Church of St Bartholomew (said to be St Peter), Wickham Bishops (EHER 8214)

Parish church built 11th century restored in the early 19th century but allowed to become derelict after the building of the new church in around 1850 (see EEHR 39017). There is some 20th century restoration. 12th century window, west and south doorways 15th century. Built of flint rubble, puddingstone, septaria, reused Roman tile and brick, formerly plastered, belfry weatherboarded. Roof of red tiles. Now used as an art studio.

Monument description derived from merging with EHER 3029, EHER 8213, and EHER 8215. The following is a general description of the site gathered from several sources. St Peter's Church (NR). <1> A Saxon or Saxo-Norman church of great interest. Graded 'DIIIa' by Rodwell. <2> The old parish church of St Bartholomew but said to be of St Peter stands in the fields on the west side of the parish, west of the railway line. The chancel and nave are probably late 11th century incorporating some Roman bricks. Other main features are 12th-15th century. The church was restored early in the 19th century, but in 1850 a new church was built (EHER 39017), since when the old building has fallen into ruins. <3> Walls are stone, flint rubble, and boulder clay, formerly plaster-covered the dressings are limestone. The south porch is brick. The roofs are tiled. The chancel and nave probably date from the 11th century. The south porch was added in the late 15th or early 16th century. A new church was built in the village in 1850, since when the old church has been allowed to fall into a semi-ruinous condition (RCHM has plates). There are indications of a former chancel arch, although the nave and chancel are at present undivided structurally. All windows in the chancel and nave are 14th century with modern heads, though in the chancel south wall is the splayed rear arch of a 13th century lancet, and a gap in the north wall of the nave, west of the northeast window, shows the remains of the west part of a 12th century window head. Other features and fittings include: 15th century doorway in south wall of the nave with, further east, the late 11th century doorway (partly destroyed by the later doorway) with a round rear arch of Roman bricks and now blocked; blocked north doorway in the north wall indicated by a patch of later rubble; early 16th century windows and roof to the south porch; late 15th century timbers in chancel roof; rough tie-beam in nave roof; plastered timber-frame at west end supporting the bell-turret; brass indent in chancel, 15th century; 15th century or earlier chest now in modern church; fragments of 13th century coffin lid in chancel 15th century door in south doorway; door of uncertain date in west doorway, which is probably early 15th century; 15th century doorway to rood-loft staircase; mid 15th century font; locker in chancel, of uncertain date; possibly 13th century sedile in south wall of chancel stoup in south porch, date uncertain. <3> <4> The church was restored early in the 19th century, when the south vestry was added. A new church was built in the village in 1850 (EHER 39017), since when the old church has been allowed to fall into a semi-ruinous condition. A doorway in the chancel south wall has jambs of 17th century brick. The south porch was repaired in the 17th and 18th centuries. 17th century floor slabs in the church; monument of 1707 in churchyard, north of the church. <3> <5> OS photo cards in record. <6> This source suggests the brass indent is of around 1580-1600. The slab is on the chancel floor and has been completely broken in two. A note attached to this source refers to a monument with the half figure of a priest (i.e. like the brass indent) with inscription and date 1516. <7> <8> See photos <9> <10>. VCH gives wrong NGR, i.e. that of the 'new' church. <11> See also <22>. Roman brick in the fabric of the church: Chancel quoins and north nave quoin are almost entirely Roman brick. <4> <13> <14> The external east angles of the chancel are said to be Roman brick. The remains of the late 11th century south doorway in the nave have a round rear arch of Roman brick. <3> <15> Sketch elevation in the EHER shows Roman brick, also areas of septaria in the wall fabric. <16> The remaining is a brief description of the work which has been undertaken at the site: September 1976. Field survey. The church is an empty shell but still roofed. Much of the window tracery has gone but some restoration work is in progress. The chancel quoins and the north nave quoin are almost entirely Roman brick. See photographs. <17> 1977. Site visit. On a routine visit in 1977 it was found that rendering had fallen off the nave north wall, revealing previously unobserved features, including a vertical line of Roman bricks approximately 2.75m east of the nave west end, apparently marking an earlier northwest angle to the nave. Probably, the nave was lengthened for the bell-frame. About 7.75m east of the west end, just west of the northeast window the quoin of the blocked north doorway noted by RCHM was visible. Sketch elevation in SMR. <16> <18> 1978. Site visit. These observations were confirmed by site visits in 1978 to look at partial rebuilding of the west wall which was seen to be not the original wall. Roman brick and tile, septaria (some burnt) were seen in the fabric. The internal part of the west doorway was seen to be in Roman bricks and reused Caen stone. During restoration and rebuilding of the west wall it was revealed that the nave west wall was not the original west wall, indicating that the nave had been lengthened westwards from the bell frame. The west wall was found to contain very roughly coursed rubble - sepataria (some burnt), flint, Roman brick and tile, possibly post-medieval tile, large lumps of indurated gravel, coarse-bedded sandstone, Caen stone, one piece of lave, and worked stone. As for the interior of the west wall, the inner arch of the west door was carried up the wall with a plain chamfer - the upper part was blocked with Tudor bricks. The west doorway was brick (2 1/4 X 4 3/4 X 8 3/4", 2 X 4 1/2 X 8 1/2"), Roman bricks and reused Caen stones. There was a wooden beam over the inner door arch above the wooden beam was a relieving arch in Tudor brick, moulded on wet sand (sand still in position) above bricks resting on the beam. <19> 8 photos in the EHER, taken during the 1978 restoration. <20> November 1985. Grade II* listed. 11th century church with 19th century restorations, now an artist's studio. A former parish church, now disused. Allowed to become derelict after the building of the new church in around 1850. Font and chest have been removed to the new church. <21> See photos <22>. Site Assessment: The church was allowed to become semi-ruinous after contruction of the new church in the village in 1850 (EHER 39017). The indications of early work in the church are interesting. <3> The church is an empty roofed shell. Much of the window tracery has gone. Some restoration is in progress. <13> The slab of a brass indent has been broken in two. <7> West wall repaired and part rebuilt in 1978 by Friends of Friendless Churches and Bakers of Danbury. <19> Taken over by Friends of Friendless Churches, after unsuccessful bid by incumbent to have it demolished. Restoration begun, but is masking. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data transfer.