St. Devereux

58 ST. DEVEREUX (C.c.).

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)XXXIX, S.W., ^(b)XLV, N.W.)

St. Devereux is a parish 6½ m. S.W. of Hereford.

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Dubricius stands in the S.W. part of the parish. The walls are of rubble with ashlar dressings, all of local sandstone; the roofs are covered with tiles. The earliest detail in the church is of the 13th century, at which date the Nave was built, except perhaps the N.W. angle, which may be earlier. The West Tower was probably added in the 14th century, and about the middle or third quarter of the same century the Chancel and chancel-arch were re-built. The church has been drastically restored in modern times, the S. wall of the nave largely re-built, and the South Porch added.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (27 ft. by 17¼ ft.) has a partly restored 14th-century E. window of three trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a two-centred head. In the N. wall are two restored windows, the eastern of the 14th century and of two trefoiled ogee lights in a square head, and the western of the 16th or 17th century and of two square-headed lights. In the S. wall are two windows, uniform with the eastern window in the N. wall; between them is a late 15th or early 16th-century doorway with chamfered jambs and four-centred head. The 14th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and of two chamfered orders, the outer continuous and the inner dying on to the responds.

The Nave (46½ ft. by 20½ ft.) has in the N. wall three windows, the easternmost of the 13th century and of two lancet-lights; the middle window is of the same date but of one lancet-light only; the westernmost window is similar to the easternmost, but entirely restored or modern; the 13th or 14th-century N. doorway, now blocked, has chamfered jambs and two-centred arch. In the S. wall are three windows, the easternmost of the 13th century with internal rebates, and of two trefoiled lights with a quatre-foiled circle in the spandrel; the middle window is similar to the corresponding window in the N. wall; the westernmost window is similar to the middle window but completely restored; the S. doorway is similar to the N. doorway but has a wider opening and is not blocked. The W. wall leans towards the W. though the tower which stands over it is perpendicular; near the N.W. angle is a straight joint, corresponding to the inner face of the N. wall. The doorway to the tower is of the 14th century and has chamfered jambs and two-centred arch.

The West Tower (10 ft. by 10½ ft.) is of three stages with a plain parapet and a deep offset above the ground stage; the whole structure is probably of the 14th century, built on to the earlier W. wall of the nave.

In the W. wall of the ground stage is a square-headed loop. In the W. wall of the second stage is a loop with a pointed head. The bell-chamber has in each wall a 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head, with a moulded label.

Fittings—Bells: three; 2nd and 3rd probably 14th century and inscribed in Lombardic letters "Scancte Johannes" and "Sanctus Johannes" respectively. Chest: In tower—of oak boards and hutch-type, with ornamental metal plate on top, early 17th-century. Coffin-lid: In tower—fragment, re-used as lintel to loop in W. wall, with portion of inscription in Lombardic letters, 13th-century. Communion Table: (Plate 72) of oak, with turned legs, moulded and slightly enriched upper rails and plain lower rails, early 17th-century. Font: octagonal bowl with splayed underside, octagonal stem and splayed square base, 15th or 16th-century. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In chancel—on E. wall, (1) to John Hoskins, 1669, and Mary (Goemo . .) his wife, 1694, decayed tablet of stone with lozenge-of-arms; (2) to Frederick Powell, A.M., 1658, marble tablet, with cartouche-of-arms above, probably not belonging to this monument; on N. wall; (3) to Elizabeth, daughter of John Gunter, 1696, stone tablet with lozenge-of-arms; (4) to Ann, daughter of Thomas Goode, 1668, slate tablet with cartouche-of-arms; (5) to Thomas, son of Thomas Goode, 1664–5, slate tablet with cartouche-of-arms; on S. wall; (6) to Elizabeth, wife of Roger Griffith, 1649, also to Beatrix, their daughter, wife of George Jones, rector of the parish, 1660–61, slate tablet with cartouche-of-arms. In the chancel, nave and tower are various portions of the above monuments, including pediments, architraves, apron-pieces, etc. In churchyard—S. of porch, (7) to William Preece, 1700(?), headstone. Floor-slabs: In chancel —(1) to Thomas Goode, 1671–2, with achievement-of-arms. In nave—on W. wall; (2) to Ann, daughter of Thomas Goode, 1668, with figure in low relief with cherub-heads and scrolled border; (3) to Thomas, son of Thomas Goode, 1664–5, with achievement-of-arms, cherub-heads and foliated border. In tower— (4) to Als, wife of Richard Green, 16 . .; (5) to Ann, daughter of Robert Mason, late 17th-century. In churchyard—by S. porch; (6) to William (?) Green, late 17th-century, broken slab. Piscina: In chancel— recess with chamfered and rebated two-centred head, quatre-foiled bowl, partly cut away, 14th-century. In nave—in sill of S.E. window, quatre-foiled drain, 13th-century. Plate: includes Elizabethan cup (Plate 57) with bands of incised ornament and date 1576 on round plate on bottom, also cup and cover-paten, said to have come from Amsterdam, cover surmounted by draped figure of a woman, 17th-century. Recesses: In nave —in N. and S. walls, two with low segmental-pointed and chamfered arches, 13th-century, probably tomb-recesses. Sundial: On E. jamb of S. doorway— scratched dial.

Condition—Good, much altered, some cracks in upper part of tower.

Secular

^b(2). Motte and Bailey castle (Plan, p.xxxv) at Didley Court Farm, ¾ m. N.E. of the church. The motte is roughly round, about 26 yards in diameter at the base and 17 ft. in height above the ditch. The ditch survives only on the S.W., dying out into a berm and scarp on the S.E. and E. There are traces of a crescent-shaped bailey on the N. and N.W. with a ditch on the W. and a scarp on the rest of the circuit. To the S.W. of the bailey a scarp encloses a platform or court of irregular shape and perhaps of later date.

Condition—Poor, much cut into and damaged by farm-buildings.

^b(3). Didley Court Farm, house (Plate 18), ¾ m. N.E. of the church, is of two storeys; the walls are timber-framed with brick nogging, and the roofs are covered with slates. It was built early in the 16th century, but an upper floor was inserted in the hall and the N. cross-wing added in the 17th century. The exposed external timber-framing is mostly of the 17th century. Inside the building, the ground-floor rooms have exposed ceiling-beams, and in the cross-wing is some panelling and doors of c. 1600. The main hall-block has original roof-trusses with cambered tie-beams and curved braces. The staircase has an octagonal central newel.

Condition—Fairly good.

^b(4). Trelough, house and moat, about ½ m. W. of the church. The House is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of brick and the roofs are tiled. It was built early in the 18th century, probably by William Garnons, and has later additions on the S.E. side. The front has a brick band between the storeys and a hipped roof with two dormers. Inside the building, the N.W. room is lined with original panelling with dado-rail and cornice; over the fireplace is a bolection-moulded panel; the ceiling is divided by moulded ribs into simple geometrical panels. In the N.E. room is some re-used early 17th-century panelling, with guilloche and other ornament. There is some panelling of the same date in the corridor. The original staircase has moulded close strings, turned balusters and square newels.

The Moat has been mostly filled in.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (5–9)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys, timber-framed and with stone or modern slates. Some of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good.

^b(5). The Old Rectory, 50 yards E. of the church, has an 18th-century addition at the S. end.

^b(6). Upper House Farm, house and barn, 1 m. N.E. of the church. The House is of T-shaped plan with the cross-wing at the N. end. The E. arm of the cross-wing is a mid or late 17th-century addition. There is a gabled staircase-wing on the E. side. Inside the building is a moulded ceiling-beam, and some original panelling and doors.

The Barn, N.N.W. of the house, is of late 17th or early 18th-century date and is weather-boarded. There is a second outbuilding, of similar type, W. of the barn.

^b(7). White House Farm, house, 50 yards S. of (6), has a barn at the S. end added in the 18th century. The front has been faced with brick.

^b(8). Lower House Farm, house (Plate 18), 50 yards W. of (7), was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century and is of L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the E. and S. The timber-framing is exposed and the upper storey projects and is gabled at the W. end of the N. front; the projection is supported on curved brackets and later posts. On the N. front of the E. wing is a wooden window head with six ogee cuttings as though for the heads of lights; it may be earlier work re-used. Inside the building, the staircase has an octagonal newel with a shaped terminal.

^a(9). Willock's Bridge Farm, house, 1¾ m. N.W. of the church, has been partly faced with brick and has later additions. Inside the building is some late 17th or early 18th-century panelling. The staircase has wavy slat balusters.

Unclassified

^b(10). Earthwork, on the W. side of the road opposite the church, appears to have formed a roughly round island or mound surrounded by a square ditch; the ditch is practically filled in. There is a quadrangular platform to the N.

Condition—Bad.