Stanwell

49 STANWELL (A.d.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)XIX, N.W. ^(b)XIX, S.W. ^(c)XIX, S.E.)

Stanwell is a parish and village on the W. border of the county immediately N. of Staines. The church and school are the principal monuments.

Ecclesiastical

^c(1) Parish Church of St. Mary (Plate 176) stands in the E. part of the parish. The walls are of flint and stone rubble with dressings of Reigate and other free-stone; the roofs are slate-covered. The N. and S. arcades of the Nave were built c. 1260 and the tower-arches are of rather later date. The Chancel was re-built c. 1330 and later in the century the Tower, above the arches, was built or re-built, the bell-chamber being later than the stage below; late in the century the South Aisle was re-built. In the 15th century the clearstorey was added. The E. wall of the chancel was re-built in brick c. 1774 (the date on one of the bricks). The church was restored in 1862, when the North Aisle and the W. end of the S. aisle were re-built and the North Porch added.

The church is of some architectural interest and the Knyvett monument is noteworthy.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (39 ft. by 15½ ft.) has a modern E. window. In the N. wall are two 14th-century windows restored externally and each of two cinque-foiled lights in a two-centred head with a label; the eastern has shafted and the western moulded splays; between them is a modern doorway. In the S. wall are two windows similar to those in the N. wall. The side-walls of the chancel have 14th-century wall-arcading consisting of trefoiled ogee heads with cusped spandrels under a horizontal string-course; the arches rest on Purbeck marble detached shafts with moulded capitals and bases; the eastern arcading on the N. is modern and further W. it has been damaged by the Knyvett monument; on the S. side it is largely original and is continued E. to form the sedilia. The 14th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and of two chamfered orders, the inner dying on to the chamfered responds.

The Nave (47¼ ft. by 18¼ ft.) has mid 13th-century N. and S. arcades of three bays with two-centred arches of one hollow-chamfered order with a label; the responds and piers are alternately round and octagonal and have moulded capitals and bases; the capitals of the first pair of piers have been cut back, probably in the 17th century. The 15th-century clearstorey has, on each side, three partly restored windows each of two cinque-foiled lights in a square head with a label; the external facing is largely of re-used ashlar and on the N. side are two crosses formed of ashlar blocks, and a number of sections of small shafts, probably all of the 12th century.

The South Aisle (8½ ft. wide) is of late 14th-century date and has an E. window, modern except for the splays, rear-arch and part of the jambs. In the S. wall are three windows, modern except for the splays and rear-arches; the late 14th-century S. doorway, now blocked, has moulded jambs, two-centred arch and label.

The West Tower (17¼ ft. by 18 ft.) is of three stages with a restored embattled parapet and a slender timber spire. The 13th-century E. tower-arch is two-centred and of two continuous chamfered orders; in the N. and S. walls are lower and similar arches but the W. responds are semi-octagonal, with moulded capitals and chamfered bases. The partly restored 14th-century W. doorway has moulded jambs and segmental-pointed head; the W. window is modern, except for the 14th-century splays and part of the cusped head of one light. The second stage is of the 14th century and is faced with ashlar and flint chequerwork; the E. and W. walls have each a window of one pointed light; that on the E. is now blocked and that on the W. mostly restored. The late 14th-century bell-chamber has, in each face, a modern window.

The Roof of the chancel is of the 14th or 15th century and of trussed-rafter type with moulded wall-plates. The partly restored 15th-century roof of the nave is of three bays, with four tie-beams; these have curved braces and wall-posts standing on stone corbels carved with figures of tumblers, grotesque heads and bats. The roof of the S. aisle is modern but rests on 14th-century stone corbels, carved with heads of a queen, two kings, a bishop, a man in a bascinet and camail, a woman, a civilian (Plate 6) with a shield and a man with a scallop-shell in his cap. The timbering of the spire is partly old and has a central post, radiating cross-beams and curved struts.

Fittings—Brasses and Indents. Brasses: In chancel —(1) of Richard de Thorp, rector, 1408, half-figure in mass-vestments. In S. aisle—(2) achievement-of-arms of Bowden, 17th-century, inscription lost. Indents: In chancel—(1) of shield and inscription. In S. aisle— (2) of kneeling figure and inscription. In W. tower— (3) of man and wife. Monument and Floor-slabs. Monument: In chancel—against N. wall, of Thomas, Lord Knyvett, [1622], and Elizabeth (Haywood) his wife, [1622], monument (Plate 177) of various marbles, by Nicholas Stone, consisting of base, effigies and canopy, panelled and enriched base, with kneeling figures of man in peer's robes and wife at prayer-desk, canopy resting on Corinthian columns with entablature, curtains and broken pediment with achievement and two cartouches-of-arms. Floor-slabs: In chancel —(1) to Lord and Lady Knyvett, 1622. In nave— (2) to Henry Fly, 1712–3, and Sarah (Slinger) his wife. Plate: includes a flagon (Plate 23) of 1688, given by John Carey, with an achievement-of-arms. Scratchings: On S. jamb of tower-arch—two scratched inscriptions of two and five lines, in black letter, 15th-century. Sedilia: In chancel—of two bays, repeating the wall-arcading of the chancel, 14th-century.

Condition—Good.

^c(2) Moated Enclosure, 500 yards N. of the church, has slight indications of two cross-arms, perhaps indicating that it originally formed two small enclosures with a connecting arm.

^a(3) Poyle Manor, house and moat nearly 2¼ m. N.W. of the church. The House is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of brick and the roofs are tiled. It incorporates earlier work but was substantially re-built early in the 18th century; the S. front was refaced later in the century and later again the side wings were added. The N. front has a projecting central bay, hipped roofs and an eaves-cornice. Inside the building is some early 18th-century panelling and a good early Georgian staircase.

The Moat is fragmentary.

Condition—Good.

^c(4) Schoolhouse (Plate 32), about ¼ m. N.E. of the church, is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of brick and the roofs are tiled. The school was founded by will of Thomas, Lord Knyvett in 1624 and is a little-altered building of that period. The W. front has two doorways, one to the school-room and one to the master's house; both are set in cement-rendered projections with entablatures and pediments; the school pediment has a tablet with the text Proverbs xxii, 6; the actual doorways were round-headed but that to the school has been enlarged. The school has two modern or enlarged windows, each of two lights with two transoms; the other windows are of two lights and all are cement-rendered; high up on the wall is a cartouche-of-arms of Knyvett with a tablet inscribed "This house and freeschoole were founded at the charge of the right honourable Thomas Lord Knyvett Baron of Escrick and the Lady Elizabeth his wife, endowed with a perpetual revennew of twenty pound land by the yeare 1624." The other fronts retain original two-light windows. Inside the building, the school-room at the N. end retains a number of scratched names dating from the latter part of the 17th century.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (5–19)

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys; the walls are timber-framed and the roofs are tiled. Some of the buildings have exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good or fairly good, unless noted.

^c(5) House, 25 yards N.N.W. of the church.

^c(6) Cottage (Plate 28), on the E. side of the road 160 yards N. of the church, has some exposed framing and a thatched roof.

^c(7) House (Plate 28), three tenements, 110 yards N. of (6), incorporates an early 16th-century moulded beam in a partition.

Condition—Poor.

^c(8) Cottage, two tenements, on the S. side of the road at Stanwellmoor 1,550 yards W.N.W. of the church, has some exposed framing.

^c(9) The Croft, house 510 yards N.W. of (8), is a brick building, much altered.

^b(10) Hammond's Farm, house about 1¾ m. S.W. of the church, is a brick building of c. 1700.

^a(11) Poyle Farm, house on the W. side of the road 520 yards S. of (3), is a brick building.

^a(12) Cottage (Plate 26), on the E. side of the road 100 yards N.E. of (11).

Condition—Bad.

^a(13) The Hollies, house 130 yards N. of (12), has extensive 18th-century and modern additions.

^a(14) House (Plate 28), three tenements 60 yards N. of (13), has exposed framing.

^a(15) House (Plate 27), called King John's Palace, on the S. side of the road at Colnbrook End about 2½ m. N.W. of the church, was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century on an L-shaped plan. Both the S. and W. wings seem to have been extended at a rather later date. The N. front has some simple rusticated pargeting. Inside the building is an original moulded ceiling-beam and a panelled partition.

^a(16) Star and Garter Inn, immediately W. of (15), is a brick building.

^a(17) House, on the N. side of the road 40 yards N.W. of (16), is a brick building of c. 1700.

^a(18) Range of houses 20 yards S.E. of (17), was built late in the 17th or early in the 18th century and has a later brick front.

^a(19) White Hart Inn and house, 50 yards S.E. of (18), was largely re-built in brick in the 18th century.