27 CREDENHILL (A.c.)
(O.S. 6 in. XXXIII, N.W.)
Credenhill is a small parish 5 m. N.W. of Hereford.
The church, with interesting glass, and Credenhill
Camp are the principal monuments.
Ecclesiastical
(1). Parish Church of St. Mary (Plate 10) stands
near the middle of the parish. The walls are of local
sandstone rubble with dressings of the same material;
the roofs are slate-covered. The Nave dates probably
from the 12th century. The Chancel was perhaps added
c. 1200 but, except the chancel-arch, was re-built c. 1300.
A chapel seems to have been added on the N. side of
the chancel at a date perhaps indicated by a license in
mortmain of 1306, to Philip Talbot, rector, for the
foundation of a chantry of St. Mary; a chapel in this
position is mentioned by Silas Taylor in 1649–50.
The West Tower was added during the 14th century.
The South Porch is a 15th-century addition. The
church was restored in 1861 and again more drastically
in 1876; the North Vestry, partly on the site of the
former chapel, is modern.
Among the fittings the glass, chairs, and font are
noteworthy.
The Church, Plan
Architectural Description—The Chancel (25¾ ft. by
17 ft.) has an E. window of c. 1330 and of three trefoiled
ogee lights with net-tracery in a two-centred head;
the rear-arch is trefoiled. In the N. wall is a modern
opening incorporating some old stones; farther W. is
an early 14th-century window of two trefoiled lights
with a quatre-foiled spandrel in a two-centred head;
immediately E. of it, on the external face of the wall,
is a small patch of plaster with traces of colour, indicating the former presence of a mediæval building at
this point. In the S. wall are three windows, the
easternmost of c. 1300 and of two trefoiled lights with
a trefoil in a two-centred head, partly restored; the
middle window is of the 14th century and of a single
ogee-headed light; the westernmost window, of c.
1300, is of one trefoiled light with a pointed recess
cut in the W. splay; immediately E. of this window
is a re-set door-way of c. 1200 with roll-moulded jambs
and round head. The chancel-arch of c. 1200 is two-centred and of two chamfered orders, with responds
of the same section and grooved and chamfered imposts; flanking the arch are two modern openings,
perhaps representing earlier recesses on the E. face
of the wall; the heads on the E. face are of c. 1300,
cinque-foiled and with carved pateræ and cusp-points;
in the S. respond of the chancel-arch is an old squint.
The Nave (50 ft. by 20¾ ft.) has, in the N. wall, three
windows, the easternmost of late 13th-century date
and of two trefoiled lights with a trefoiled circle in a
two-centred head; the early 13th-century middle
window is a single lancet-light; the westernmost
window is modern; below it are traces of a destroyed
doorway. In the S. wall are three modern windows
and a modern doorway; W. of the middle window
is part of the round head and W. jamb of a small 12th-century window.
The West Tower (10 ft. square) is of the 14th century
and of three stages with a pyramidal roof. The two-centred tower-arch is of two continuous chamfered
orders, with a hollow-chamfered base. The W. doorway has jambs and two-centred arch of two chamfered
orders with a moulded label. The second stage has,
in the N. and S. walls, a window of one trefoiled ogee
light. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a square-headed window.
The South Porch is of late 15th-century date and of
timber on a stone base. The outer entrance has
moulded posts with moulded capitals from which
spring moulded braces forming an elliptical arch. In
the gable, above the tie-beam, are foiled struts; the
original barge-boards have remains of foliated cusping.
The central truss has moulded braces and against the
inner wall is an arched truss similar to the outer
entrance. The side walls are of two bays with a
moulded division and modern mullions. The purlins
and rafters are moulded, with carved bosses at the
intersections.
The Roof of the chancel incorporates some old
timbers. The roof of the nave is probably of the
15th century and is of six bays with tie-beam and collar
trusses alternating with trusses having curved braces
below the collars and no tie-beams; there are curved
wind-braces.
Fittings—Bells: three, 1st by Henry Clibury, 1680,
and 3rd probably by Thomas Clibury II, 1671. Chairs
(Plate 41): In chancel—two, first with turned front
legs, shaped arms, carved back and enriched top-rail
with scrolled cresting; second with turned front legs,
shaped arms, carved arcaded back, enriched top-rail and
scrolled cresting, both early 17th-century. Coffin-lid:
In chancel—in sill of N.W. window, 13th-century
fragment with part of cross-head, edge with moulding
and enrichment of c. 1300. Font (Plate 56): octagonal
bowl with moulded and enriched rim, curved and fluted
sides, moulded necking and base; rim inscribed "The
giuft of John Squier who liveed at Colford, 1667,"
bowl said to have come from Eaton Bishop. Glass:
In chancel—in N.W. window, figures (Plate 58) of
St. Thomas of Canterbury and St. Thomas of Hereford,
both in mass-vestments, former with pall and cross-staff,
latter with crozier, inscription above "Catuar. Thomas
de Catulupo," background of grisaille quarries and
borders of fleurs-de-lis and castles, c. 1330. In nave—in
N.E. window, shield-of-arms of Talbot, and a made-up
shield of fragments including part of a Virgin and Child
and other figures, in tracery jumble of fragments,
14th-century and later. Monuments: In chancel—on
N. wall, (1) to John Cholmely, 1660–61, wall-monument (Plate 60) with Ionic side-columns, entablature'
broken pediment, cartouche-of-arms and one reclining
figure on pediment. In churchyard—S. of nave, (2) to
William Stephens, 1710, headstone. Painting: On N.
wall of chancel, externally E. of window, fragment of
plaster with lines in red and a yellow band. Plate:
includes an Elizabethan cup, much defaced, a pewter
flagon and two pewter plates. Seating: In chancel—
bench, made up of two standards with shaped tops
and moulded rails, 16th-century.
Condition—Good.
Secular
(2). Cottage, two tenements, on the N. side of the
road, 240 yards S. of the church, is of two storeys,
timber-framed and with tiled roofs. It was built in
the 17th century and has exposed external framing and
internal ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good.
(3). Cottage, 100 yards E. of (2), is of two storeys,
timber-framed and with a thatched roof. It was built
probably early in the 18th century and has exposed
framing.
Condition—Good.
(4). Cross Farm, house, 280 yards S.S.E. of the
church, is of two storeys, timber-framed and with tiled
roofs. It was built probably early in the 18th century
and has a stone-faced lower storey with exposed
framing above. The ceiling-beams are exposed.
Condition—Good.
(5). Cottage, at the road-fork 300 yards S.E. of
the church, is of one storey, timber-framed with a
thatched roof. It was built in the 17th century and
has exposed framing.
Condition—Good.
Unclassified
(6). Credenhill Camp (720 ft.) occupies the top
of the hill nearly ¼ m. N. of the church. It encloses
an area of nearly 49 acres and is of irregular form,
generally following the contours. The defences consist of a high inner rampart and smaller outer rampart
with a medial ditch, and this would appear to have
been continuous except, perhaps, for a small portion
of the N. end of the E. side, and, though the ditch
exists, there may never have been an outer rampart
at the N. end. At the present time the inner rampart
rises to a height of 23–40 ft. above the existing bottom
of the ditch and to an average height of about 12 ft.
above the bottom of the 'spoil-ditch' which is continuous at the base of its inner scarp; but the outer
rampart is now destroyed in several places and the
ditch filled in, the result being the formation of a berm
where this has occurred.
Credenhill Camp
There are three entrances. The one at the S.E. corner
(Plate 1) has the ramparts turned inwards on each
side of the opening, but there has been some damage
done to the N. side. It is now approached by a modern
cart track, but the original covered way still exists
and runs roughly parallel with the modern track until
the two converge just before reaching the actual
entrance. The second entrance is in the middle of
the E. side and has the inner rampart turned inwards
on each side of the opening; it is also approached by
a covered way. The third entrance at the N.W. corner
in its present form is modern; but it may occupy the
position of an earlier entrance though, apart from the
fact that one might expect a possible entrance near this
point, there is no evidence whatsoever to prove the
fact. There are a number of lesser openings, all
modern. A large disused quarry has destroyed the
S.W. angle and obliterated all traces of any entrance
there, if it existed. Within the camp, on its western
side, a portion of the 'spoil-ditch' has been deepened,
forming a rectangular pond or reservoir about 110
yards long, though, previous to drainage, it would
appear to have been larger, extending 40 yards further
towards the N. There are also two small ponds in
the eastern 'spoil-ditch.' Within the enclosure, also,
to the E. and S.E. of the reservoir, there are slight
sinkings and a small length of ditch, which, however,
are possibly small modern quarryings. The steepness of the scarping and construction generally would
suggest that this Camp is of the Early Iron Age period.
Condition—Considerable damage was done some
years ago by quarrying, and some destruction caused
by drainage and the formation of paths, but otherwise
it is in fairly good condition.