Description

NAVESTOCK

TQ59NW SHONKS MILL ROAD
723-1/4/513 (North side)
20/02/67 Church of St Thomas the Apostle
(Formerly Listed as:
BRENTWOOD
SHONKS MILL ROAD, Navestock
Church of St Thomas the Apostle)

I

Parish church. C11-C12 origin largely rebuilt in the C13 and
C14 and repaired after a land mine exploded in the churchyard
in 1940. Flint and rubble with a timber-framed W tower. The
church comprises a nave of four bays and a chancel of 2 bays.
A single S aisle to the nave continues to the E for one bay as
a chapel. The walls are rendered and the roof peg-tiled.
NAVE: the S elevation of the nave has, from W to E , C13
lancet window, C13 doorway with segment headed arch and C20
timber porch, C15 3-light window with super mullions. Nave, N
elevation from W to E , C15 2-light window with super
mullions, C11-C12 door with semicircular tympanum and segment
head with intermittent roll moulding, C15 2-light window with
super mullions, C14 window reticulated tracery.
CHANCEL: N side, W to E , C15 low side window, C14 2-light
window with reticulated tracery and label with head stops, C14
2-light window with reticulated tracery. Chancel, S side, C14
window 2 lights, reticulated tracery. Chancel, E end C14
3-light window reticulated tracery.
BELFRY TOWER: set in line with the S aisle originally faced in
weatherboarding is now plastered with a steeply sloping tiled
roof over its aisles and surmounted by a shingled broach
spire. The tower is carried on 4 canted heavy oak posts whose
framing is strengthened by long continuous passing braces
carried down to the ground sills and posts of the aisles to
the tower and jointed by notched lap joints. Within the tower
base, 4 attached shafts with capitals and bases of
perpendicular profile support an inserted belfry floor with
arched braces meeting at a foliage boss. Tower formerly
ascribed to the C15 but as a result of radiocarbon tests and
on structural evidence, is now considered to be of the C13,
probably c1250 or earlier. The doorway between tower and S
aisle dated c1400 (RCHM) is probably contemporary with the
inserted work and together with some reshaping of the old
tower braces, represents refurbishing at the opening of the
C15. The 4-bayed arcade of the S aisle is of timber, plastered
to resemble C13 stone ashlar work and is now exposed at the
chancel-nave junction. This core of timber is now thought to
date from the C13 and to continue to the W within the
imitation stone work. The various oak doors with iron work
appear to be post-medieval replacements, the S door in
particular copies the C12 form.
FITTINGS AND MONUMENTS: the fittings include a C13 piscina in
the S chapel and several C17 monuments including, chancel E
wall, to John Greene, Sergeant at Law and Judge of Sheriff's
court, 1653 and Anne (Blanchard) his wife, 1641, large tablet
with recess containing half length figure of a man in judge's
robes and flanked by Corinthian pilasters supporting an
enlablature and broken pediment with 10 shields of arms.
Chancel, N wall, monument of Anne (Nicolls), wife of Charles
Snelling, 1625, also Roland their child, 1625, slate panel
within arched marble frame, with small effigies of woman, now
headless, and swaddled child, 2 shields of arms. Nave, S wall
to John Greene, 1625 slate tablet in marble frame with
pediment, cherubs and shields of arms. The bells include a
tenor and second with the inscription,'Miles Graye made mee
1637', a third by John Walgrave of London (early C15)
mentioned in an inventory dated 1458, and a fourth by John
Harding c1560. The windows of the chancel retain some of their
medieval exterior iron grilles with barbed terminals, most
complete on the E window.
(RCHM: Central and SW Essex : Monument 1: 190; Archaeological
Journal: Hewett CA: The Timber Belfries of Essex: 1962-: 227;
Essex Journal: Hewett CA & Smith JR: Faked Masonry of the
Mid-C13 in Navestock Church: 1972-; The Buildings of England:
Pevsner N: Essex: 1965-: 303).

Listing NGR: TQ5404798374

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17536334

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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