14 CLEHONGER (C.b.)
(O.S. 6 in. XXXIX, N.W.)
Clehonger is a parish on the right bank of the Wye,
3 m. W.S.W. of Hereford. The principal monument
is the church.
Ecclesiastical
(1). Parish Church of All Saints, stands near the
middle of the parish. The walls are of roughly squared
and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings, all of red
sandstone; the roofs are covered with stone slates. The
E. wall of the tower incorporates the W. wall of the Nave
of a 12th-century church, and there is re-used material
of the same period in the walls of the chancel. In the
13th century the church was largely re-built, the West
Tower was added early in the century, and the South
Aisle and arcade built or re-built about the middle of
the century. In the first half of the 14th century the
North Chapel was added, and in the same century the
top stage of the tower was added. The W. wall of
the S. aisle was re-built in the 17th or 18th century, and
the church was restored in the 19th century when the
Chancel was re-built and the South Porch added.
Among the fittings the effigies are noteworthy.
Clehonger, Parish Church of All Saints
Architectural Description—The Chancel (26¼ ft. by
19¾ ft.) is modern, but incorporates some re-used
material, including portions of the E. window which is
of early 14th-century origin, and of three lights in a
two-centred head; the side lights are cinque-foiled.
The two single-light windows in the N. wall have
cinque-foiled heads of the same date.
The Nave (42¾ ft. by 19¾ ft.) has in the N. wall a
14th-century segmental-pointed arch of two chamfered
orders, the outer continuous, and the inner dying on
to the responds; farther W. are two windows, the
eastern a 14th-century window of three trefoiled ogee
lights in a square head; the partly restored western
window is of early 14th-century date and of two pointed
lights in a two-centred head; the N. doorway, now
blocked, is probably of 14th-century date and has
chamfered jambs and a square head. The S. arcade is of
c. 1250, and of four bays with two-centred arches of
two chamfered orders; the cylindrical columns have
moulded capitals and bases and the responds have
attached half-columns; the springing-level of the W.
respond is lower than the rest.
The North Chapel (20½ ft. by 12¼ ft.) has in the E. wall
a 14th-century window similar to the eastern window
in the N. wall of the nave. In the N. wall is a re-set
window similar to the E. window of the chancel.
The South Aisle (41¼ ft. by 16 ft.) has in the E. wall
a late 13th-century window of three pointed lights in a
two-centred head. In the S. wall are two late 13th-century windows each of two pointed lights with a plain
spandrel in a two-centred head; the early 13th-century
S. doorway has a round arch of two moulded orders
with a moulded label; the inner order of the jambs is
moulded and the outer has on each side a detached
shaft with a simple foliated capital and a moulded base;
the abacus of the capital is continued round the inner
order.
The West Tower (16¼ ft. by 17¼ ft.) is of four stages
(Plate 3) with an embattled parapet. The ground stage
is of early 13th-century date, but incorporates the 12th-century W. wall of an earlier nave containing a round-headed window, now blocked and only visible on the
internal face of the wall; the early 13th-century tower-arch is two-centred and of one plain order with chamfered imposts. The N., S. and W. walls of this and the
second stage have each a narrow lancet-window of the
same date as the tower-arch. The third stage has in
each wall a 13th-century lancet-window; the upper part
of this stage is of different stone, but of much the same
date as the work below. The bell-chamber is of early
15th-century date, and has in each wall a window of two
trefoiled lights in a two-centred head. The string-course of the parapet has four carved gargoyles.
The Roof of the nave is of the 17th century, and
of four bays with heavy moulded tie-beams, chamfered
plates and trellis-framing above the tie-beams; it has
much modern repair. The roof of the S. aisle is of
similar date and character.
Fittings—Altar: In tower—against W. wall, slab
with five Consecration-crosses, mediæval. Bells: four;
4th by John Finch, 1640. Brackets: In N. chapel—on
E. wall, shaped and moulded corbel, late 14th or 15th-century. In S. aisle—on E. wall, shaped roof-corbel,
re-used as a bracket, 15th or 16th-century. Brass:
In N. chapel—said to be of Sir John Barre and Eden
(Hotoft) his wife, figure of man in armour of c. 1470–80,
head on helm with talbot-head crest, feet on lion;
figure of woman in butterfly head-dress, with two dogs
at feet. Coffin-lids: In nave—re-used as head to N.
doorway, tapering slab. In S. aisle—in recess in S.
wall, mutilated slab with ornamental cross in low
relief; re-used in sill of E. window, fragment with
part of incised cross. In tower—two, one with ornamental incised cross and the other with ornamental
cross in relief and border. All the above probably
13th-century. Doors: In N. doorway—of battens
with strap-hinges, having fleur-de-lis ends, 13th or
14th-century. In S. doorway—of nail-studded battens
with hollow-chamfered ribs, strap-hinges with fleur-de-lis ends, and pierced scutcheon-plate, probably 16th-century, with earlier iron-work and modern repairs.
Glass: In nave—in eastern window in N. wall, in
three main lights and tracery, miscellaneous collection
of fragments including diapered quarries, borders,
portions of inscriptions, "Jerem . . . phet," and
tabernacle-work, two shields-of-arms (a) gules three bars
argent, (b) barry or and azure a bend gules charged
with (three?) leopards' heads argent, portions of figures
including two crowned heads and an angel, mostly
14th-century. In N. chapel—in N. window, two triangular panels with dragons, 14th-century. In tower
—in W. window, diapered quarries and borders, 14th-century. Locker: In N. chapel—in E. wall, rectangular
recess rebated for door, mediæval. Monuments: In N.
chapel—(1) altar-tomb re-set and re-built, with moulded
capping and base, and supporting an effigy (Plate 51) of
a man in armour of c. 1335–40, with ridged bascinet,
scalloped camail, cyclas, scalloped skirt over hawberk,
sword on left side, right hand on dagger, left hand
on shield, with arms, barry on a bend three leopards'
faces, head on cushion supported by two angels, one
much broken, feet on hound with collar; on shield, two
scratchings dated 1630 and 1709; (2) small altar-tomb
with effigy (Plate 48) of a woman, altar-tomb with
moulded capping and base, at E. end a recessed panel
enclosing a crest of a bush of feathers, two panels on
S. side enclosing blank shields hanging by their straps;
effigy in tight-fitting gown with hip-belt, buttoned
sleeves, long hair bound with fillet, necklace with buckle
and long cloak, head on cushion supported by mutilated
angels, at feet a large goose, pulling cloak with its beak,
mid 14th-century; on N. wall, (3) to Herbert Aubrey,
1671, and Elizabeth (Bedle), his wife, 1676, partly
painted freestone wall-monument (Plate 54), with
scrolls, enriched apron, entablature with broken pediment, swags, cherubs and cartouche-of-arms. Piscinæ:
In chancel—recess with chamfered jambs and trefoiled
ogee head; round projecting drain, perhaps belonging,
re-set farther W., 14th-century, re-set. In N. chapel—
in S. wall, recess with chamfered jambs and trefoiled
ogee head, shaped drain, 14th-century. In S. aisle—in
S. wall, recess with chamfered jambs and pointed head,
shaped drain, sides of recess cut back as rest to shelf,
14th-century. Plate: includes a late 17th-century cup
and cover-paten given by Edmund Ballard, and a dish
of 1671 with three added shields on the rim. Recess:
In S. aisle—in S. wall, with moulded jambs and
segmental-pointed head, early 14th-century, probably
tomb-recess. Miscellanea: Re-used in S. wall of chancel
—nine 12th-century worked stones from an arch. On
the E. side of the churchyard is the base of a churchyard-cross, of octagonal form, splayed out to square at
the bottom, on top, socket for shaft, mediæval.
Condition—Good.
Secular
(2). Cottage, immediately E. of the church, is of two
storeys, timber-framed and plastered on a stone base;
the roof is covered with slates. It is of 17th-century
date, and has a low lean-to addition at the S. end and an
extensive modern extension at the N. end. The stone
chimney-stack at the S. end of the cottage has a re-built
brick shaft. Inside the building the timber-construction is exposed, and in the ceilings are some stop-chamfered beams and exposed joists.
Condition—Good.
(3). Cottage, at Manor Farm, 350 yards W.N.W. of
the church, is of two storeys, timber-framed with brick
nogging; the roofs are covered with slates. It was
built in the 17th century on a central-chimney type of
plan and has modern lean-to additions on the E. side
and at the S. end. It has been partly refaced with brick.
Inside the building some of the timber-construction is
exposed as are also some chamfered beams and joists
in the ceilings.
Condition—Good.
Unclassified
(4). Earthwork, called the Bowling Green, on the
N. side of the Madley-Hereford road, ¼ m. S.W. of the
church, is a rhomboidal enclosure of about ½ acre. It
is bounded on the S. and E. sides by broad low banks,
that on the latter side having a small semi-circular
projection half-way along the outer scarp. On the W.
side are traces of a very slight ditch, and the N. side is
formed by a bank which is both narrower and higher
than the others. This bank is continued some 35 and
20 yards beyond the enclosure respectively towards
the E. and W. On the top of the bank is a single
worked stone about 1 ft. by 6 in. starting about 10 in.
above the ground. Running parallel with the N. bank
at the E. end is a scarp forming a slight terrace and
ditch for a few yards before returning at right angles
towards the N.E. corner of the field in which the
earthwork is situated.
Condition—Fairly good.