Bridge Sollers

8 BRIDGE SOLLERS (C.e.)

(O.S. 6 in. XXXII, N.E.)

Bridge Sollers is a small parish mainly on the left bank of the Wye, 6 m. W.N.W. of Hereford. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of St. Andrew stands on the N. side of the parish. The walls are of local sandstone rubble with some tufa, and the dressings are of sandstone; the roofs are covered with stone slates. The Nave dates from the middle of the 12th century; the N. arcade was built and the North Aisle added c. 1180– 90, and about the same time the West Tower was built. Late in the 13th century the Chancel was re-built, and c. 1330 the N. aisle largely re-built. The W. tower was perhaps heightened in the 15th century when the parapet was added. The church was restored in 1889 when the South Porch was re-built.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (22½ ft. by 18½ ft.) has a partly restored late 13th-century E. window of three pointed lights, with the mullions carried up to the two-centred head to form the middle light. In the N. wall are two windows of the same date, each of a single trefoiled light. In the S. wall is a partly restored late 13th-century window of two trefoiled lights; further W. is a contemporary doorway with chamfered jambs and segmental-pointed head; it is now blocked. There is no chancel-arch.

The Nave (31¾ ft. by 18¼ ft.) has a late 12th-century N. arcade of three bays, with plain round arches to the eastern bays and a distorted arch to the W. bay; the first pier is cylindrical with moulded base and abacus, and a square capital cut back at the angles and with incised scallops on the sides; the base has flat spur-ornaments; the second pier is octagonal splayed out to meet the square chamfered impost and base; there are no responds, but at the springing of the arches is an impost-moulding. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern is partly restored, of late 13th-century date, and of two trefoiled lights; the western window is a single round-headed light of late 12th-century date, the 12th-century S. doorway (Plate 91) has jambs and round arch of two square orders; the voussoirs of the inner order of the arch have incised zig-zag lines; the inner order has moulded imposts and the outer order has imposts (Plate 139) of deeper projection, carved with a dragonesque form and foliage on one side and a head and two monsters on the other side.

The North Aisle (7¾ ft. wide) has, in the E. wall, a late 13th-century window of one trefoiled light. In the N. wall are two early 14th-century windows, the eastern of two trefoiled ogee lights, and the western of one pointed light; the 12th-century N. doorway, now blocked, has square jambs and round arch; further W. is the re-set head of a 12th-century window.

The West Tower (6 ft. by 6½ ft.) is of late 12th-century date, and of four storeys with an embattled parapet of the 15th century. The semi-circular tower-arch springs from moulded imposts carried a short distance along the E. face of the wall. In the W. wall is a single round-headed light. The second and third storeys have a round-headed window in the E. and W. walls of each; the upper window on the E. is now blocked. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a round-headed window.

The Roof of the nave is of trussed-rafter type, and probably of the 14th century; there are two tie-beams. The 14th-century roof of the N. aisle is of pent-form and of three bays; the principals rest on moulded corbelposts, and have wall-posts and struts at the upper ends forming trefoiled openings in the angle.

Fittings—Bells: two; ist, uninscribed; 2nd, by John Finch, 1663. Font: octagonal bowl with hemispherical lower part, round stem and square base, on bowl, initials and date, 1664 I R and I R I 64 (reversed). Lockers: In chancel—in N. wall, plain rectangular recess; in S. wall, rectangular recess with doors of 17th-century panelling. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In churchyard—headstones; S. of porch, (1) to James Stinton (?), 1703 (?); (2) to Mary, wife of James Stinton, 1695. Floor-slabs: In chancel— (1) to Thomas Geers, sergeant-at-law, 1700, with shield-of-arms; (2) to John Geers, 1698–9, with ornament and two shields-of-arms; (3) to Thomas [Geers], 1675 and Sarah his wife, 1693. Panelling: In chancel— on E. wall, re-used panelling of c. 1600 with enriched top rail. Piscina: In chancel—recess with trefoiled head, broken bowl, late 13th-century. Plate: includes cup and cover-paten of 1673, and a paten of 1713. Sundials: On chancel-doorway, portions of two scratched dials.

Condition—Good.

Secular

(2). Knapp Farm, house and barn, 250 yards W.S.W. of the church. The House is of two storeys, the walls are partly timber-framed but mostly of brick; the roofs are covered with tiles and stone slates. It was built early in the 18th century, but incorporates part of a 17th-century timber building. There is a brick band between the storeys. Inside the building are some exposed ceiling-beams.

The Barn, E. of the house, is timber-framed and of late 17th-century date.

Condition—Good.

(3). Cottage, 60 yards W. of (2), is of one storey with attics, timber-framed and roofed with stone slates. It was built, probably, late in the 17th century, and has some exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Fairly good.

(4). Bridge Farm, house and barns on the W. side of the river, ¼ m. W.S.W. of the church. The House is of two storeys, timber-framed and with slate-covered roofs. The form of the house is mediæval, but there is no definite evidence of anything earlier than the 17th century. It originally had cross-wings at the N. and S. ends of the main block, but the N. cross-wing is now included under the main roof. Some of the external framing is exposed. Inside the building are some chamfered and moulded ceiling-beams.

The Barn, S.W. of the house, is timber-framed on a stone base and is of 17th-century date. The framing in the gables is set diagonally. The second barn, W. of the house, is timber-framed and of two storeys and of early 18th-century date.

Condition—Good.

N.B.—For Offa's Dyke, see p. xxx.