renewed. The West Tower (17 ft. square) is of
two stages, with a plain parapet and a small
leaded spire. Under the large round-headed
arch, opening into the nave, is a pointed arch
of late 13th-century date, with a chamfered
label. The W. doorway and the two-light
window above it were inserted in the 15th century. High up in the first stage are traces of
round-headed 12th-century windows of two
lights, blocked in the 15th century to strengthen
the wall when the second stage was added,
which has square-headed windows of two
cinque-foiled lights in each face. The original
stair-turret, with a round-headed doorway, is
at the S.E. angle. The North and South Porches
have been much restored, but the outer doorway
of the S. porch is of the 15th century. The
Roof of the nave is of the 15th century though
restored, and rests on carved stone corbels; the
roof of the chancel is also old.
Fittings—Bells: six; five by Chandler, 1664,
the sixth, 1729. Bracket: near N.E. corner of
N. aisle, for image. Brasses and Indents:
in chancel, of John Oudeby, rector, 1414,
in processional vestments, over his head small
canopy, indent of Virgin and Child, round
it three brass shields, inscription, and indents
of two more shields: figure of unknown man,
his wife, and four children, probably 15th-century, indents of shield and inscription: slab
with indents of figure and inscription. Communion Table and Rails: 17th-century. Font:
15th-century, restored and re-tooled. Monuments: in third bay of N. arcade, altar tomb with
effigies of a man and his wife, under crocketted
canopy, probably c. 1420: on chancel wall, of
Sir Bartholomew Fouke, 1604, kneeling figure,
alabaster and marble: on shafts of nave arcade,
three incised inscriptions record burial places
of John Pace, 1596; Ffrauncys Cordell, 1597;
John Grigge, 1598. Painting: on E. wall of
N. aisle, over bracket for image, figure of the
Virgin, defaced: over E. window of N. aisle,
traces of black-letter inscription to memory of
a parish clerk, 1604: on arches of N. arcade,
traces of painted decoration; colour on two
easternmost arches, restored. Piscinae: in
chancel, 14th-century, restored: in E. respond
of N. arcade, trefoiled recess: in W. wall of
vestry, basin only. Plate: includes unmarked
cup and paten, 17th-century, flagon, 1690:
pewter flagon dated 1675. Recess: in N. wall
of chancel, near E. end, large, shallow, with
moulded jambs and arch. Screen: across the
chancel, 15th-century, with modern beam instead of original vaulted loft, rood also modern.
Seating: W. end of S. aisle, oak, possibly 14th-century. Sedilia: in chancel, single, cinque-foiled, 14th-century; W. of it, wider cinque-foiled recess for two seats. Miscellanea: on
S. jamb of tower arch, is scratched a consecration cross, recently painted.
Condition—Good, owing to recent extensive
repairs, but some of the stonework is still in a
state of decay.
Secular
(2). Almshouses, N. of the church, built by
Thomas Saunders, of Beechwood, in 1669, form
a rectangular building of red brick with gabled
ends; the roof is tiled. The two chimney stacks
have square shafts set diagonally. There are
four plain windows of two lights in the front,
and four round-headed doorways, over two of
which are circular panels of stone with defaced
carving.
Condition—Good.