Church of St Peter and St Paul, Bardfield Saling (EHER 1209)

A 14th century church, said to have been unfinished at the time of the Black Death in 1348-49. Consecrated and chancel added in 1380. The plan comprises a round west tower, nave with south aisle, and chancel. The building was altered and extended through the 17th to 20th centuries. During the 13th century the church was a chapel of ease.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 1209, 1210, 1211, and 27538. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Walls of flint rubble, dressings of shelly oolite and clunch. Nave, south aisle and west tower and possibly south porch built in 1st half of 14th century, probably left unfinished at the time of the Black Death, 1348-1349. Consecrated 1380 when the chancel was added. Round tower is one of a group in north-west Essex and is unusually late. The south-west angle of the south aisle was rebuilt, probably when the former south porch was destroyed. Chancel roof has moulded wall-plates of the 14th century. Features and fittings include: windows of the first half of the 14th century and 1380, doorways of 1st half of 14th century, indent of mid 15th century, late 15th century font, 14th century glass, piscina of 14th century, screen in chancel of 14th century. In the 19th century the chancel was shortened at the east end, the south porch added, and the church generally restored. The south-west angle of the south aisle was rebuilt, probably when the former south porch was destroyed. In the nave, incorporated in two modern pews, are elaborate panels of about 1625, and the pulpit is also 1625. Site Assessment = Round tower is one of a group in north-west Essex and is unusually late. <1> 14th century with chancel probably completed last. West tower, windows look early 14th century, early to mid 14th century windows in nave and chancel, marked difference in style between south arcade and chancel arch-latter has late 14th century looking responds. Screen contemporary with chancel. Church shortened in 19th century, straw decoration made about 1880, and the pulpit is Elizabethan. <2> Water colour by Kenneth Rowtree in ERO, print from magazine in SMR. <3> Evidence of an altar or chapel previously dedicated to St Margaret referred to in 1424. Author of letter thought south aisle of present church was the chantry of St Margaret. It is uncertain as to why there is such a large building here. Possibly it was a calling place for pilgrims. <4> The floor below the 18th century gallery at the west end is tiled with medieval floor tiles. West of the south doorway are part of an early wall painting and inscriptions. Sedile below the south-east window. "The round tower is one of six remaining in Essex and is the only example in the United Kingdom of the decorated period and, therefore, apparently the last of its kind to be built in Medieval times". RCHM 1. Grade I. <5> Letter in SMR from former Vicar with copy of photograph of church, taken before damage from enemy action during the last war. This shows two doorways in the east end. Even if these were originally open arches, they seem to suggest that the original east end was other than a chancel. "I think it suggests some other use for that part of the building - which I am still inclined to think may have been a shrine". The Vicar has drawn up an account of the 'Restoration Years' at Bardfield Saling (1973-1987) incorporating reports of discoveries made during this period. Church may have originally been mainly concerned with a pilgrimage shrine. 17th to 20th century additions and alterations. 18th century gallery at west end of nave, housing an 18th century chamber organ, which once belonged to Sir George Elvey, organist of the Chapel Royal, Windsor, dedicated in this church in 1933. The pulpit dates from about 1625. Late 18th century panelled pews. 17th century oak chest. 17th and 18th century graffiti. 14th century screen includes some fine 19th century straw work. <6> - <8> A pew end was discovered beneath the suspended floor of the north side of the church. It was in very poor condition. It had no decoration and was low in height. It was dated to 15th to 17th century. Because of the poor condition it was sketched and disposed of. <9> Large stone at entrance to churchyard. <10> Very large stone at entrance to Little Saling churchyard. May indicate presence of earlier place of worship - possibly Christian or pagan. <11> 1987. Watching brief. Archaeological recording of drainage trenches dug to the south and east of the church provided an opportunity to record the foundations of the standing building, as well as revealing features now demolished. The principal discovery was the foundation for the easternmost bay of the chancel, probably demolished in the 17th century. The foundations of the north wall of the tower and west wall of the nave were constructed of 20th century frogged bricks, presumably representing an underpinning. Close to the latter, was a modern brick foundation which probably represents a coal store or boiler house. On the north side of the nave, there appeared to be a brick and flint rubble foundation, resting on unmortared flints, set within a trench dug into the natural clay. At the north-east corner of the chancel the base of a buttress was exposed; a rubble core, face by blocks of oolitic limestone. These were chamfered for a plinth and show that the ground level has risen by some 150-200mm. <12> 1993. Watching brief. In 1993 partial removal of the panelling against the north wall of the nave, for electrical works revealed the easternmost window aperture had been blocked at the bottom. Originally it had formed a seat or sedile. This had occurred in two phases: 17th to 18th century and 18th to 19th century. Graffiti was also discovered which was probably of 17th century date and was probably some sort of game. Approximately 9in below the suspended floor was also observed the gravel preparation surface or original medieval floor. In the blocked window part of the fill consisted of medieval floor tiles which are common in the church. <13> June 1994. Watching brief. In June 1994 the cement gutter was removed along the south and east sides of the church exposing the 14th century foundations. These have a moulded base in oolitic limestone, comprising a weathering with a hollow chamfer oversailing an ashlar course. This is above a bottom course with a chamfered weathering. Depth of the foundation is at least 350mm and unusually the exterior ground level seems hardly to have risen since the 14th century rebuilding of the church. Work on underpinning also revealed the existence of buttress remains which makes it possible to reconstruct the appearance of the south elevation of the aisle, with buttresses at regular intervals symmetrically framing the windows. Immediately west of the missing buttress the foundation of the aisle is made of ashlar below ground level. West of the aisle a semi-octagonal base of dressed oolitic limestone was found projecting out at ground level. This was left in situ. West of the porch were found the medieval foundations of the porch. Four Purbeck marble paving stones, possibly seats from the porch were lifted and examined. The buttress at the south-west corner of the nave is founded on a massive boulder like that seen just outside the churchyard. The chancel foundation has no plinth or offset and looks much earlier possibly 12th to 13th century. An in situ medieval tile pavement was seen 200mm below ground level near the north half of the east wall of the chancel. The tiles bear the heraldic emblems of the Tyrell family. They are provisionally dated to the 15th century. <14> St Peter and St Paul's Church (NAT). <15> See also: <15> - <23>