Dormington

30 DORMINGTON (C.d.)

(O.S. 6 in. XXXIV, S.E.)

Dormington is a small parish 5 m. E. of Hereford. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of St. Peter stands near the middle of the parish. The walls are of local sandstone rubble with dressings of the same material; the roofs are covered with tiles. The Nave has no detail of earlier date than c. 1260–80, and the Chancel is probably of early 14th-century date. The church was restored in 1877, when the timber bell-turret and South Porch were re-built, the North Vestry added, and the chancel largely re-built.

The bronze knocker on the S. door is noteworthy.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (18 ft. by 15¾ ft.) has a modern E. window. In the N. wall is a 14th-century window of one trefoiled light; farther E. is a modern doorway. In the S. wall are two 14th-century windows each of two cinque-foiled lights; between the heads of the lights in the western window is a trefoiled sinking, and this window was perhaps removed from the N. wall at the restoration. The two-centred chancel-arch of two chamfered orders is perhaps of the 14th century; it has chamfered responds with heavy chamfered imposts.

The Nave (33 ft. by 19½ ft.) has, in the N. wall, two windows, the first of late 13th-century date and of two trefoiled lights, with soffit-cusping; the western window is modern and takes the place of a former N. doorway, of which part of the chamfered jambs remain. In the S. wall is a window similar to the eastern window in the N. wall; the S. doorway is modern. In the W. wall is a window similar to that in the S. wall and partly restored.

The Roof of the chancel is probably of the 17th century or earlier, and is of trussed-rafter type with curved braces for a plastered ceiling, now removed. The roof of the nave is of similar character.

Fittings—Bells: two and a sanctus; 1st by John Finch, 1652; sanctus, uninscribed. Brackets: In Nave —on E. wall, over chancel-arch, three shaped corbels probably for rood and attendant figures. Font (Plate 54): large round bowl, partly hemispherical with moulded rim and necking, short cylindrical stem with moulded base, probably 13th-century. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In nave—on N. wall, (1) to John Brydges, 1669, stone and slate tablet (Plate 61), flanked by twisted Ionic columns supporting entablature with scrolled and broken pediment, achievement-of-arms and swags, apron with drapery and swag below; on S. wall, (2) to Margaret (Brydges), wife of Thomas Carpender, 1666, stone and slate tablet, flanked by figures of women-weepers and finished with an entablature and a re-set broken pediment with cherubs and a cartouche-of-arms. Floor-slabs: In chancel—(1) to John Brydges, 1669, with shield-of-arms; (2) to Margaret (Brydges), wife of Thomas Carpender, 1666, with shield-of-arms; (3) to Alexander Wall win, late 17th-century. Painting: In nave—on N. wall, remains of red-line masonry pattern and N. of window, remains of large panels with figure-subjects and remains of later black-letter inscription below. Piscina: In chancel— in sill of S.E. window, octofoiled drain, probably 14th-century, repaired. Sedile: In chancel—seat cut out of sill of S.E. window, W. of piscina. Miscellanea: On modern S. door, bronze knocker (Plate 66) in the form of a beast's head with large eyes and a scutcheon-plate (4 in. diam.) with leaf-ornament, iron drop-ring, probably late 12th-century.

Condition—Good.

Secular

(2). Dormington Court (Plate 21), 30 yards E. of the church, is of two storeys, partly timber-framed and partly of brick; the roofs are tiled. The house consists of a central block with side wings; the S.W. wing is of early 17th-century date, the N.E. wing of late 17th-century date, and the central block was built early in the 18th century. The S.W. wing has exposed timber-framing, but the rest of the house is of brick with a band-course between the storeys. The main block has a hipped roof with deeply projecting eaves; the N.E. wing has windows with solid frames. Inside the building, the middle block has an early 18th-century dog-legged staircase, with turned balusters, square newels and moulded strings repeated against the walls. The S.W. wing has some exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good.

(3). Claston Farm, house, barn and granary, 600 yards N.E. of the church. The House is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of rubble and the roofs are tiled. It was built in the 17th century on an L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the N.E. and S.E. A modern wing makes the plan half H-shaped. Inside the building the timbering in the roofs is original.

The Barn, S. of the house, is of the 17th century, timber-framed and of three bays. The Granary was built probably early in the 18th century, and is of two storeys; the walls are of rubble.

Condition—Of house, good, much altered.

(4). Cottage, on the N. side of the road, 360 yards S.E. of the church, is of one storey with attics, timber-framed with plaster filling; the roofs are thatched. It was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century, and has exposed framing, ceiling-beams and joists.

Condition—Good.

(5). Cottage, on the S.S.W. side of the road, 100 yards S. of (4), is of two storeys, timber-framed with plaster filling; the roofs are tiled. It was built in the 17th century and has exposed timber-framing, chamfered ceiling-beams and joists.

Condition—Fairly good.

Unclassified

(6). Ethelbert's Camp is a hill-top or promontory camp ¾ m. S.S.E. of the church. The ground falls away on all sides, the slope being precipitous from the southern half of the camp. It is of irregular form with an area, including the defences, of about 8 acres. The defences consist of a triple rampart on the N. with medial ditches; the innermost and outermost ramparts are continued along the W. face, the latter in an altered and reduced form; an ancient landslide has largely obliterated the defences on the E. face. There are two entrances, that on the N. being formed by the stopping of the two outer ramparts, the curved turning inwards of the inner rampart and the formation of two banks to the E. and S. of the curved return. The S.W. entrance is a simple cutting through the single rampart, approached by a natural causeway.

Condition—Fairly good.

(7) Lynchets, on the E. border of the parish and 1,000 yards E. of the church, consist of two series, the upper of six terraces and the lower of three.

Condition—Fairly good.