44 LEINTHALL STARKES (C.b.)
(O.S. 6 in. (a)VI, N.E., (b)VII, N.W.)
Leinthall Starkes is a small parish 8 m. N.N.W. of
Leominster. The church is the principal monument.
Ecclesiastical
b(1). Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene
stands on the N.E. side of the parish. The walls are of
local sandstone rubble with dressings of the same
material, and the roofs are tiled. The Chancel and Nave,
without structural division, were built in the 12th
century. There was formerly a W. porch or annexe,
apparently extending the full width of the building and
now destroyed. The church was restored about 1876,
when the South Porch was added.
The Church, Plan
Architectural Description—The Chancel (18 ft. by
19 ft.) has in the E. wall, a 12th-century window of one
round-headed light; the rear-arch and the whole of the
E. gable have been re-built. In the N. wall is a window
similar to that in the E. wall. In the S. wall is a
13th-century window of two trefoiled lights; further
W. is an early 13th-century doorway, now blocked;
it has roll-moulded jambs and a plain two-centred arch.
There is no chancel-arch.
The Nave (43½ ft. by 19 ft.) has, in the N. wall, two
windows, the eastern of the 12th century and similar to
the E. window; the western window is similar to the S.
window in the chancel but completely restored externally. In the S. wall is a partly restored 15th-century
window of three trefoiled lights in a four-centred
head; the 12th-century S. doorway has plain square
jambs and round head. In the W. wall is a 12th-century window of one round-headed light; below it
are straight joints showing the position of a destroyed
doorway. On the external face of the wall is a
chamfered string-course about 12 ft. above the ground
and terminating against corbels about 3 ft. from the
ends of the wall; there are, or were, other corbels at
the same level at the ends of the wall; built against
the string-course is a later buttress. The stone bell-cote is of uncertain date, restored on the W. face;
it is gabled and pierced by two round-headed openings
for the bells.
The Roof of the nave is of the 15th century, and of
five main bays, sub-divided by curved principals and
with cusped wind-braces, forming square diagonal
panels; the rafters and boarding are modern; the
sawn-off ends of four tie-beams remain in the side walls.
Fittings—Bells: two, uninscribed; 2nd rather longwaisted, and 13th or early 14th-century. Brackets: In
chancel—on E. wall, two plain chamfered brackets;
on W. and S. walls, two shaped corbels, mediæval.
Communion Table: with chamfered legs and shaped
top-rails, probably 17th-century. Floor-slabs: In
nave—(1) to Anne, wife of Thomas Goodere, 1695;
(2) to Thomas Goodere, 1692–3. Font: cylindrical
bowl with splayed under edge, plain stem, 13th-century, entirely retooled. Panelling: In nave—on
N. and S. walls, re-used late 17th or early 18th-century
panelling. Plate: includes Elizabethan cup (Plate 60)
with band of engraved ornament and cover-paten
dated 1571. Screen: Between chancel and nave—with
central opening and five lights on each side, opening
with three small sub-cusped arches in the head; side
bays with close lower panels and open upper panels
with trefoiled, sub-cusped and traceried heads, moulded
mullions, beam and rail, late 15th or early 16th-century.
Miscellanea: Fixed on modern S. door of nave, part
of the cusped ogee head of a 14th-century door with
rosettes.
Condition—Good.
Secular
Monuments (2–9)
The following monuments, unless otherwise
described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys,
timber-framed, and with tile or slate-covered roofs.
All of the buildings have exposed external timber-framing, and most of them have exposed ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good, or fairly good, unless noted.
b(2). Cottage (Plate 26), on the N. side of the road,
600 yards W.S.W. of the church, is of mediæval date
and has three original crutch-trusses. It was much
altered and partly refaced in the 17th century. The
crutch-trusses form two 15 ft. bays with perhaps a third
bay to the E. Two of the trusses have cambered
collar-beams with vertical posts below.
Condition—Poor.
b(3). Cottage, 100 yards S.W. of (2), has been re-built
in the 18th century except for the northern end. The
original chimney-stack has diagonal pilaster-strips.
a(4). Cottage, two tenements, 50 yards S.W. of (3),
has a thatched roof.
b(5). Cottage, on the S. side of the road opposite (3).
a(6). The Old School, house, ½ m. S.W. of the church,
has a late 17th-century brick addition on the W. side.
In the N. wall is a door with ornamental strap-hinges.
a(7). The Old Farm, house, 50 yards W. of (6), has
an 18th-century addition at the back, making the plan
L-shaped. The upper storey projects at both ends of
the original block on moulded bressummers and
corbels; in the upper storey is some ornamental
diagonal framing. The W. gable has ornamental
curved braces in the framing. Inside the building are
some original moulded ceiling-beams.
a(8). Cottage, on the S. side of the road, 100 yards W.
of (7), has a thatched roof.
Condition—Bad.
a(9). Cottage (Plate 33), 20 yards S.W. of (8), has a
thatched roof.