Paglesham

65. PAGLESHAM. (F.c.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)lxx. N.E. ^(b)lxxi. S.W.)

Paglesham is a parish on the N. bank of the Roach, 6 m. N.E. of Southend-on-Sea.

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Peter stands in the village. The walls are of stone, with some flint and Roman brick; the roofs are tiled. The Chancel and Nave contain some 12th-century work, but in the 15th century the S. wall of the chancel and the greater part of the N. and S. walls of the nave were re-built, and the chancel-arch was widened and partly re-built at the same time. The West Tower was added early in the 16th century. The church was extensively repaired and the chancel walls refaced in 1883; at the same time the upper parts of the N. and S. walls of the nave were refaced or re-built. The North Vestry and South Porch are modern.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (18 ft. by 17½ ft.) has an early 15th-century E. window partly restored and of three cinque-foiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label. In the N. wall are two modern windows. In the S. wall are two much restored early 16th-century windows; the first a single square-headed light; the second of two cinque-foiled lights in a square head with a moulded label; between the windows is a doorway, probably of the same date, with hollow-chamfered jambs and rounded head. The chancel-arch, two-centred and of one plain order, was probably re-built in the 15th century with re-used material; the lower parts of the responds are of 13th-century date, and the wall above the springing has a set-back of 4 in.

The Nave (37¼ ft. by 22¾ ft.) was mostly re-built in the 15th century, but a few feet of the lower part at the E. end of the N. and S. walls are of 12th-century date. In the N. wall, at the E. end is a modern window; further W. is a window all modern except the early 16th-century splays and rear-arch; the early 16th-century N. doorway, now opening into the modern vestry, has moulded jambs and two-centred head with a moulded label; at the E. end of the wall are parts of the jambs of a blocked doorway to the rood-loft staircase. In the S. wall are three modern windows incorporating some re-used stones in the splays and in one of the rear-arches, head-stops and parts of a moulded label with carved flowers. Between the second and third windows is an early 16th-century doorway with moulded jambs and two-centred head with a moulded label.

The West Tower (11¼ ft. by 10 ft.) was built early in the 16th century and is of three stages, with an embattled parapet (Plate, pp. xxxii-iii). The tower-arch is two-centred and of three hollow-chamfered orders, the inner one being carried on semi-octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases. The W. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred head with a moulded label; the W. window is of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded external jambs and label. The second stage has in each wall a window of one trefoiled light with a square moulded label. The bell-chamber has in each wall a square-headed window of two cinque-foiled lights in a square head with a defaced moulded label.

Fittings—Bells: three, 1st by John Dier, 1598; 2nd by Charles Newman, 1693; 3rd no inscription, possibly early 18th-century. Brass Indents: In S. porch—(1) of inscription-plate; (2) of figure and inscription-plate. Chairs: In chancel—two, of oak elaborately carved (Plate, p. xlii), late 17th-century. Chest: In vestry—of oak, plain and made up of 13th century and later woodwork, including Italian carved poker-work panel in the back, 16th-century. Coffin-lid: S. of tower, large fragment, carved with part of stem of raised cross, possibly 13th-century. Doors: In S. doorway— of ridged battens with hollow-chamfered ribs planted on, two strap-hinges and lock-plate, early 16th-century, ribs partly restored. In tower—in W. doorway, of battens with fillets planted on and strap-hinges, 15th-century; in ground-stage doorway of stair-turret, of studded feathered battens with two strap-hinges, 15th-century; in secondstage doorway of stair-turret, of vertical battens fixed to horizontal ones, with two strap-hinges, ring-handle and circular plate, 15th-century. Monuments: In churchyard—S. side of S. porch, (1) to Richard Hagman, 1681, shaped head-stone with skull, cross-bones and fleur-de-lis. S. of tower (2) to John Stiltamen, 1714, head-stone. Piscinae: In chancel, S. of E. window, with square projecting bowl in shape of scalloped capital with central drain, c. 1150; stem modern. In nave, at E. end of S. wall, with hollow-chamfered jambs and cinque-foiled head, sex-foiled drain and mortice for shelf, 15th-century, partly mutilated. Plate: includes cup and cover-paten of 1568, with bands of engraved ornament, etc. Scratchings: In nave, on dressings to N. and S. doorways and in tower, on dressings to tower-arch and W. doorway, masons' marks.

Condition—Good.

Secular

Homestead Moats.

^a(2). At West Hall, nearly ¾ m. W. of the church.

^b(3). At East Hall, about ½ m. E.S.E. of the church.

Monuments (4–7).

The following monuments are, unless otherwise described, of the 17th century, and of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered or weather-boarded; the roofs are tiled. Some of the buildings have original chimney-stacks and exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good.

^b(4). Church Hall, 50 yards E. of the church, is of brick. It has a late 18th-century addition on the N. and has been much altered.

^b(5). House, now four tenements, 50 yards S. of (4), is of two storeys with attics. The W. wing was built early in the 17th century, and to it was added on the E., late in the same century, an L-shaped extension.

^b(6). Plough and Sail Inn, at Eastend, nearly 1¼ m. S.E. of the church, is a small central-chimney type of building with modern additions at the back. Inside the building is a 17th-century battened door.

^b(7). House, now five tenements, 100 yards N. of (6), is of one storey with attics. It has 18th-century additions at either end.

Unclassified

^b(8). Red Hills, at East Hall, about ½ m. E.S.E. of the church. There is another at South Hall, about ¼ m. S. of East Hall.