Wallington

136. WALLINGTON.

(O.S. 6 in. viii. N.W.)

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of St. Mary, stands on high ground at the S. end of the village. It is built of plastered flint rubble with stone dressings; the roofs are covered with lead. In the absence of all early detail it is impossible to assign a date to the Nave and Chancel, but they were probably standing when the West Tower was built at the beginning of the 15th century. A little later in the same century the North Aisle and North Chapel were added, and the windows were renewed throughout the church; at the end of the century the South Porch was added. In the 19th century part of the chancel, with the chancel arch, was re-built.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (27 ft. by 17½ ft.) has no early detail, except the arch opening into the chapel, which is of mid 15th-century date; it is four-centred, and of two moulded orders with shafted jambs. The North Chapel (24 ft. by 11½ ft.) has an E. window of three lights with tracery, and two windows in the N. wall, each of three lights under a four-centred head; they are all of the 15th century. The S.W. corner is splayed in a way which suggests that it formerly contained the rood-loft staircase. The Nave (47 ft. by 20½ ft.) has a 15th-century N. arcade of three bays with two-centred arches of two moulded orders, and columns with four half-round shafts separated by hollows; the bases and capitals are moulded, and the bells of the capitals are indented. The N.E. corner is splayed for the rood-loft stairs which, if they remain, are now built up, though both doorways are in situ; the upper doorway is blocked. In the S. wall are three windows; the first, of early 15th-century date, is small, and of two lights under a square head, the other two windows are of three lights and, with the S. doorway, are of the same date as the N. arcade. The North Aisle (10½ ft. wide) has, in the N. wall, three windows similar to those in the N. wall of the chapel, and an original doorway; the window in the W. wall resembles the E. window of the chapel. The Tower (11 ft. square) is of three stages with two buttresses at each angle, an embattled parapet, and a stair-turret at the S.W. corner. The early 15th-century tower arch is two-centred, and of three chamfered orders with half octagonal responds and moulded capitals. The W. window and the bell-chamber windows, of two lights with tracery, are original, but the latter are much defaced. The South Porch (10½ ft. by 9 ft.) has a three-light window on each side. The entrance archway has a two-centred inner order on shafts, and a square outer order with pierced spandrels. The Roof of the nave is plain, and probably of the 15th century; the roof of the aisle is original, and has moulded principals with figures of angels at the feet.

Fittings—Brass Indents: in N. chapel, of a man, his wife, four sons, four daughters, a representation of the Trinity, and two shields, early 16th-century: in the porch, on the threshold, indent of priest or civilian, 15th-century (see also Monuments). Communion Table: early 17th-century. Glass: in N. window of chapel, fragments, with the arms of Picot or Piggot and Prysot, early 16th-century and later. Monuments: in the chapel, altar tomb, on side, five cusped niches with figures of saints in them, and panels with shields of the Piggot and Prysot arms, late 15th-century slab on the top, with indents of man and his wife, marginal inscription, etc.: in floor of nave, slab to Richard Blow, 1698. Piscina: in the chapel, a defaced pillar piscina, 15th-century, unusually late example. Screen: between chapel and aisle, in situ, with traceried close lower panels and open upper panels, 15th-century; part of the carved cornice remains. Seating: in the nave, several plain open seats, mediæval. Stoup: in the porch, half-octagonal, defaced. Miscellanea: at E. end of N. wall of chapel, halfway up the wall, a 15th-century roof corbel. In churchyard, Font, bowl of Purbeck marble, broken, late 12th-century; part of base, of clunch, 15th-century.

Condition—Not good; the tower requires attention, the buttresses are in a very bad state, and the roof is not watertight; no structural weaknesses visible at present.