8 BLAKEMERE (B.b.)

(O.S. 6 in. XXXII, S.W.)

Blakemere is a parish and hamlet 9 m. W. of Hereford. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of St. Leonard, stands near the middle of the parish. The walls are of local sandstone and the roofs are covered with stone slates. The church, which dated probably from the end of the 12th century, was entirely re-built, on the old lines, in 1877, but incorporates many of the features of the earlier building.

The Church, Plan

Architectural Description—The Chancel (24 ft. by 16½ ft.) has, in the E. wall, three late 12th or early 13th-century lancet-windows, with modern heads and all modern internally. In the N. wall are two single-light windows, the eastern with a pointed and the western with a round head; they are of the same date as the E. windows, but are modern internally. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern of the 15th century, and of two cinque-foiled lights with restored vertical tracery in a square head; the western window is of early 14th-century date, and of one trefoiled ogee light; farther E. is a late 12th-century doorway, with chamfered jambs and round head; it is now blocked. The late 12th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and of two orders with a moulded label; the outer order is chamfered and continuous and the inner order is moulded and springs from corbels with short shafts, scalloped capitals and square chamfered and grooved abaci.

The Nave (34 ft. by 18½ ft.) has in both the N. and S. walls two windows, all modern except a few stones in the jambs. The blocked 14th-century N. doorway has chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head. The late 12th-century S. doorway is round-headed, and of two orders, the inner moulded and the outer chamfered and with a moulded label. In the W. wall is a late 14th-century window of two cinque-foiled ogee lights in a square head with moulded external reveals; the mullion and internal stonework are modern.

Fittings—Bells: three, inaccessible. Bracket: In Chancel—under N.E. window, moulded corbel with socket-hole in top, 15th-century. Churchyard Cross: S. of chancel, octagonal shaft, about 9 ft. high, on octagonal base stopped outwards to a square; in W. face, small trefoil-headed panel, 14th-century, head modern. Communion Table: of oak with turned legs, enriched top-rail with shaped brackets, early 17th-century. Communion Rails: of oak with turned balusters, square posts with attached half balusters, late 17th-century. Floor slabs: In nave—(1) to James Winston, 169–, with shield-of-arms; (2) to Penelope, wife of (James ?) Seaborne, 1693. Font: round bowl, moulded necking with cable-moulded top member, late 12th-century, stem modern. Pulpit: made up of old woodwork, including balusters as to communion-rail, enriched panels above, carved with rosettes and fluted ornament, 17th-century. Recess: In nave—in N. wall, wide recess with moulded two-centred arch and label, 14th-century, probably tomb-recess.

Condition—Rebuilt.

Secular

Monuments (2–10)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century, and of two storeys or one with attics; the walls are timber-framed and plastered; in some cases the infilling is of brick-nogging, and some have stone plinths; the roofs are of stoneslates. Several of the houses have exposed ceiling-beams and original chimney-stacks.

Condition—Good or fairly good.

(2). Church House Farm, house and barn, 60 yards W.N.W. of the church. The House (Plate 22) has a later addition on the N.W. side of the house. The timber-framing is exposed on the N.E. wall. Inside the building there is a moulded ceiling-beam of 16th-century date, which indicates the existence of an earlier house, which was either much altered or re-built in the 17th century.

The Barn stands to the N.W. of the house and is timber-framed and weather-boarded with some interlacing slat-work in the upper parts of the walls.

(3). Cottage (Plate 22), on the E. side of the road, 170 yards N.N.W. of the church, has exposed timber-framing.

(4). Cottage, now two tenements, on the W. side of the road, 20 yards N.W. of (3), has had the W. and S. walls re-built in brick and has a modern slate roof.

(5). Old Vicarage, cottage, 40 yards S. of the church, dates probably from late in the 16th or early in the 17th century; the S.E. wall has been refronted in modern brick.

(6). Cottage, now two tenements, on the S. side of the road, 200 yards S.E. of the church, has later additions at the back. Inside the building there is a panelled oak door of early 17th-century date.

(7). Cottage, on the E. side of the road, 200 yards S. of (6), has early 18th-century and modern additions.

(8). Cottage (Plate 22), on the W. side of the road, 80 yards S. of (7), has the end walls of stone. On the W. side is a modern addition with a corrugated iron roof.

(9). Cottage, 10 yards S. of (8), was built probably early in the 18th century. The roof is covered with corrugated iron. There is a modern addition at the N.E. end.

(10). Cottage, on the W. side of the road, 80 yards S.S.E. of (9), was built probably late in the 17th or early in the 18th century. There is a modern outbuilding at the S. end; the roof is of corrugated iron.