Weight: 840 lbs Diameter: 34" Bell 1 of 3
Founded by Thomas Rudhall 1769
Dove Bell ID: 370 Tower ID: 10633 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Ballingham & Bolstone: St Dubricius
Overview
Grid reference: SO 576 316
A small Medieval church with a tall west spire which adds apparent scale, and gives the building considerable landscape value in the flat landscape of the river flood plain. The building largely dates from the 13th century, with extensions of the 14th and 15th centuries and a Victorian restoration. It is simple and compact, but not without charm.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
3-bay nave with west tower, south porch, 2-bay chancel.
Dimensions:
Nave c 10m (35ft) x 5m (16ft), chancel 5m x 4m.
Footprint of Church buildings: 195 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Before the dissolution Ballingham had been a manor of the Benedictine Priory of St Guthlac in Hereford, perhaps on the site of the later manor house near the church. The church (perhaps a rebuild of a 12th-century church) mostly dates from the early 13th century with tower and nave, extended chancel of the 14th and south porch dated to the early 15th, heavily restored 1884-5 by W E Martin. ICBS notes “with rebuilding of chancel south wall and parts of nave north and south walls, with four new windows & general repairs”. The area belonged to the Scudamore dynasty after the Reformation and into the 19th century.
Exterior Description
This is a simple and compact building of considerable charm. The tower is 14th century, with a battered plinth and fillet-moulded string above, three stages divided by strings. Plain parapet, recessed octagonal spire with moulded finial beneath large weathercock; central loops to lowest stages, one trefoiled and chamfered opening to each side of bell-chamber, grotesque waterspouts from centre of string beneath parapet on west and south side, gabled ogee-headed opening onto parapet from south base of spire. Memorial on north wall to six men killed in the 1914-18 War, inscribed “They loved not their lives unto death” (Rev 12:11).
The nave has a small lancet in the west bay of the north wall and east of this two windows with paired 19th-century trefoiled lancets. In the south wall is the same arrangement with the Victorian windows, the window next to the porch is a restored 14th-century square-headed window of three lights each with an ogeed and trefoiled head and small spandrel lights.
The chancel has one cinquefoiled and trefoiled 2-light Victorian window, under a square head with quatrefoil tracery to north and one to south wall, restored east window with 2-centred head and three ogeed and trefoiled lights; to the west end of the south wall is a blocked chamfered 14th-century priest's doorway with a 2-centred head.
The very fine south porch is early 15th century in date. It has a moulded parapet, moulded plinth and strings, two diagonal buttresses to front with off-sets and trefoiled panels; deeply moulded 2-centred arch in a square head with spandrels in which are shields set in quatrefoils and mouchettes, above were the remains of black-letter inscription noted by RCHM, but now just the letter M carved exactly in the middle can be seen, and this is eroded. Central niche with 2-centred head interrupts the parapet coping.
Each side wall has a pair of trefoiled openings under square head and label above, a plain tapered waterspout projects west from string beneath parapet. Inside are stone side benches and a fine square diagonal rib vault springing from part-circular moulded corbels to a restored rosette at the apex. The inner doorway is 15th-century with moulded jambs and a 2-centred head. There is a rustic cast iron shoe-scraper.
Building Fabric and Features
Tower (component)
13th century west tower
Nave
13th century 3-bay nave
Chancel
14th century 2-bay and extended
Porch
15th century south porch
Building Materials
Sandstone
12th / 13th century red sandstone rubble with sandstone ashlar and sandstone spire
Welsh Slate
Unknown roofs
Terracotta
unknown terracotta ridge roof tiles
Interior
Interior Description
The inner door is round-headed, composed of rough lintel stones, and this and the sheer thickness of the walls might suggest a late 12th century origin, though there is little other evidence for this. Low chamfered tower doorway leads into space used as vestry, timber roof above with one bell rope, ladder and hatch. The interior has bare stone walls and wagon roofs to nave and chancel, the former perhaps 14th-century but heavily restored with scissor braces above collars. Floor of stone slabs, mostly under red carpet, tiles in chancel. Plain wooden benches in the nave and choir stalls in the chancel.
Canted ceiling to chancel, which is divided from the nave by a filigree Victorian screen, above which is plank and muntin panelling, the latter probably 16th or 17th century in date with two rows of muntins with straight-cut chamfer stops. A Victorian sedilia in the north wall has two trefoiled openings separated by a column. Victorian octofoil piscina in cill of south window.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century oak altar table with turned legs
Reredos
19th century Small late 19th century carved marble reredos with Gothic triptych.
Pulpit
17th century Partly restored early 17th century pulpit, part octagonal, paired arches with guilloche ornament to each of the three sides, upper panels of sides have arabesques, lower panels are plain, north panel has crowned pilaster figure, probably Victorian, attached to end; late Victorian brass book rest. Much of the Victorian woodwork apes the style of the pulpit.
Lectern
19th century lectern in the style of the pulpit, probably Victorian
Font (component)
13th century octagonal stone font, 13th century with chamfered circular base, cylindrical stem and octagonal bowl curved on undersides
Organ (component)
19th century a harmonium by W Bell & Co of Guelph, Canada in mahogany with elaborate music stand, 1887
Bells
Bell 2 of 3
Founded by Thomas Rudhall 1769
Dove Bell ID: 9574 Tower ID: 10633 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Diameter: 31" Bell 3 of 3
Founded by John of Gloucester
Dove Bell ID: 9575 Tower ID: 10633 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers beginning in 1595 held at PRO
Churchyard
Grid reference: SO 576 316
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 has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
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
Sources
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