8 BRIDGE SOLLERS (C.e.)
(O.S. 6 in. XXXII, N.E.)
Bridge Sollers is a small parish mainly on the left
bank of the Wye, 6 m. W.N.W. of Hereford. The
church is the principal monument.
Ecclesiastical
(1). Parish Church of St. Andrew stands on the
N. side of the parish. The walls are of local sandstone
rubble with some tufa, and the dressings are of sandstone; the roofs are covered with stone slates. The
Nave dates from the middle of the 12th century; the
N. arcade was built and the North Aisle added c. 1180–
90, and about the same time the West Tower was built.
Late in the 13th century the Chancel was re-built, and
c. 1330 the N. aisle largely re-built. The W. tower was
perhaps heightened in the 15th century when the
parapet was added. The church was restored in 1889
when the South Porch was re-built.
Parish Church of St. Andrew, Bridge Sollers
Architectural Description—The Chancel (22½ ft. by
18½ ft.) has a partly restored late 13th-century E.
window of three pointed lights, with the mullions
carried up to the two-centred head to form the middle
light. In the N. wall are two windows of the same
date, each of a single trefoiled light. In the S. wall is
a partly restored late 13th-century window of two trefoiled lights; further W. is a contemporary doorway
with chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head;
it is now blocked. There is no chancel-arch.
The Nave (31¾ ft. by 18¼ ft.) has a late 12th-century
N. arcade of three bays, with plain round arches to the
eastern bays and a distorted arch to the W. bay; the
first pier is cylindrical with moulded base and abacus,
and a square capital cut back at the angles and with
incised scallops on the sides; the base has flat spur-ornaments; the second pier is octagonal splayed out
to meet the square chamfered impost and base; there
are no responds, but at the springing of the arches is
an impost-moulding. In the S. wall are two windows,
the eastern is partly restored, of late 13th-century date,
and of two trefoiled lights; the western window is a
single round-headed light of late 12th-century date,
the 12th-century S. doorway (Plate 91) has jambs and
round arch of two square orders; the voussoirs of the
inner order of the arch have incised zig-zag lines; the
inner order has moulded imposts and the outer order
has imposts (Plate 139) of deeper projection, carved
with a dragonesque form and foliage on one side and
a head and two monsters on the other side.
The North Aisle (7¾ ft. wide) has, in the E. wall, a
late 13th-century window of one trefoiled light. In
the N. wall are two early 14th-century windows, the
eastern of two trefoiled ogee lights, and the western
of one pointed light; the 12th-century N. doorway,
now blocked, has square jambs and round arch; further
W. is the re-set head of a 12th-century window.
The West Tower (6 ft. by 6½ ft.) is of late 12th-century
date, and of four storeys with an embattled parapet
of the 15th century. The semi-circular tower-arch
springs from moulded imposts carried a short distance
along the E. face of the wall. In the W. wall is a single
round-headed light. The second and third storeys
have a round-headed window in the E. and W. walls
of each; the upper window on the E. is now blocked.
The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a round-headed
window.
The Roof of the nave is of trussed-rafter type, and
probably of the 14th century; there are two tie-beams.
The 14th-century roof of the N. aisle is of pent-form
and of three bays; the principals rest on moulded corbelposts, and have wall-posts and struts at the upper ends
forming trefoiled openings in the angle.
Fittings—Bells: two; ist, uninscribed; 2nd, by
John Finch, 1663. Font: octagonal bowl with hemispherical lower part, round stem and square base, on
bowl, initials and date, 1664 I R and I R I 64 (reversed).
Lockers: In chancel—in N. wall, plain rectangular
recess; in S. wall, rectangular recess with doors of
17th-century panelling. Monuments and Floor-slabs.
Monuments: In churchyard—headstones; S. of
porch, (1) to James Stinton (?), 1703 (?); (2) to Mary,
wife of James Stinton, 1695. Floor-slabs: In chancel—
(1) to Thomas Geers, sergeant-at-law, 1700, with
shield-of-arms; (2) to John Geers, 1698–9, with ornament and two shields-of-arms; (3) to Thomas [Geers],
1675 and Sarah his wife, 1693. Panelling: In chancel—
on E. wall, re-used panelling of c. 1600 with enriched
top rail. Piscina: In chancel—recess with trefoiled
head, broken bowl, late 13th-century. Plate: includes
cup and cover-paten of 1673, and a paten of 1713.
Sundials: On chancel-doorway, portions of two
scratched dials.
Condition—Good.
Secular
(2). Knapp Farm, house and barn, 250 yards W.S.W.
of the church. The House is of two storeys, the walls
are partly timber-framed but mostly of brick; the roofs
are covered with tiles and stone slates. It was built
early in the 18th century, but incorporates part of a
17th-century timber building. There is a brick band
between the storeys. Inside the building are some
exposed ceiling-beams.
The Barn, E. of the house, is timber-framed and of
late 17th-century date.
Condition—Good.
(3). Cottage, 60 yards W. of (2), is of one storey
with attics, timber-framed and roofed with stone slates.
It was built, probably, late in the 17th century, and has
some exposed ceiling-beams.
Condition—Fairly good.
(4). Bridge Farm, house and barns on the W. side
of the river, ¼ m. W.S.W. of the church. The House is
of two storeys, timber-framed and with slate-covered
roofs. The form of the house is mediæval, but there
is no definite evidence of anything earlier than the 17th
century. It originally had cross-wings at the N.
and S. ends of the main block, but the N. cross-wing is
now included under the main roof. Some of the
external framing is exposed. Inside the building are
some chamfered and moulded ceiling-beams.
The Barn, S.W. of the house, is timber-framed on a
stone base and is of 17th-century date. The framing in
the gables is set diagonally. The second barn, W. of
the house, is timber-framed and of two storeys and of
early 18th-century date.
Condition—Good.
N.B.—For Offa's Dyke, see p. xxx.