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St Mary, Tufton
Tufton is a small hamlet to the south of Whitchurch. It is a pleasant, out of the way place next to the River Test, with brick houses (some of thatch), and some large, nicely renovated brick and timber barns. There is a large barn complex to the north-west of the church, and the walled grounds of Tufton Manor can be seen on the road to Longparish and Hurstbourne Priors.
The church is prominently placed above the road, and consists of nave, chancel, south porch, and short wooden bell turret with tiled pyramid cap within the west end. Although this represents a typical Hampshire arrangement, the church has a wide nave, and is visually distinctive thanks to the plaster walls (currently painted a cream colour) and large rectangular windows. It is also architecturally more rewarding than most, and has an interesting interior. The external wall surface consists of a rough undulating plaster on most walls, although the nave north wall is rendered. The churchyard is to the south of the church, and is dominated by a yew in its centre. Gravestones mainly line the south and east sides, but very few date from the 18th century or are particularly enterprising in design. Although the surroundings are pleasant, with rising fields to the south-west, the church is unfortunately within easy earshot of the A34, and this is obtrusive both inside as well as outside the building.
Chronology of the buildingThe current church mostly dates from the 12th and 13th centuries, with some post-reformation modifications. There is no mention of a church in the Domesday book. White's directory of 1878 provides a curious description of the church:
The nave was burnt down at the beginning of the present century and rebuilt in the boldest style; the chancel is a good specimen of Early English, but the east window is gone, its place being supplied with a poor round-headed one.
There is little to suggest that the nave was rebuilt. Indeed discoveries during the 20th century have confirmed its Norman origins.
Norman: Of the Norman nave and chancel, the current nave survives, with three round headed windows (one in the south wall and two in the north), a south door and chancel arch. When the Victoria County History visited the church in the early years of the 20th century, the windows were covered up, as was most of the south doorway. All of these features are original, and this includes the internal splays of all the windows.
It is reasonable to assume that all of these features date from the same campaign, and for the chancel arch and rear arch of the doorway the Victoria County History suggest the date c.1120. In other words the architecture is still blunt and lacking in ornamental detail, and may indeed be a little earlier. The Norman windows are small and original, with heads cut from a single large stone. The south window appears approximately in the centre of the wall, with a corresponding window in the north wall and a second north window further west. The south doorway is tall, so that the lintel, tympanum and arch look particularly high. From the outside, it appears that the head has been raised at some point, because below the original lintel is a wooden lintel and a row of bricks. However, the rear arch of the doorway, which is round arched and of the same height, suggest that this isn't the case. The stonework of the doorway looks entirely original, with unchamfered imposts, unchamfered round arch with two rows of satire crosses and a billet hood-mould.
The chancel arch is fairly small in comparison with the nave's dimensions, and is a clear demonstration of the early Norman date. The arch is plain and unchamfered, with protruding abaci in the north and south directions only, with two grooves and a chamfer below. There is lettering on the north abacus and stones below, which appear on three lines to the west of the impost. What does it say, and from when does it date? There is no reference to it either in the Victoria County History or in Pevsner.
The stone used for the Norman nave is a tough, hard grained variety which appears to weather well. Many of the stones (e.g. the doorway's tympanum and rear arch) exhibit diagonal chisel marks from when the stone was originally dressed. The nave's east and west quoins all appear to be original.
Early English: The chancel was either rebuilt or remodelled in the early 13th century, and while it is now considerably renewed, including the splays of all the lancets and the entire internal wall surface, the side walls show the design to have been unusually enterprising for such a small church.
The south wall consists of three lancets, one large (to the west) and the others small and narrow. Both types have two chamfers, and all three are renewed. On the north wall, which also has three lancets, the eastern lancet is of the narrow, two chamfered renewed type as those on the south side. The western lancet, which at first sight looks original, may also have been renewed at a different date, and is plainly chamfered with more texture to the stone. The central lancet is clearly original, slightly bigger than its neighbours, and unchamfered. It suggests that the double chamfered lancets were not correctly renewed, although there is no denying their smart and noble appearance.
Internally the lancets are arcaded on both sides, and the arcades sit on a stone base which ends with a rounded edge. The arcades have chamfered arches, square abaci, plain bell-type capitals, shafts, and bases on square plinths. There is much that appears to be original. However, all of the shafts are renewed, and most of the east bay including three quarters of the arches, the east capitals, abaci and bases. The bases flanking the south-west lancet, and the westernmost base on the north side are also renewed.
Of the original design of the east wall, nothing now remains.
In the south wall of the nave at the east end is a round headed recess which could represent a piscina, although there is no bowl. It is difficult to feel confident about a date for this feature. On the sill of the chancel north-west lancet is the square bowl of a former piscina, and also part of an old tile.
The open timber nave roof, which was covered up with a flat plastered ceiling when the Victoria County History recorded the church, is old and has collar beams and tie beams.
Two squints flank the chancel arch, which in their current form look modern. However, they could be medieval and simply be resurfaced.
The west window consists of one wide single light with a four centred head, and looks mostly original 16th or 17th century (1). It is chamfered inside and out.
The bell turret may be post reformation, and the internal timber framing at the west end of the nave is not at first obvious. It has been used as the basis of a partition wall which has created a thin western chamber. This is entered through a round arch and from inside this room the vertical timbers which flank the doorway can be seen, together with a large horizontal timber on the south side.
18th Century: The nave has two large rectangular windows with wooden cross frames, one on each side. The south window has a thick stone surround, unmoulded with only a slight segmental arch. This stone surround does not appear on the north window, although it is still finished with a segmental head.
19th-20th Centuries : The nave appears to be mostly original and comparatively unrestored. Indeed, many of its features remained hidden until sometime after the 19th century. The chancel is considerably more restored and probably considerably rebuilt. The entire east wall certainly looks rebuilt, with quoins and prominent buttresses at the angles in grey brick and stone, and a renewed Y tracery east window which if it represents the previous window would point to c.1300. Most of the chancel side windows were also renewed, together with parts of the internal arcading (see above), and the side walls and window splays are smooth and re-plastered. The chancel roof is collar beamed with arched braces.
The porch is very smart, and is built of deep red bricks (including burnt ends), and flint panels at the sides which include a gravestone (†1816) in the east wall. What is the date of this porch? Unusually it is entered through a domestic wooden framed glass door which must be relatively recent.
Repairs apparently took place c.1836-7, as an approved application was made to the Incorporated Church Building Society. However, no more specific details are known (see www.churchplansonline.org).
Wall PaintingsOn the north wall of the nave between the two Norman windows is a large St Christopher holding a staff, and Christ as a child. They are contained within a rectangular frame decorated with vine trails. There are few other details. The colours mainly consist of dark reds and gold, and is dated by Pevsner to the early 15th century.
Above the chancel arch, and above the easternmost tie beam in the nave, can be seen other painted detail, including what appear to be two figures, a tracery design (e.g. a decorated beam) in red, a line of text above the figures, and gold paint above the text. This may also date from the 15th century and later.
FurnishingsThe archway at the west end of the nave is lined with red wooden panelling, and is flanked by two red doorways with partial pediments. It all looks 18th or perhaps early 19th century, and there is a coat of arms to George IV above. On the partition wall facing west (i.e. inside the western chamber) the Creed and Lords Prayer can be seen, both of which are 18th century with gold lettering on a black background.
The 19th century furnishings include the pews and the renewed cauldron font which is in the Norman style with tapering bowl and rope frieze near the bottom. Nice chamber organ, but surprisingly there is no pulpit.
The chancel was beautifully furnished some time after the war in an austere and tasteful modern style which Pevsner refers to as "in accordance with the so-called Liturgical Movement". It matches excellently the noble architecture of the window arcades, with a square altar towards the front, and plain altar rails (consisting of metal framing with wooden rails) to the north, south and east. The floor is tiled, and two boards containing the ten commandments flank the east window. These are lettered in red and black on gold, and look early 19th century (i.e. later than the boards at the west end).
MonumentsThe nave floor is of red brick, with one monumental stone at the east end which has faded text and the date 1527. Otherwise, there are no memorials inside the church.
Stained GlassThe church has no stained glass windows.
Notes1. The Victoria County history suggests that "in its present form [the west window] is probably only of 18th-century origin". Back to "Chronology of the building". Sources used- 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 - 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, held at the Lambeth Palace Library. Questions for further research1. What does the lettering on the north abacus and impost of the chancel arch say, and from when does it date? What is its significance? 2. Are the squints which flank the chancel arch medieval or modern? 3. What is the date of the south porch? 4. When was the chancel restored, and when did other 19th and early 20th century restorations take place? 5. When was the chancel refurnished? 6. What is the date of the 18th century rectangular nave windows? Location
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