Heston

29 HESTON (B.d.)

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

Heston is a parish including part of Hounslow and adjoining Isleworth on the N.W. Heston church and Osterley Park are the principal monuments.

Ecclesiastical

^a(1) Parish Church of St. Leonard Heston stands near the middle of the parish. The walls are of coursed ragstone with freestone dressings and the roofs are tiled. The West Tower and Porch were built late in the 15th century but the porch and the rest of the church were re-built in 1865–6.

Architectural Description—The West Tower (about 12 ft. square) is of four storeys with an embattled parapet and carved gargoyles. The tower-arch is two-centred and of two moulded orders, the outer continuous and the inner springing from attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases; above it is the line of the roof of the old nave. The W. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred arch in a square head with a moulded label and roses in quatrefoils in the spandrels; the much restored W. window is of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label. The stair-turret in the S.W. angle has a blocked doorway to a former gallery. The N., S. and W. walls of the second storey have each a window of one trefoiled light in a square head with a moulded label. The third storey has windows uniform with those in the storey below. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a window of two trefoiled and transomed lights in a square head, with a moulded label.

The West Porch was reconstructed in 1865 largely with the 15th-century material. It is of timber on stone walls and of two bays; the outer archway is four-centred with foliated spandrels; the sides have four lights in each bay with moulded mullions, four-centred heads and foliated spandrels. The roof has a moulded ridge and tie-beam with curved braces.

The Lych Gate (Plate 7) has been reconstructed with the old materials probably of the 15th or 16th century. It has a post at each end with diagonal struts standing on a plate and supporting the cantilever beams at the ends of the gabled roof; on these beams rest the plates of the roof and framed into them is a central beam, into which is fitted a pivot-gate.

Fittings—Brasses: In chancel—on floor, (1) to [Mordecai Bownell, vicar, 1581 and Constance his wife], figure of woman in bed with child, angel at side and Christ in glory above, three texts (one on S. wall of S. chapel); figure of man and groups of children missing, inscription cut on stone below. In S. chapel—on S. wall, (2) to Richard Amondesham, rector of Cranford, 1612, inscription and shield-of-arms; (3) to Ann and Susan Feilding, infant daughters of George, Earl of Desmond, both died 1647, inscription only. Doors: In W. doorway of tower—with vertical ribs, embattled rail and two original strap-hinges, late 15th-century; in turret-staircase—three with vertical ribs, probably same date. Font-cover (Plate 20): of oak with embattled base having a band of quatrefoils, ogee capping in two stages (upper stage modern), with crocketted ribs at angles, faces of lower stage with flowing traceried panels and two shields, one with the arms of the Drapers' Company and one with a merchant's mark, carved finial at top, early 16th-century, made up with modern work. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In N. chapel —on E. wall, (1) to William Denington, 1686, oval marble tablet with scrolls and cartouche-of-arms. In S. chapel—on S. wall, (2) to Anne, wife of Henry Lovibond, 1710, scrolled and draped marble tablet with cherub-head and cartouche. In N. aisle—on E. wall, (3) to Henry Collins, scrolled marble tablet (Plate 14) with cherubs and cartouche-of-arms, erected 1705. In churchyard—E. of chancel, (4) to Mary (Grue), wife of John Caddey, 1692, his second wife Mary, 1710–11 and John Caddey, 1710 (?), slab of table-tomb; S. of S. aisle, (5) to Henry Cole and Elizabeth, his wife, 1708, also to their son Edward Cole, 1709, table-tomb; S.E. of S. porch, (6) to Christian Clarke, 1696, head-stone. Floor-slabs: In chancel—(1) to Thomas Bownell, vicar, 1570; (2) to Nicholas Amondesham, 1674, with shield-of-arms. In churchyard—S.W. of tower, (3) to Daniel Cole, 1685, with achievement-of-arms. Plate: includes a tazza paten of 1685 (?) given by Samuel Child in 1742, with an engraved scene of the Marriage at Cana, also a flagon of 1698, given by the same donor at the same date. Stoup: by W. doorway of tower—recess with moulded jambs and four-centred arch in a square head with a label, recessed round bowl with quatrefoil on moulded panel, late 15th-century.

Condition—Good.

^b(2) Parish Church of Holy Trinity, Hounslow, stands on the N. side of High Street. It was entirely re-built in 1828 but stands on the site of a Trinitarian priory, the church of which was retained at the dissolution to serve the village of Hounslow. It retains from the old church the following:—

Fittings—Monuments: In nave—on E. wall, (1) marble wall-monument (Plate 15) with kneeling figures of man in armour and wife, set in panel finished with entablature and broken pediment, mid 16th-century. In N. aisle—on N. wall, (2) to Margaret (Stroud), wife of George Trevelyan, 1646 (or 7), draped marble tablet with broken pediment and cartouche-of-arms. Plate: includes a cup and cover-paten and flagon of 1705 and a stand-paten with cover of 1713. Miscellanea: On external S. wall of church—panel with shield-of-arms of Windsor quartering Andrews and two other defaced coats, in a roundel with the inscription "Monsyr Andrews Wanedsor," 15th or early 16th-century. Re-set in vestry—key-stone inscribed "Domus Dei ornata Ano. Dni. 1710."

Condition—Rebuilt.

Secular

^b(3) Osterley Park, house and stables 1 m. E.N.E. of Heston church. The House is of three storeys and the walls are of brick with stone dressings. A house was built here by Sir Thomas Gresham and finished about 1577. It was bought by Sir Thomas Child in 1711 and judging from a drawing by Robert Adam was extensively altered about this time. The house was largely reconstructed by Robert Adam in 1761. As it stands the building has four square towers at the angles which probably represent an Elizabethan feature, refaced early in the 18th century. Inside the building the S.W. tower contains an early 18th-century staircase with twisted balusters and close strings. Two rooms in the S. range are lined with bolection-moulded panelling of the same period and there is other woodwork of the same date elsewhere in the house.

The Stables (Plate 148), N.E. of the house, are of two storeys; the walls are of brick with stone and plastered dressings and the roofs are tiled. They form a half H-shaped block with the wings extending towards the S. and were built probably by Sir Thomas Gresham, c. 1570–80. Considerable internal alterations were made early in the 18th century, when the clock-turret was added. The elevations retain a number of original windows, partly restored and of two or three transomed lights with square heads; there are also some original doorways with four-centred heads; in the N. wall are six windows each of three loop-lights. The N. range is entered by an early 18th-century doorway with a round head, flanked by Doric pilasters supporting an entablature. At the angles of the courtyard (Plate 148) are semi-octagonal stair-turrets with single-light windows and now finished with low pyramidal roofs. The early 18th-century clock-turret has panelled sides, a cornice and an open upper stage, perhaps later and containing a bell of 1753. Inside the N. range, the large stable has an early 18th-century wooden screen to the stalls with round arches, key-blocks, cornice and square posts with moulded caps; the back wall of the stalls has early 18th-century panelling with a moulded cornice. The stables in the E. range have also an early 18th-century screen (Plate 148) to the stalls; it has round arches, with moulded archivolts and key-blocks, springing from responds with moulded bases and imposts; between the bays are Doric pilasters supporting a continuous entablature. A fireplace in the W. range has an original four-centred head and a doorway to the N.W. turret has a head of similar form. The roofs are of queen-post type. The range (Plate 148), adjoining the stables on the N.E., is probably of slightly later date and has had an upper floor inserted in the 18th century; It was no doubt built as a barn. In the S. wall is an archway with an original four-centred head; a number of original loop-lights remain in the N., S. and W. walls.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (4–7)

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.

^a(4) Old Cote, house on the E. side of the road, 150 yards N. of the church, was built probably early in the 16th century and formerly extended further to the S. The roof is of two bays and has original king-post trusses on shaped wall-posts and curved wind-braces.

^a(5) St. Laurence Cottages, range of two tenements, 400 yards W. of the church, is a brick building.

^a(6) House, on the S.W. side of the road 100 yards S. of the church, is a brick building of c. 1700.

^a(7) White House, on the W. side of the road 650 yards S. of the church, has been much altered but retains part of an early 16th-century roof with curved wind-braces. There is also a stone doorway with a four-centred head of the same date and a fireplace has a moulded oak lintel.