Hillingdon, East

30 HILLINGDON, EAST (A.c.)

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

East Hillingdon is a parish 1 m. E. of Uxbridge. The church, Cedar House and the earthwork are the principal monuments.

Ecclesiastical

^a(1) Parish Church of St. John the Baptist (Plate 142) stands on the S. of the main Uxbridge road. The walls are of flint rubble with freestone dressings, except the tower which is of brick faced with flint and stone; the roofs are covered with tiles and lead. The chancel-arch is of c. 1260 and the arcades of the Nave are of mid 14th-century date, when the North and South Aisles were added or re-built; the S. aisle is perhaps slightly the earlier. The mediæval West Tower was taken down in 1623 and the present structure built in 1629. The church was restored in 1847–8 when the nave was lengthened and new Chancel, Transepts and Chapels built and the old chancel-arch re-set; the church was again restored in 1902 and the Vestry is modern.

The chancel-arch has interesting detail and among the fittings the brasses and monuments are noteworthy.

Architectural Description—The Chancel is modern except for the re-set 13th-century chancel-arch, which is two centred and of two moulded orders with labels and head stops; the inner order springs, on the N., from a filletted shaft (Plate 6) with a carved 'stiff leaf capital and standing on a corbel carved with a head and two small monsters; the shaft on the S. is modern, except for the 13th-century capital with 'stiff-leaf' foliage.

The Nave (62 ft. by 18 ft.) has modern transept-arches on the N. and S. The mid 14th-century N. and S. arcades are each of three bays, with two-centred arches of two sunk-chamfered orders; the partly restored octagonal columns have moulded capitals and bases; the inner order of the arches on the W. side of the two N. pillars has head-stops to the chamfers; the responds are square with modern imposts. There are two modern dormer-windows on each side above the arcades.

The North Aisle (11½ ft. wide) has four windows and a doorway, all modern except the re-tooled splays of the windows and perhaps part of the label of the doorway.

The South Aisle (15 ft. wide average) has three windows in the S. wall all modern except the 14th-century rear-arches, two with labels and head-stops, and the re-tooled splays; there are traces of a former doorway between the two western windows. In the W. wall is a 14th-century doorway, perhaps re-set from the S. wall; it has jambs and two-centred arch of two chamfered orders; above it are two modern windows.

The West Tower (15 ft. square) was built in 1629 and is of three stages (Plate 2) with clasping buttresses, an embattled parapet and a timber cupola. The tower-arch has jambs and two-centred head of two chamfered orders with moulded capitals. The W. doorway is modern but above it is a blocked round arch possibly part of the 17th-century doorway; above it is a modern window and a stone with the names "Io. Atlee Io. Robince, Church Wa." The second stage has a modern window in the W. wall. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a much restored window of three pointed lights in a four-centred head with a label. On the W. parapet is a shield-of-arms of Harbie.

The Roof of the N. aisle is of the 15th century and of four bays, flat-pitched; the main timbers are moulded and the principals have curved braces on stone corbels (Plate 6) carved with male busts. The 15th-century roof of the S. aisle is of three and a half bays with king-post trusses; the panelled ceiling is modern. The ground-stage of the tower has 17th-century timbers with a bell-way; the roof of the tower has diagonal timbers supporting the central timber cupola.

Fittings—Brasses: In chancel—on S. wall, (1) of [Henry Stanley, 1528], figure of man in armour and two shields-of-arms, (a) Stanley quartering Lathom and Warenne, the whole quartering Man and a quarterly coat of Strange, Widville and Mohun with a scutcheon of Montalt over all. In nave—on W. wall, (2) of Drew Saunders, 1579, figures of man in civil costume, wife, and merchant's mark, figures of son and daughter lost, indent of earlier shield and plate on same slab; (3) groups of six sons and three daughters, c. 1560; (4) to [John Marsh, 1561], device with initials I.M. and three shields of arms, rest missing. In S. aisle—on N. wall, (5) of [John le Strange, Lord Strange, 1479 and Jacquette (Widville), his wife, erected 1509] figures (Plate 8) of man in plate-armour, wife in widow's veil and daughter, under double canopy, top cornice and part of one standard missing, all set in marble slab with moulded edge, inscription missing; on W. wall, (6) to William Gomersall, 1597, inscription and achievement-of-arms; (7) to Anne, daughter of Miles Wilson, 1569, inscription only; on S. wall, (8) of John Atlee, 1599, figure of man in civil costume. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In chancel—against S. wall, (1) of Sir Edward Carr, 1636–7, erected by Jane (Shurly) his wife and repaired in 1775, alabaster and marble monument (Plate 147), consisting of panelled base, kneeling figures of man in armour and wife at prayer-desk with shield-of-arms, two daughters in front and canopy with Ionic side-columns, draped curtains, cornice with acute gable in middle and two allegorical figures, achievement-of-arms at back and two crests on Corinthian columns at sides. In N. transept—on E. wall, (2) to Christopher, infant son of Sir John Ingleby, 1712–3, white marble tablet. In N. chapel—on N. wall, (3) to Sarah (Pointze), wife of Clement Harbie, 1606, tablet with achievement-of-arms. In nave—on S. wall, (4) to Mary, daughter of John Walker, 1685, white marble scrolled cartouche (Plate 14), with cartouche-of-arms and skull. In N. aisle—on N. wall, (5) to Thomas Harbie, 1592, erected 1623, alabaster tablet with cornice, achievement and four shields-of-arms. In churchyard—E. of N. chapel, (6) to Anne, wife of Bernard Hannington, 1705, Elizabeth his second wife, 1727 and Bernard Hannington, 1724, headstone; S. of chancel, (7) to Michaell Pearce, 1699, and another later, table-tomb; (8) to William Webb, 1683, and others later, table-tomb; (9) to Thomas Impey, 1684–5, slab; S. of tower, (10) to John .. ignell, 1700, head-stone. Floor-slabs: In N. transept—(1) to Anne (Peers), wife of Roger Lukyn, 1643, and an infant daughter, with three shields-of-arms. In N. aisle— (2) to John Parsons, 1703 and Daniel, his son, 1702; (3) to Richard Pope, 1651 and Susan his widow, wife of John Atlee, 1703. Plate (Plate 22): includes cup and cover-paten of 1636 and a cup of 1637, all given by Rose Wood, a paten dated 1689 and a flagon of 1689 with the date 1687. Staircase: In tower—from level of former gallery to second stage, with moulded pilaster-balusters, square newel with shaped terminal and moulded rail, c. 1629.

Condition—Good.

Secular

^a(2) Cedar House, 80 yards N. of the church, is of two storeys with attics; the walls are of brick and the roofs are tiled. It was built c. 1580 on a rectangular plan, perhaps with two wings on the N. This part was remodelled early in the 18th century and there is a modern wing on the W. The S. front (Plate 146) has a moulded brick string-course between the lower storeys and a dentilled string-course at the attic-floor level; there is a central projecting porch of two storeys and both this and the flanking bays of the front are gabled. The porch has a moulded outer archway with an entablature and pediment. Flanking the porch are two modern bay-windows; the other windows are all of the 18th century. The central chimney-stack has panelled sides. The E. and W. ends retain parts of their original gables, altered on one side to a flat pitch in the 18th century. Inside the building, the main W. room has exposed ceiling-beams and some late 16th-century panelling probably brought from elsewhere; the fire-place has a re-set early 16th-century lintel, from elsewhere, with a rose, two leopards and two shields carved with a merchant's mark and a monogram; above the fire-place are eight re-set terminal figures of the 17th century. Other rooms have re-set panelling and one fireplace has an early 16th-century oak lintel, also re-set. On the upper floors are some early 18th-century fire-places and panelling and some 16th or 17th-century doors.

The Gardens retain some late 16th-century brick walls and S. of the house is a gateway, with rusticated piers heightened in the 18th century and fitted with an 18th-century wrought-iron gate; this has a shield-of-arms and a scrolled overthrow with the initials M.C.

Condition—Good.

^a(3) Enclosure Walls on the E. side of Harlington Road and Lees Road, ¾ m. S.E. of the church, are of 17th-century brick and must have enclosed a considerable area, perhaps attached to Dawley Court.

Condition—Good.

^b(4) Garden Wall, on the W. side of Hubbard's Farm about 1 m. S.S.E. of the church, is of 16th-century brickwork. The old house was burnt some years ago.

Condition—Good.

Monuments (5–8)

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

Condition—Good.

^b(5) Kimbolton, house about 200 yards W. of (4), is mostly of brick. The N. part was built early in the 16th century, of timber-framing; the S. part and the W. wing were added late in the same century. The E. side of the earlier block has been refaced in brick. There are some late 16th-century windows with moulded oak frames and above a former doorway is a brick cornice. Inside the building, one of the original roof-trusses remains. The late 16th-century staircase has flat shaped balusters, moulded rails and square newels with turned finials.

^b(6) House, at Gould's Green 550 yards S.E. of (5), was built late in the 17th or early in the 18th century. The walls are of brick and there is a band-course between the storeys.

^a(7) House, 70 yards W.S.W. of the church, was built in the first half of the 16th century. Inside the building some of the framing is exposed and the roof retains a cambered tie-beam and wind-braces.

^a(8) The Cottage, immediately S. of (7), was built probably about the middle of the 16th century but the floor-levels have been altered. There is a later addition at the back connecting the house with a 16th-century outbuilding. The S. chimney-stack has two diagonal shafts and the inner doorway of the porch has an original moulded frame. Inside the building are two original fireplaces with moulded stone jambs and four-centred arches. The outbuilding has queen-post roof-trusses with curved braces to the tie-beams.

Unclassified

^a(9) Earthwork, called Entrenchment on O.S., forming the E. boundary of Coney Green, immediately E. of the churchyard, consists of a length of bank approximately 10 yards wide at its base, 5–6 ft. high above the bottom of the ditch which runs along its W. or inner side. The position of the roadways and the line of the bank would suggest that it curved round on the N. and returned southwards. The earthwork is too fragmentary to allow of any definite conclusion as to its purpose. Towards the S. end the bank has been so much flattened out as to leave only a small part of the outer scarp now visible. It is terminated at the S. end by a circular mound about 5 ft. high which, however, may be a portion of the original bank.

Condition—Fairly good.