Sollers Hope

71 SOLLERS HOPE (C.e.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)XL, S.E., ^(b)XLI, S.W., ^(c)XLVI, N.E.)

Sollers Hope is a small parish 6 m. N. of Ross. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

^a(1). Parish Church of St. Michael stands in the N.W. part of the parish. The walls are of local sandstone rubble, roughly squared and coursed and with dressings of the same material; the roofs are tiled. The Chancel was re-built in the second half of the 14th century and the Nave is of slightly later date in the same century; the South Porch was added at the same time. The church was restored in the 19th century and the North Vestry and Bell Turret are modern.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (21 ft. by 17½ ft.) has a late 14th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head. In the N. wall is a mid 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head; farther W. is a modern doorway. In the S. wall is a window uniform with that in the N. wall; farther W. is a 14th-century doorway, now blocked, with chamfered jambs and two-centred head. The 14th-century chancel-arch has responds and two-centred arch of two chamfered orders.

The Nave (38¼ ft. by 21¼ft.) has, in the N. wall, a late 14th-century window of two trefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head. In the S. wall is a similar window, but with a moulded label; the 14th-century S. doorway has chamfered jambs and two-centred head. In the W. wall is a late 14th-century window of three trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a two-centred head.

The South Porch is of late 14th-century date and has an outer archway with responds and two-centred arch of one moulded order externally and of two chamfered orders internally. In the E. wall is a lancet-window and in the W. wall a square-headed window, both reconstructed of old material.

The Roof of the chancel is of mid to late 14th-century date and of collar-beam type with curved braces forming round arches and a moulded longitudinal rib at the apex; the wall-plates are moulded, with a modern embattled cresting. The late 14th-century roof of the nave has also curved braces and moulded wall-plates.

Fittings—Bells: two; inaccessible. Churchyard Cross: square shaft with stop-chamfered angles, square base with rounded upper angles and pointed niche in W. face, 15th-century, upper part of shaft and crosshead modern. Coffin-lids: In chancel—against S. wall, (1) tapering slab with round enriched cross at top and, lower down, effigy in relief of man in mail with surcoat, 'pot-helm' and shield with a fesse (probably for Solers), first half of the 13th century. In nave— on W. wall, (2) with incised round cross at head and rectangular panel below, 13th-century; (3) upper part of slab with round cusped cross and part of stem, 14th-century; (4) tapering slab with shield charged with a fesse, 13th-century. Communion Table: In vestry— with turned legs, moulded top-rails and stretchers and moulded edge to top, early 18th-century. Font: plain tapering cylindrical bowl, with chamfered top edge and vertical tooling, probably 13th-century. Glass: In chancel—in N. window, parts of border of crowns in heads of lights, in situ, and fragments in tracery, late 14th-century; in S. window, similar glass with portions of borders. In Nave—in tracery of N. and S. windows, simple borders, 15th-century; in tracery of W. window, foliage, fragments of crowns, etc., late 14th-century. Locker: In chancel—in E. wall, rectangular with rebated reveals and hinge pins, mediæval. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In churchyard—S. of chancel—(1) to William Tailer, 1673, head-stone; (2) to . . . Apperley (?), 1673; S.E. of nave, (3) to Margaret, wife of Richard Gammon, 1711–12. Floor-slabs: In porch—(1) to . . ., 1703; (2) to . . . Addis, late 17th-century and another later; (3) to Richard Gamond, 1649–50, Jane, his wife, 1657, Richard his son, 1701–2, and Joan his wife, 1717–8, and James, son of the second Richard, 1729–30; (4) to Joane (Singleton), wife of James Addis, 1711, and others later. Plate: includes cup and cover-paten of 1696, given by Laetitia, wife of John Winniatt. Piscina: In chancel—recess with moulded two-centred head, quatre-foiled drain, 13th or early 14th-century, re-set. Pulpit: two sides only of an early 17th-century pulpit, each with four moulded panels and lozenges in the upper panels, fluted frieze and enriched cornice, modern base. Scratching: On E. jamb of S. doorway—initials and date T.W. 1636. Sundial: On W. jamb of S. window in nave—scratched dial.

Condition—Good.

^a(2). Court Farm, house and barns, 50 yards N.N.E. of the church. The House is of two storeys; the walls are timber-framed with plaster and brick filling; the roofs are tiled. It was built early in the 16th century on a rectangular plan and has a 17th-century addition on the W. side which has been added to in modern times. The N.E. chimney-stack is crow-stepped above the eaves-level and diapered with black headers; it is surmounted by two octagonal shafts with trefoil-headed panels on the bases and moulded concavesided caps. The upper part of the S.E. stack is also crow-stepped, but the shafts have been re-built. The N. front of the original building is gabled and has a projecting upper storey carried on a moulded bressummer supported on carved brackets. The timber-framing is exposed and the brick nogging is laid diagonally. The W. wall of the original block is treated in a similar manner to the N. wall, but has two moulded wood strings, and a blocked window on the first floor has a moulded sill. The S. wall of the original block is gabled and the upper storey projects on a moulded bressummer as on the N. wall; the wall is plastered, but where the plaster has broken away it reveals the timber-framing set in herring-bone fashion. Inside the building some of the rooms have moulded ceiling-beams.

The Barn (Plate 27), N.E. of the house, is of early 17th-century date. It is timber-framed and of four bays. Another barn, farther N., is of 17th-century date and is timber-framed; the lower parts of the walls have brick nogging, the upper parts are weather-boarded or filled in with interlacing slats. It is of three bays and has queen-post roof trusses.

Condition—Good.

^a(3). Hurstings, or Hurstans, house, 220 yards S.W. of the church, is of two storeys with cellars. The walls are of sandstone rubble and the roofs are tiled. It was built late in the 17th century and has modern additions on the N. Inside the building some of the rooms have stop-chamfered ceiling-beams and a considerable amount of timber-framing is exposed. The fireplace in the westernmost front room retains its original cambered and chamfered lintel and has a broken fire-back inscribed "A.H. 168–." Re-set in the modern scullery is a broken head-stone of late 17th-century date with part of an inscription to Roger Matthews.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (4–7)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of late 16th or early 17th-century date and of two storeys and a basement. The walls are timber-framed with brick nogging on a stone base and the roofs are covered with stone or modern slate. Most of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good.

^b(4). Lyndalls, house and barn, 1,200 yards E.S.E. of the church. The House has a modern extension on the N. side of the E. wing. The central chimney-stack has cruciform shafts with a moulded capping. Inside the building the timber-framing is exposed. One of the fireplaces on the ground floor has a fire-back inscribed "W.B. 1638." The staircase has been partly reconstructed, but retains an early stop chamfered newel. The Barn, S.W. of the house, is of two storeys. The lower storey is of stone rubble, and the upper timber-framed with brick nogging. Access to the upper storey is obtained by an external stone stair.

^b(5). Foxhalls, house, 550 yards E.S.E. of (4), has later additions at the back and N. end.

^c(6). Rock Farm, house, 500 yards S.S.W. of (4), is of two storeys with attics. The walls are of rubble. The western half of the house, which is built on an L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the N. and W., is of c. 1600 and the eastern half is an addition of mid 17th-century date. Inside the building the staircase retains moulded rails and a square newel with a shaped head of c. 1600. In the attics of the N. wing are some original timber-framed partitions.

^c(7). Rugden, house, 1,040 yards S.W. of (6), is of 16th-century origin, but was largely remodelled in the 17th century. It has later additions on all sides except the S.W. Inside the building two original roof-trusses remain; they are of modified king-post type with cambered tie-beams on shaped wall-posts.

Unclassified

^a(8). Mound, at Court Farm, 30 yards N. of the church, is about 36 yards in diameter and has a flat top; it rises from 5 ft. to 7 ft. above the wide ditch which surrounds it. The ditch has an outer bank, but the eastern half of the ditch has been destroyed as has the S.E. corner of the mound by the construction of a garden.

Condition—Fairly good.