Page:The Victoria History of the County of Surrey Volume 3.djvu/523

 WOKING HUNDRED

��WOKING

��quoins of the jambs and the pointed chamfered rear arch are also old. The third window is another 1 5th-- century insertion of two cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil over in a four-centred arch, and the last or north-west window is of the 1 3th century, with two plain pointed lights and a pierced spandrel over in a two-centred arch ; like the third window the jambs are of a single chamfered order outside.

The south arcade is of three bays with octagonal pillars, fine massive work in chalk, with simple details and semi-octagonal responds, the bases, capitals, and arches being of similar detail to those of the chancel arch. The bases have been mutilated in the responds ; on the south side of the east respond the base mould is splayed back to the wall instead of ending square, but there seems no obvious reason for the treatment. The haunch above this respond is pierced by a square passage-way through the wall to the former rood loft. The west doorway of the nave is part of the original work ; its jambs have been cut to enable the door to open outwards, and were originally of two orders ; in the angles of the remaining order are round shafts with chamfered bases and cushion capitals, the chamfered abaci of which have been much mutilated for the fitting of the door ; the arch is round and of one order with a large edge roll and no label.

The wood door itself is evidently very old, and prob- ably with its iron work contemporary with the door- way. It is made of oak planks, half an inch thick, bound together by iron straps of ornamental design on both faces, the hinge straps being the least important part of the work. There are five large horizontal bands, three of which are attached to large C-straps like those shown in early MSS. ; all the bands and straps have forked and curled ends, and small curled sprigs of iron spring from them at irregular intervals. In the upper part of the door are a cross, a saltire, and a spider's web with an insect in it. The rounded head of the door is fixed, but probably opened with the rest orginally, when it was hung in the east side of the doorway.

The east window of the south aisle is one of three lights under a traceried pointed head ; all modern out- side except the outer order of the head and the upper half of the jambs ; the inner jambs, quoins, and the pointed chamfered rear arch are old. In the south wall is a piscina with a cinquefoiled pointed arch in a square head with sunk spandrels ; half of the sill with its round basin has been cut away. The three south windows are alike, each of two cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil over ; all three are wholly modern outside, but have old inner jambs and pointed rear arches, the latter being almost straight-sided. The middle window has been reduced a half for the inser- tion below it of a doorway with a two-centred segmental arch ; it was probably inserted shortly before the ijth-century porch was built, and is now blocked up. The porch is of narrow red bricks with a stepped gable and has an outer archway with moulded jambs and elliptical arch, flanked by low small arched recesses. The side walls were pierced by windows with wood frames, but that in the east wall is now filled in and the porch used as a boiler room for heating purposes. The west window of the aisle resembles the others and is entirely modern outside ; in its flat inner sill is set the plain round drain of a piscina, which must have been brought to the church from elsewhere.

��The tower has no break or string-course in its height, the lower part being strengthened by pairs of angle buttresses. The west doorway has jambs of two orders, the outer hollow chamfered, the inner square, the two-centred arch has a much decayed scroll mould label ; the door is a modern one, but has a handle and plate inscribed RDFV 1731. The window over is a square one of brick, probably of the 1 7th century. The first-floor chamber is lighted by a small rectan- gular light in each wall, that to the south having been repaired with brick ; and over these on the north and west sides are clock faces. The windows of the bell- chamber are each of two trefoiled lights with a quatre- foil above in a two-centred head ; the north window is old, but the others are partly or wholly modernized; the parapet is embattled and has a moulded string- course. The lower part (less than a half) of the tower is of flint and iron conglomerate with stone quoins and dressings ; the buttresses, which are of two stages, have been repaired in places with brick and are covered with tiles ; the bottom of the north wall has also been patched in brick, while the upper part of the tower is of square-coursed rubble or rough ashlar.

The north wall of the nave is a good specimen of early masonry, built of whole flints and pieces of iron- stone conglomerate, but the chancel walls have been newly cemented outside, and their character thus hidden.

The roof of the chancel is gabled, and has a modern plaster panelled ceiling with moulded wood ribs and moulded tie-beam ; the nave has a plastered collar-beam ceiling and modern trusses dividing it into three bays. The gabled aisle roof also had a modern ceiling, but the plaster has been stripped off, revealing the old timbers. The gallery at the west end has an inscription upon it recording its erection by Sir Edward Zouch in 1622 ; it runs right across the west end of the nave and aisle, the front being carried on five oak posts ; but only that part which is in the nave is old.

The altar-table has thin turned legs, and is probably of the 1 8th century, but the pulpit is six-sided and evidently of the same date as the gallery. The font is modern, of carved and panelled stone on marble shafts.

In the tower is an ancient oak chest of plain design \vith a plain strap to the lock.

In the quatrefoil in the head of the middle window of the south aisle is a fragment of old glass, probably original with the aisle a six-petalled double rose, yellow and white, a piece of border with a lozengy or fret pattern, and other flowers.

In the blocked doorway of the south aisle is set a small brass inscription which reads : ' Pray for the soules of John Shadhet et Isabell hys wyfe the which John decessed the xi day of Marche yn the yere of our lord MVxxvu on whos soullf Jhu have mercy.' Above it are two standing figures praying; the man has long hair, and wears a long fur-trimmed cloak with sleeves ; the lady has a long linen head dress, fur cuffs, and a loose belt about her dress at the waist with ends reaching to the ground ; below is part of an indent, probably that of the children. By the side of this brass is another inscription : ' Pray for the soules of Henry Purdon and Johan hys wyfe which Henry de- ceessed the vn day of Noveber the yer of lord MVCXXIII on whose soules Jhu have mercy, Amen.' Over it were two figures, but that of the man is missing; the lady is dressed like the other. Between these two brasses are the figures of four girls.

��389

�� �