Church of St Mary, King's Pyon, County of Herefordshire

Description

SO 45 SW; 1/36

KING'S PYON CP,
Church of St Mary

02.09.66

Parish church. C12, C13 and C14 with additions and restoration in 1872.
Sandstone rubble with sandstone dressings and some tufa. Sandstone slate
and tile roofs. Cruciform plan. Nave has four bays, including two-bay
transepts. West tower and south porch. Two-bay chancel with north vestry
and organ chamfer. Tower has three external stages divided by moulded strings
and embattled parapet stepped up to corners. Deep bottom stage is battered
with steeply falling ground, resembling a mote to the west. Top stage has
central trefoil ogeed opening and label to each side. Central loop to first
stage of south, north and west sides. North side has another loop to left
of centre in battered bottom stage. South side has central doorway, possibly
C17 or C18 with a segmental head and a mid-C20 filleted mahogany door. Clock
faces to north and south at bottom of top stage. North elevation of nave pro-
jects from north side of tower. Right-hand return has kneeler, verge and
plinth with roll moulding. Central restored round-headed light. C12 blocked
doorway to left has continuous roll moulding to round arch and moulded label
with leaf-stops. North transept is C19 with 3-light trefoiled window in two-
centred arch to north gable. Right-hand return has a 2-light window with
trefoil-head lights and a quatrefoil in the spandrel beneath a two-centred
arch. Left-hand return has a similar window, but, possibly re-set and showing
less signs of restoration, with cinquefoil-headed lights. To left of transept
is a restored round-headed light, to organ chamber, over a glazed mid-C20 door
to small cellar. North vestry has gable with chamfered string at eaves level.
Ogeed trefoiled one-light opening. Above the string is a round-headed light.
East return has a similar ogeed and trefoiled light to that on north side.
Chancel has late C19 east window with three trefoiled lights and quatrefoils
in the tracery. Fragment of moulded string to right-hand side near junction
with north vestry. Weathered angle buttress to left corner. Verge and gable
cross, probably mid-C20. East end of nave rising above chancel has verges,
kneelers, base of gable cross and scars of earlier chancel roof. South elevation
of chancel has window to right-hand side with a pair of C19 trefoiled lights and
a quatrefoil. Weathered angle buttress to right-hand corner. To extreme left
is a one-light trefoil headed window. Adjacent to this window is an elegant
priest's door with roll moulding and cinquefoiled head. The jambs of the inner
roll moulded order run into filleted cusping. Behind the outer head a secondary
head follows the same profile. South transept has a 3-light late C19 or early
C20 south window with trefoiled heads. The eastern return has a deeply recessed
C14 window with splayed jambs and a square head. Three trefoil-headed lights
run into reticulated quatrefoil tracery. Western return has a blocked square-
headed window. Nave has square-headed window to left with three ogeed and
trefoiled lights. South porch, probably early C20, is immediately west of south
transept. Wavy bargeboards, ornate angle struts to four posts and splat balusters
to open upper returns. South doorway has continuously moulded round headed arch
and jambs. Two keel-moulded shafts with cushion capitals support keel-moulded
order of inner arch. Nail-studded ledged oak door, perhaps C19.

INTERIOR has
four-bay C14 nave roof with moulded tie beams and cusped raking struts. Two
rows of cusped trefoil-headed wind braces to each slope. Intermediate trusses
have arched braces to collars, some of which are cusped. Ashlar pieces at frequent
intervals. Open waggon roof of chancel is partly restored, but with some early
moulded trusses remaining. South transept has similar roof structure to that
of nave. North transept has C19 pine roof with collar trusses. Chancel has
continuously chamfered doorway with two-centred arch to vestry. To right of
the door is a deeply recessed C12 round-headed window. Several wall monuments
for members of the Tomkins family, early C18 to mid-C19. Oak reredos with nine
panels. Crocketted nodding ogee heads. For T Cook, 1878. Inscriptions include,
Ten Commandments, Creed and Lord's Prayer. East window has late C19 stained
glass of Nativity, Crucifixion and Ascension. Heavy oak mid-C19 communion rails
on turned balusters with carved spandrels. Late C19 organ with oak case, gilded
pipes and two manuals. Vestry has grey and white marble wall monument for
George Carver, dated 1732. Cornice with fluted pilasters flanking inscription
panel. Also monument-for Richard Tomkins, died 1800. Flat black obelisk with
brown oval inscription plaque. Early C19 cast-iron chest with two raised and
fielded panels to sides and lid, inscribed in raised lettering, "COALBROOKDALE".
Chancel arch is late C12, with two-centred head and two orders. Clustered shafts,
some keeled, with water-leaf capitals to north and trumpet capitals to south.
Impost to south runs into two-bay arcade of south transept. The arcade has a
round central pier, octagonal abacus and double chamfered two-centred arches.
Piscina on south wall has chamfered trefoiled head and a quatrefoil drain.
Adjacent is an elaborately decorated tomb recess, probably C13 or C14 with a
richly cusped semi-circular opening under a square head and a quatrefoil in each
spandrel. Later chest tomb beneath has seven trefoil-headed panels to north
and carries alabaster effigy of a man in armour. His limbs have been amputated.
At his feet a stylised lion. Alongside is a sandstone effigy of a woman supine
praying. On the east wall is a framed prospect of the Church of St Mary, dated
1682. On the west wall are several monuments for members of the Carpenter family.
The earliest for John Carpenter, died 1728, is in grey and white marble and
unusually is in the form of a Venetian window above which is a pediment with
flanking scrolls. Apron beneath has a winged skull. East window has stained
glass depicting Christ and soldiers for Lt Richard King, died 18th April 1916.
South window depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary, St John the Baptist and St Elizabeth.
North transept added in 1872, has C19 arcade resembling that of south transept.
Font, perhaps C15, has round base and step with tapered cyclindrical bowl. North
window has achievement and foliated designs in stained glass, for John Birch Peploe,
died 1869. Both transepts have in their western arcade bays a cast-iron late C19
heater about six feet by three feet by two feet, with diapered grills and foliated
frieze. Nave has late C19 furnishings. Pine pews with wedged rails and seats.
Oak lectern. Part-octagonal oak pulpit with brass candlesticks. Similarly
detailed reading desk. Stone wall monument with rounded head between square
shoulders for James Bryges, died 1769. On the west wall are C19 wall plaques
for Tomkins's beneath which is a wooden ogeed and pinnacled screen, containing
doorway to the tower, for Anna Jane Wilson, died 1898. Oak font with octagonal
bowl supported by four angles carved in the round. Elaborate crocketted cover
counter-weighted from roof, has inscription, "Bride ... The Spirit ... ", partly
missing. Six early C20 bronze-finished lamps on chains like two in transepts.

Listing NGR: SO4386750623

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Church of St Mary

A Grade I Listed Building in King's Pyon, County of Herefordshire

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