40 LLANCILLO (B.d.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)XLIV, S.W., ^(b)XLIX, N.W.)

Llancillo is a small parish on the Monmouthshire border about 12 m. S.W. of Hereford. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Peter stands in about the middle of the parish. The walls are of local sandstone-rubble with worked dressings of the same material and of tufa; they are not plastered internally; the roofs are covered with modern slate. The Chancel is of late 11th or early 12th-century date, and the Nave is possibly of the same date but retains no details of that period. In the first half of the 17th century the nave appears to have been re-roofed, some new windows were inserted, and the South Porch was perhaps then built or re-built. The building is said to have become ruinous and disused, but was restored to use in 1895. The nave has been lengthened slightly and the W. wall re-built.

Among the fittings an early bell rehung in the modern bell-cote is noteworthy.

The Church, Plan

Architectural Description—The Chancel (14½ ft. by 11¼ ft.) has in the E. wall a low lancet with a distorted three-centred rear-arch and stepped internal sill; it is probably of late 11th or 12th-century origin, altered to its present form in the 13th century; the wall below this window is about 5 inches thicker than above it. In the N. wall is a small rectangular light with semielliptical internal arch and stepped inner sill; it also is probably of late 11th or early 12th-century date. In the S. wall is a window of two square-headed lights, probably of 17th-century date; the mullions and part of the E. jamb are modern and the inner lintel is of oak; farther W. is an early 17th-century doorway with moulded oak frame and segmental arched lintel. The chancel-arch is modern, with the gabled wall above.

The Nave (37 ft. by 15 ft.) has in the N. wall a window of two square-headed lights, probably of 17th-century date. In the S. wall are two modern windows; the S. doorway is probably of 17th-century date re-built, and has chamfered jambs and a four-centred head. The W. wall has been re-built in modern times and is surmounted by a modern bell-cote.

The South Porch has an entrance-archway of 17th-century date, with stop-chamfered jambs and four-centred head, half of which is modern. In each of the side walls is a small rectangular light.

The Roof of the chancel has two plain collar-beam trusses which may be of the 17th century but are more probably modern, short lengths of the moulded and embattled wall-plates at the E. end of the N. wall and at the W. end of the S. wall are of 16th-century date, but the remainder appear to be a modern copy. The roof of the nave is probably of 17th-century date and is divided into bays by eight collar-beam trusses with curved braces, segmental-arches below the collars and a moulded central purlin; three of the trusses have moulded tie-beams; the curved braces are moulded, except the two westernmost, one of which is plain and the other chamfered; the boarding is modern, as is also the W. end of the roof over the modern lengthening of the nave. The roof over the S. porch is partly old; it has five trusses of collar-beam type with curved braces forming segmental arches below the collars, and retains on both side walls much of the old moulded cornice and wall-plate; the boarding is modern.

Fittings—Bells: two, in modern bell-cote, (1) probably 17th-century, (2) of long, slender form, probably 13th-century. Chest: (Plate 28) in nave—at W. end, of "dug-out" type with top rebated for lid; lid hung on two strap-hinges and retaining one clasp and portions of another with one iron lock-plate on chest, 13th-century. Churchyard Cross: on three square steps, square base with stopped angles, chamfered upper edge and modern cross, 14th-century. Door: to S. doorway of chancel, of battens, with segmental head, 16th-century. Font: with octagonal bowl with curved sides and octagonal to square stem on modern base, 13th-century. Locker: in chancel—in N. wall, small rectangular. Monuments: in churchyard—S.E. of S. porch, (1) to James Scudamore, 1690, Thomas Scudamore, 1720, and others, stone slab with moulded edge; (2) to Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Scudamore, 1653, John Scudamore, 1695, and Blanch, wife of James Price, 1714, stone slab with moulded edge. Pulpit: (Plate 59) of oak, consisting of two sides of octagon erected against N.E. angle of nave, with panels carved with arabesque and other ornament, and upper panel on S. side with date 1632; built up with 17th-century and 18th-century or modern work, at back, initials and date I. G. 1745. Seating: in chancel—quire-stall with plain seat and panelled back and ends of 18th-century date, and front made up of early to mid 17th-century panelling with return ends of 18th-century work.

Condition—Good, much restored.

Secular

^b(2). Mound (Plan, p. xxxv) at Llancillo Court, 90 yards E. of the church, consists of a circular motte about 43 yards in diameter surrounded by a dry ditch with an outer rampart extending for about 20 yards along the W. side and widened at the southern end into a slight mound. Around the top of the motte are traces of rubble walling of a former keep or structure but now mostly covered with soil. On either side are traces of scarps, banks, etc., which are probably of later date, but some scarps inclosing a small stream on the N. side of the site possibly formed part of additional defences. Forty yards N.W. of the motte is a small rectangular mound about 2 ft. high, and in a field on the E. side of the stream and about 190 yards E. of the motte is a small portion of a deep ditch and traces of banking.

Condition—Fairly good.

Monuments (3–8)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys with attics. The walls are of local sandstone rubble, and the roofs are covered with stone slates and modern slates. Some of the buildings have exposed chamfered ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good or fairly good, unless noted.

^b(3). Llancillo Court, house and stables, 210 yards E.S.E. of the church. The House is of half H-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the W. The southern projecting wing was remodelled late in the 18th century, and the northern wing was built shortly afterwards, but probably incorporates an older structure. A modern extension has been added on the N. end of the house. There are old projecting chimney-stacks, with weathered offsets below the shafts, on the N., S. and W. sides of the building, but in each case the shafts have been re-built in later brick. In the N. wing is an old battened door on a chamfered frame and inside the building on the first floor is a six-panelled door of late 17th-century date.

The Stables, S.E. of the house, are of one storey with a loft above, reached by an external flight of stone steps. The roof has been largely reconstructed but retains two old trusses of braced rafter type. The door to the loft and a window in the gable have old wood frames.

^b(4). Llancillo Hall, 630 yards S.W. of the church, dates from late in the 15th or early in the 16th century, but has been considerably altered and modernised. It is of L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the S.W. and N.W. The N.W. wing is probably of 17th-century date. All the windows are modern and in recent years the house has been re-roofed. Inside the building, on the ground-floor, the rooms in the N.W. wing have exposed chamfered beams, and in the hall passages the exposed beams are moulded.

^b(5). Little Goytre, known locally as Ivy House, cottage on banks of the River Monnow, nearly 1 m. S.W. of the church, is of two storeys. It is of 16th-century date and has a modern extension at the W. end. The hood over the entrance doorway is of a thin stone slab supported on two shaped wooden brackets, of early 18th-century date. Some of the windows have old wooden frames. Inside the building the ground-floor rooms have stop-chamfered ceiling-beams and exposed joists, triangular in section with a roll moulding at the outer edge. In the main cross-partition on the ground floor are two original doorways with four-centred heads and remains of old panelling. A fireplace on the upper floor is spanned by a cambered and chamfered oak lintel.

^b(6). Two Barns, 60 yards N. of (5). The more northerly barn (Plate 12) is of two storeys, the lower being of stone rubble and the upper with the side walls of open timber-framing. Along the S. side of the lower storey is a later addition. The barn is in three bays with trusses consisting of tie-beams supporting sloping struts to the principal rafters.

The second barn stands at right angles and to the S. of the first. It is of three bays and of timber-framing covered with weather-boarding, on a stone base; the roof is covered with tiles; below the southernmost bay is a basement. The roof is of similar construction to the more northern barn.

^b(7). Arcadia, cottage nearly ¾ m. W.N.W. of the church, is of one storey with attics. A later wing has been built on the S. side, and on the N. side is a low modern addition.

^a(8). Upper House, farmhouse and barn, 400 yards N.W. of (7). The House is of one storey with attics and is built on an L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the S. and E. The E. wing is of 15th-century date, and was probably timber-framed. In the first half of the 17th century the S. wing was added when the earlier building was refaced with stone. The end walls of both projecting wings are gabled and on the E. wall of the E. wing is a rectangular chimney-stack with stepped offsets. Inside the building, on the ground-floor, the main cross-partition in the E. wing is of timber with stop-chamfered framing, and the cross-partition in the S. wing is of similar construction but of 17th-century date and with beaded framing. There are several old battened doors. In the attics of the E. wing are two exposed crutches, the lower parts of which have been cut away below the tie-beams.

The Barn, about 30 yards S.E. of the house, is of four bays, of which the three northernmost are timber-framed on a stone base, and the southernmost an extension in stone rubble with a basement below. There are modern extensions at the N. end and along the whole of the W. side. The whole of the infilling between the timber-framing appears to have been of wide battened lathing. The roof trusses have tie-beams with sloping struts to the principal rafters. On one of the timber-braces is carved the date 1629.

Condition—Of house—E. wing poor, S. wing good.