St Michael, North Waltham

As I approached North Waltham from Basingstoke during May, the village was surrounded by many rape fields, which appear striking from a distance but less pleasant when seen more closely. The village is particularly attractive, with excellent cottages near the pond, including various thatched groups, a brick terraced group with thatch, and more humble brick and flint terraced cottages of the 19th century. The pond acts as an attractive focus, and has a weeping willow for company. There are also particularly worthwhile thatched cottages on the road to the east of the village, including timber framing (e.g. Walnut and Rose cottages) and brick (e.g. Yew Tree House), and Chapel Lane, which branches off to the left, is similarly enjoyable with some nice cottages and the Methodist Chapel dated 1864. This is quite plain, of whitewashed plaster, with two round arched windows in its front, and a small brick porch. When I visited it looked recently redundant.

There are quite a lot of modern housing in the village, but it doesn't seem to detract too much from the attractive impression the village gives. St Michael's Close in particular is well planned and landscaped. To the north east of the church is an attractive Victorian village school which is still used as such.

The church lies to the north-west of the village in a churchyard which is raised above the road. It consists of nave, and not much narrower or lower chancel, north aisle and vestry, south porch, and timber west belfry with short spire. It is not particularly large, but has a serious and stately character to the south, and a more jolly and surprising manner to the north. The churchyard is open on all sides with some trees to the north and one yew to the south-east. It has been extended to the north-west, where views of the surrounding countryside can be gained. The gravestones near to the church are mostly 19th century with some table top tombs, and a few 18th century stones can be seen to the south.

Chronology of the building

The church is mostly of 1865 by John Colson, but enough medieval architecture remains to suggest that the church was not totally rebuilt. This compares to Colson's other churches at Bradley and Wootton St Lawrence. It is difficult to appreciate the church as it was before the 1860s since no illustration or detailed description appears to exist.  The precise architecture of the church is therefore obscure and much has to be conjectured. The most helpful source to its understanding are the Incorporated Church Building Society plans available at www.churchplansonline.org. The set of plans include four from 1829-31 when the church received galleries. However, these plans lack detail concerning the church's architecture, and are therefore not as helpful as they may have proved. Colson also produced a plan, but it only shows the church in its new state, with no references to the previous building.

There is no separate entry for North Waltham in the Domesday book, and the earliest reference to the church appears to be 1189, when the advowson of the church was confirmed to the Hospital of St Cross by Richard I (1).

Norman/Transitional: The earliest surviving architectural evidence consists of parts of the north arcade, and this seems to fit the 1189 advowson date very well (see above). It is transitional work still essentially in the Norman style but with pointed arches. Part of the arcade is from 1865, and indeed that work has created one or two puzzles which commentators on the church have not fully discussed. A detailed description of the whole arcade, both Medieval and Victorian, now follows:

The Victoria County History states that "before 1865 there was a 12th-century arcade of two bays", but the 1829-31 plans of the nave seating, produced for the Incorporated Church Building Society by a John Carpenter of Basingstoke, suggest a three bay arcade since two circular piers are clearly marked. The fact that the western respond has old work in the pier and base suggest that it was indeed a three bay arcade, and that the small arch west of it represents an extension of 1865. However, does the arch to the east of the east respond represent an eastern lengthening of the nave, therefore moving the chancel arch east of its original position, or does this feature date from before the 1865 work? The existence of old stones in the arch suggests that it was previously there, but it is apparently not possible to confirm this. One of the ICBS church plans from 1829-31 actually has two plans drawn on it, and the span between the eastern pier (marked circular) and the nave east wall is indeed less than that between the two marked piers or the western pier and the western wall. In this case the Norman arcade may have been two bays, which means that the original work of the western respond was moved from the position now occupied by Colson's west pier.

Decorated: There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the chancel and possibly the nave either date from, or were remodelled during the early 14th century. The chancel has windows which suggest a date c.1300, and the north window in particular includes original masonry. It is a fine two light Y tracery window with a moulded label formed from the main stones of the arch. There are some weathered stones in the arch, and the jamb stones look old too, although they may date from an earlier restoration. Inside, the window's rere-arch and angle stones to the splay appear to be original, the only ones in the church. They exhibit rough and slightly diagonal chisel marks where the stone was dressed. All other chancel and nave windows are new, with smooth cream stone. The nave south wall also has two Y tracery two light windows which may or may not represent the original designs. Again this would suggest c.1300. At the east end the window is of fresh stone. Its brother to the west has old stones in the sill and weathered stones in the arch.

The main window in the chancel south wall looks mostly new, but may have old stones in the east jamb. In any case they are more weathered. It is a two light Decorated design with a cusped circle in the head. To the west is a simple chamfered priest's doorway, entirely renewed, and to the west of that is a tall cusped lancet. This is again new, but the sill may have olds stones, and the eastern part of the arch together with the lower stones of the east jamb also appear to be older than the rest. Both chancel south windows have hood moulds and could represent windows c.1300.  The east window too, though renewed in the 1865 campaign, may represent the original since it too represents a design c.1300. It is of three lights with intersecting tracery, with trefoiled panels above the lights, and cusped circles above. The hood mould rests on a male head to the left, and a female head in the 14th century style to the right. The fact that the chancel does not have windows to a uniform design suggests that they are more likely to represent the originals.

The most significant feature from this period is the ornate and mostly original chancel piscina. It has a large rounded and slightly protruding bowl with a shelf above. Ogee arch and jambs with a hollow chamfer, mostly renewed or re-cut. Crocketed hood mould, also possibly re-cut, with hollow chamfer and ending in a finial. Most of the foliage looks original, especially on the east side, and the hood mould rests on animal heads. Again it is difficult to tell how much of these are original or re-cut, but the east head in particular looks like it has a Victorian shaped face.

19th Century: Restoration or repair work took place in 1829 (White's Directory of 1859 gives the date as 1830), at a cost of £126. The precise work involved appears not to be known, but it would appear that window tracery was renewed since some of the existing stone work appears more weathered than the 1865 renewals without necessarily being medieval.

According to Poole (2), Colson was appointed in October 1864 to report on the state of the church. The Hampshire Chronicle report on the consecration of the rebuilt church in the edition of 19th May 1866 gives the following information:

Some years ago the chancel arch fell in, impairing the roof, which, however, could not be put up anew, as the south walls, so much out of the perpendicular, would not have borne its weight. A crack six inches wide in the east window was not its least detraction, as a thick beam intended no doubt to connect the spreading walls intersected it. The timbers were generally decayed and honeycombed. Internally, an unsightly gallery concealed or disfigured such architecture as would otherwise have been visible, and the pews were of all heights and irregularities. At first it was hoped some parts of the old church might be retained. But as the work of necessary demolition went on, it became evident the whole must be rebuilt.

The church wasn't in fact entirely rebuilt, but the general impression is of a rebuild retaining certain features, most notably parts of the north arcade. The Victoria County History suggests that while the nave was rebuilt, the chancel was only repaired. The Victoria County History also says that nave was lengthened (and so therefore was the aisle unless it extended along the side of a tower), and this is confirmed by the Incorporate Church Building Society application, which was "for extension of nave, reseating and repairs to roof and walls" (3). It is not clear, however, whether Colson extended the church by the length of the narrow western arch, which now forms the position of the western belfry, or by this bay plus the western bay of the main arcade (see above). Unfortunately no other plans by Colson appear to survive for this campaign. The cost of Colson's campaign is given as about £1600 in White's 1878 Directory.

If the nave or chancel walls were not entirely rebuilt, they were at least entirely refaced. The chancel north and east wall has close set coursed knapped flints of a nice texture, and the south of both nave and chancel are of cleaner coursed knapped flint walling. The porch and north aisle are of a similar texture, and so is the nave west wall, although the latter is slightly less tidy. The windows and doorways were either wholly or entirely renewed, and some of these may represent new designs. The nave south doorway in particular does not look medieval in design, with its simple continuous chamfer, graceful stop chamfers at the bottom, and sharply pointed arch (see Newtown, near Soberton, for a similar design by Colson). The west wall is most likely to be to a Colson's own design, with two large trefoil headed lancets a six-cusped circle above. At the east end of the chancel are diagonal stone buttresses with gables at the angles, an effective idea which appears to be by Colson.

Both the nave and chancel show Colson's liberal and familiar use of carved heads. A king's head holds the main east gable tot he south, and a bishop's head holds it to the north. The nave east gable is similarly held by a young head to the south.

Inside, the chancel arch was rebuilt in an ornate transitional style which is unlikely to faithfully represent the original. It has a pointed arch of two orders. The Inner order has a roll on both sides and a suggestive chevron pattern towards the nave. The second order has two sets of chevron and a flat hood mould consisting of a frieze of four petal flowers. Towards the chancel the arch has only a roll. Square abaci with triangle frieze and two orders of shafts, the inner shafts detached and of pink marble. The capitals are rich with foliage, particularly on the north capital. The foliage is mostly naturalistic which betrays its Victorian design. The bases are circular, tall and graceful, with foliage spurs on chamfered square plinths. The stepped responds are also chamfered.

The north arcade, as has already been described, is part Norman/Transitional, and part of 1865. The western pier (C), western arch (arch C-D) and the small western archway are entirely the work of 1865 and may represent  work required to extend the nave to the west. The north aisle itself was entirely rebuilt to Colson's own design, and is entertaining and almost domestic in feel. Its roof is continued from the nave without a break, although two fun gables in the north wall break this continuous slope and relieve what would otherwise seem a rather low north wall with a too prominent roof line. The west wall is divided from the nave by a two stage buttress and has a small hollow chamfered lancet. Each two light gable has a two light window with a cusped circle above. There is one small buttress in the middle. The aisle ends to the east with a gabled vestry oriented north-south. It has a two light north window with a quatrefoil above, similar to the aisle windows but with simpler mouldings, looking more like plate tracery. The gable rests of two heads, the west head characterised as an old female saint in the 14th century style, the east head a depiction of a male saint. In the east wall of the vestry is a shouldered, square headed doorway.

The south porch is of 1865, and has a gabled south face containing a moulded arch with a concave chamfer, a deep hollow and chamfer, and a decorated style moulded label resting on two heads. These are of a Victorian man's head to the west, and of a young princess or queen's head to the east. Both are looking inward. The gable rests on angel heads to the east and west, and both are complete with wings and halo. The side walls have one short trefoiled single light window, and there is a plinth moulding along all three walls.

Finally, at the west end of the nave, above the cusped circular window, the bell turret begins, which is again by Colson. It is in two main parts, the lower part broad, shingled, and prominently canted so that it gives a rather ungainly appearance, and an openwork upper part with two groups of three trefoiled arches, above which are open rounded trefoils, again in two groups of three. This is repeated on each face, and there is a modest timber spire above.

Sculpture

The porch contains two pieces of sculpture, including what looks like part of a medieval water stoop or pillar piscina.

Furnishings

19th Century pews, pulpit, reading desk, choir stalls (with foliage arm rests) and altar rails. The latter has trefoil arches on thin columns and quatrefoils in the spandrels. Small organ installed in 1977. The area behind the organ at the east end of the north aisle is closed off to form a choir vestry.

The 1865 campaign also provided a new font, but this was given to Eastrop church (Basingstoke) in April 1883 when the current font was provided from the now demolished church at Popham. Its bowl is perpendicular, octagonal, and quite shallow with panels containing quatrefoil circles and lozenge shaped flowers. Elegantly moulded underside. The stem, which turns circular, and base, which moves from circular back to octagonal, are modern. It sits on a square plinth.

Monuments

The chancel contains four modest tablets- †1779 (with elegant lettering), †1788, †1863, and †1917-†1919. There is also a brass plate in a wooden frame with an inscription in Latin- †1628-†1629. In the nave is a brass tablet †1902 (erected by the widow in 1904), and a stone tablet with shield on the sill of the south-west window †1941.

Stained Glass

The windows appear to be by Baillie. There was also a stained glass window in the chancel south-east window, since a brass plate below gives the date of erection as Easter 1868. This must be the window mentioned by White in his 1878 Directory, since it states that it was erected in memory of the Rev. H. Carey.

Notes

1. Information from the Victoria County History, Vol.4, p.222

2. Poole, B. John Colson: a Hampshire Architect of the Victorian Age, p.8

3. see www.churchplansonline.org for details of this application

Sources used

- Hewey, L.F. The Story of North Waltham, Hampshire, c.1966

- Page, W. (ed). The Victoria History of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: Vol.4. Constable, 1911

- Pevsner, N & Lloyd, D. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Penguin, 1967

- Poole, B. John Colson: a Hampshire Architect of the Victorian Age. Hampshire County Council, 2000. No.20 in the "Hampshire Papers" series.

- Tanner, R. St Michael's Church, North Waltham [church guide], c.2002. Fairly useful guide, but with a muddled and over-emphasised use of architectural terms such as Perpendicular and Early English.

- White, W. History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 1859

- White, W. History, Gazetteer, and Directory of the County of Hampshire including the Isle of Wight, 1878

Web links

- www.churchplansonline.org.  Church plans from the Incorporated Church Building Society.

- www.dutton.force9.co.uk/nwsadhs/nw/nwchurch/nwchurch.htm  From the North Waltham, Steventon, Ashe and Deane Historical Society. The text is from Richard Tanner's church guide, with accompanying pictures.

Questions for further research

1. Was the Norman/Transitional arcade two or three bays?

2. Is the narrow archway at the east end of the arcade a medieval feature, or was it constructed in 1865 reusing old materials?

3. Who is the artist or firm responsible for the chancel north window and what is its date (c.1880?)?

Location

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