Nominal: 973.5 Hz Diameter: 32.88" Bell 1 of 1
Founded by Henry I Knight 1621
Dove Bell ID: 58370 Tower ID: 22544 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Old Burghclere: All Saints
Overview
Grid reference: SU 468 578
Standing amongst trees, its special qualities are only visible at close quarters, and the exterior is characterised by the small west bell-cote which is easily overtopped by the lime trees to the south.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Aisleless nave with north and south doorways (now disused) and west doorway; north transept; chancel. West bell-cote.
Footprint of Church buildings: 338 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
The church is not mentioned in Domesday Book; it is basically Norman, c.1100-1120; the chancel was rebuilt about 1240 in the Early English style and the nave was lengthened westward shortly after. About 1280 a north transept was added and the nave windows were replaced with larger lights in the late fourteenth century. Work was carried out in 1705 and 1732 (to the bell-cote) and the church, having fallen into disuse after the building of the church of The Ascension in 1838, was restored in 1861.
Exterior Description
Standing amongst trees, its special qualities are only visible at close quarters, and the exterior is characterised by the small west bell-cote which is easily overtopped by the lime trees to the south. The west end of the building which was provided in the west wall is of fine quality, with three orders of roll-mouldings round the arch, the innermost continuing to the ground and the two outer carried on two pairs of nook-shafts with moulded bases and foliated capitals. Above the doorway is a window of two lancets and a quatrefoil insorted in 1861. On the north and south the limits of the thirteenth-century extension may be seen because its walls are thicker on the exterior than the Norman nave walls by about six inches; it is also aligned slightly differently. In the north wall of the nave are two two-light windows, much renewed, and there are three similar windows in the south wall. All these seem to replace Norman lights. The north and south Norman doorways survive, however, the former being the more elaborate. This has angle shafts to the jambs with primitive volutes on the capitals and moulded bases; the semi-circular arch is moulded with a roll and a hollow and has a label carved with billet ornament. The plain inner jamb and arch are thirteenth-century. The south doorway has plain jambs and arch with a tympanum carved with scale pattern and scratch dials on the stones of the jambs. The jambs are chamfered up to a ball-stop at the springing of the arch and there is no label.
The north transept has three-light windows in the north and east walls, each with trefoiled lights and plain intersecting tracery under a two-centred arch, the north window being the taller of the two. The chancel features were almost entirely renewed in the 1861 restoration, and consist of an east window which is a group of three lancets under a single moulded hood with foliated stops, and in the north wall are two lancets and a small priest's doorway with moulded jambs; the hoodmould of the doorway continues round the chancel walls as a stringcourse. In the south wall a single lancet survives, the other being covered by the large stucco-covered family vault of the Carnarvon family which was added in 1800 at this point. There is also a smaller vault of 1843 for the Fellowes family at the south west corner of the nave. Both were once surrounded by railings but these have been removed. The transept walls are decorated with bands of alternating stone and flint and the south wall of the chanel has a chequer-board pattern of the same materials.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1861
The east window, of three lights, was inserted in 1861 in memory of Dr. Richard Field, Dean of Gloucester, who retired here as rector and was buried at St. George's Chapel, Windsor in 1617. The centre light shows (reading upwards) The Epiphany, The Crucifixion and The Maries at the Sepulchre; in the flanking lights are The Sower Sowing and The Angel Reaping; Jewel-like reds and blues of the geometric background.
Stained Glass
South chancel I: geometric patterns with three panels showing the initials of The Second Earl of Carnarvon (whose marble bust stands on the window sill), a widow's arms in a lozenge, and a portrait of a widow in grisaille.
Building Materials
Flint
12th Century
Flint
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the church is well kept and has been painted fairly recently. The walls are all plastered, including the reveals of the windows, and the floors (where there are no ledger slabs) are paved with red and black quarry tils of 1851. The north and south doorways to the nave are now blocked, and entrance is by the west door. The nave roof is of open timbor construction, divided into six bays by tie-beams and is for the most part fourteenth-century. At the west end additional struts support the bell-cote. The rafters have crossed braces and the tie beams are simply chamfered, the heavy wall plate being of three stages. Towards the east end of the north will a wide arch opens to the north transept, virtually semi- circular rather than pointed, with two chamfered orders dying into a chamfered jamb on the west and into the wall on the east. The transept seems to have been built to house an altar dedicated to St. Katherine, but in more recent times has been used as a vestry (or, perhaps, in view of the seating round the walls as a meeting room). The roof has old tie-beams and intersects with the nave roof above the wall plate. In the east wall (behind the organ) is a small piscina recess without basin, with renewed stonework.
The chancel arch is plain, with two chamfered orders which die into the responds. On the west face of the wall each side of the arch the corbels for a roof loft remain. The chancel was practically rebuilt in the 13th century but represents, as far as may be gathered, a replacement of what was there before. The three light east window within a rere-arch carried on attached shafts is entirely of the restoration, as is the open timber roof.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
1716
The altar table dates from 1716, of oak, with turned baluster legs.
Reredos
c.1890
The reredos is a panel of tin painted with small representations of angels.
Pulpit
c.1860
The pulpit is of oak, an open octagon.
Lectern
c.1861
The lectern, in oak, is a good plain design with a double bookrest on a plain octagonal pedestal.
Font (object)
c.1861
The font is of stone, a heavy square bowl on a stem carved as a squat drum with square base and stiff-leaf capital.
Rail
Communion rails, plain moulded oak rail on iron uprights.
Organ (object)
c.1861
The organ is a very small single manual instrument with pedals, by Willis.
Bells
Churchyard
Grid reference: SU 468 578
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard is closed for burial by order in council.
The date of the burial closure order is 15/12/1879
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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