Ickleford

69. ICKLEFORD.

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)vii. N.W. ^(b)vii. S.W.)

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Katherine, stands in the middle of the village. It is entirely covered with plaster; the chancel is roofed with slate and the nave with lead. The Nave, of c. 1150, is the earliest part of the church; the Chancel and West Tower were built early in the 13th century. The South Porch was added c. 1450; the nave was re-roofed in the 15th century, and in 1859 the church was restored, and the South Chapel, South Aisle and North Vestry were added.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (19 ft. by 14 ft.) has no original detail except a 13th-century lancet window in the N. wall. The Nave (54 ft. by 17 ft.) has, in the N. wall, a window of three cinque-foiled lights with tracery, under a square head, and a second window of two cinque-foiled lights, also with tracery, under a pointed head; both windows are of the 15th century, and repaired with cement; between them is a blocked 12th-century doorway, much decayed and repaired with cement, but with a well preserved cheveron-moulding on the rear arch; at the E. end of this wall is a rood-loft staircase. In the S. wall is a 12th-century doorway with a semi-circular arch of three moulded orders, supported on each side by two shafts which have capitals carved with leaf ornament, and moulded abaci; the original bases are missing, and the stonework has been repaired with cement; E. of it is a 15th-century window of two lights, repaired with cement. The S. arcade is modern. The Tower (10 ft. square) is of two stages with substantial angle buttresses and a low pyramidal lead roof. The two-centred tower arch and a narrow lancet window on the S. are probably of the 13th century. The W. window and the belfry windows are of the 15th century, repaired with cement. The South Porch has an embattled parapet with a central niche over the doorway. The entrance arch is two-centred and above it is a string course, much decayed. The Roof of the nave is of the 15th century, supported on grotesque stone corbels.

Fittings—Bells: five; 3rd 1680, 4th 1650. Brass: in the nave, of Thomas Somer and Marjory his wife, c. 1380, half-length figures, with imperfect inscription. Chair: in the chancel, oak, with canopy, of foreign workmanship, c. 1600. Piscinae: in the chancel, the bowl projection broken, 15th-century: in nave, 15th-century, much broken, probably not in situ. Screen: above the piscina in chancel, 15th-century tracery, possibly part of a screen. Slab: in the chapel, with face fixed to the wall.

Condition—Structurally good, but most of the stonework is decayed and repaired with cement. The N. wall is covered with ivy.

Secular

^b(2). Homestead Moat, at Pound Farm.

^a(3). Old Ramerick, Manor House and Moat, about two miles N. of the church. The house is of two storeys; the plan is L-shaped and the main block was built or re-built early in the 18th century, of red brick; the N.E. wing is probably part of a 17th-century house, and is of clunch with brick quoins. The roofs are tiled. The interior is of the 18th century. An outbuilding, formerly a stable, appears to be of earlier date than the house; the S. gable end is of clunch, and part of the E. wall is of plastered timber, the rest is of brick; inside the building are circular oak posts, with moulded caps and bases, which divided the stalls.

Only a fragment of the moat remains.

Condition—Of house, good.

^b(4). House, about ¼ mile S. of the church, is a two-storeyed building of timber, covered with rough-cast, on a brick foundation, dated 1599. The roofs are tiled. It is of a modified H plan, the projection of the wings being very slight; one end of the house is partly enclosed by modern cottages. The wings are gabled and have overhanging upper storeys; a gabled oriel window has the date 1599 over it.

Condition—Fairly good.

(See also Addendum, p. 245.)