Albury

2. ALBURY.

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)xiv. S.E. ^(b)xxii. N.E.)

Ecclesiastical

^a (1). Parish Church of St. Mary stands on a hill at the E. end of the village. It is built of flint with clunch dressings; the roofs are covered with tiles and with lead. The Chancel, of c. 1230 is the earliest part. The Nave, Aisles, and chancel arch were re-built c. 1360, the West Tower was added c. 1450, and a little later the South Porch was built. In the 19th century a Vestry and Organ Chamber were added on the S. side of the chancel; the clearstorey windows over the S. arcade of the nave are also probably modern.

A late 14th-century altar tomb of a knight and lady is of especial interest as a fine example of the costume and armour of the period.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (28½ ft. by 16 ft.) has four lancets on the N. side, the westernmost being a low side window, and two on the S. side, all of the 13th century; in the E. wall are three modern lancets. The 14th-century chancel arch is of two moulded orders with jambs having alternate shafts and rolls; a modern archway in the S. wall opens into the vestry. The Nave (52 ft. by 15½ ft.) has 14th-century N. and S. arcades of four bays, with details like those of the chancel arch; the arches of the two W. bays on the S. side are of plainer detail. The North Aisle (9 ft. wide) has 14th-century E. and W. windows of three lights, repaired, and three 15th-century N. windows, which have lost their tracery; the 14th-century N. doorway is blocked. In the South Aisle (9 ft. wide) the E. window, now enclosed by the vestry and organ chamber, is of three lights, a W. window and three S. windows are of two lights; all are of the 14th century, but, except those on the E. and S.E., have been renewed. The Tower (13 ft. square) is of three stages, with diagonal buttresses, an embattled parapet and a small, leaded needle spire; the tower arch is of three moulded orders with shafted jambs, and the W. doorway has a pointed arch in a square head, and traceried spandrels with roses. The Porch is of the 15th century, much restored, with windows in the E. and W. walls; the entrance has a pointed arch in a square head. The Roofs are modern, except three tie-beams and wall-plates in the nave, and the trusses of the N. and S. aisles, which are of the 15th century.

Fittings—Bells: three; 1st and 2nd by Henry Jurden, of London (died 1470), 3rd by Robert Oldfeild, 1607. Brasses: in the nave, a knight in armour, his wife, three daughters and crest, late 15th-century, no inscription: of John Scrogs, 1592, his wife and child, on one brass; two shields and a skull above them: on S. wall of S. aisle, of Thomas Leventhorp, 1588, his wife Dorothy, daughter of William Barlee, and six children: also two 14th-century roundels with symbols of the Evangelists: on N. wall of N. aisle, three shields, detached, and a record of a 16th-century charity left by Anne Barley. Chest: in an outbuilding, iron bound, old and decayed. Communion Table: late 17th-century. Door: at foot of tower staircase, with 15th-century ironwork. Font: modern, but in the church is the Purbeck marble stem and one small shaft of a late 12th-century font. Monuments: in the N. aisle, fine altar tomb with panelled sides, and effigies in clunch of a knight in bascinet with hinge for vizor, ornamented aventail, short hauberk, ornamented leg and arm pieces of plate, ornamented gypon and plate gauntlets, head on helm with angel crest and lambrekin; and lady in sideless gown and wearing elaborate hairnet; late 14th-century, no inscription; the figures have lost their arms and hands except the upper part of the knight's left arm and the tips of his fingers: in the nave, floor slabs to Sir Leventhorpe Franke, 1657, and to John Scroggs and his wife Elizabeth, 1692. Plate: includes a cup of 1626. Piscina: in S. wall of chancel, 14th-century, with ogee trefoiled head, and hood-mould with crockets and finial; bowl modern. Pulpit: made up of early 17th-century panelling with the arms of Leventhorp and others inlaid in wood. Rood Screen: 15th-century, with tracery in the head; the closed panels below the middle rail are pierced by small circular holes. Stoup: E. of S. doorway of S. aisle.

Condition—The stonework of the S.E. window of the S. aisle and the jambs of the W. doorway of the tower are much decayed. The quoins and window tracery of the tower are all new. The church is now being repaired, the S. wall of the S. aisle has been re-built, and most of the windows have new external stonework.

Secular

^a (2). Homestead Moat, in the garden of Patmore Hall, fragment. To the S. and S.E. are indications of earthworks.

^b (3). Upwick Hall, about 1¼ miles S.E. of the church, is modern, but a stone on the E. front bears the initials and date TS 1646, and two ground floor rooms contain some oak panelling of that date one of the doorways has an oak frame with a flat Tudor arch, evidently earlier than 1646; in the gardener's cottage (see below) are two similar doorways.

Condition—Good.

^b (4). Gardener's Cottage, near Upwick Hall, is a fragment of an L-shaped building of late 15th-century date. It is a rectangular block with an overhanging upper storey, and faces N. The walls have plain upright timbers with plaster filling, and are without struts or cross-pieces, those of the lower storey being almost covered with weather-boarding. In the N. front is a blocked doorway with a flat four-centred arch, and there is another in a partition inside. Near the W. end is a red brick chimney stack, probably inserted in the 17th century, with two large fireplace openings back to back, spanned with wood lintels; the stack, which has been reduced in height, has square shafts set diagonally. In the roof is a 15th-century arched truss, but the window frames are modern.

Condition—Poor; the whole building has sunk about a foot at the end, and looks unstable.

^a (5). House, S.E. of the church, is possibly of the 16th century, but much altered and patched in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It is of two storeys, built of timber, partly plastered and partly brick-nogged; the roof is tiled, and ridged from end to end. The plan is rectangular, divided into tenements by cross partitions. The S. elevation was re-plastered late in the 17th, or early in the 18th century, in panels divided by cable-moulded styles and rails. The N. elevation is much patched and a straight joint towards the W. suggests a 17th-century addition. The E. elevation is close set with much-weathered, brick-nogged studding, possibly of the 16th century or even earlier, and over it sham angle braces have been painted. The W. elevation is plastered and in the gable is an oval panel in which, modelled in low relief, is a form of crowned carbuncle, apparently a local stock pattern of the 17th century. The inside of the house has been much altered. A few old metal casements with simple furniture remain.

Condition—Fairly good; much patched and repaired.

^b (6). Albury Lodge, a farmhouse about ¾ mile S.E. of the church, was built of timber c. 1600, but completely faced with brick, generally altered and enlarged in the 19th century. The roofs are tiled. The original plan was of a modified E type; the main block, facing E., probably contained a hall and parlour, with extra parlours in the S. wing and domestic offices in the N. wing. On the W. is a projecting staircase wing, possibly original. The projecting porch on the E. has a wooden arched entrance with arabesques in the spandrels. Several rooms have original panelling, re-set, and on the first floor landing is a pilaster with arabesque panels. The small garden E. of the house has a 17th-century brick wall with a moulded brick plinth. In this is a gateway with a rusticated arch flanked by consoles, all in brick.

Condition—Good; much altered.