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I Location

II General Description

The church consists of a 13thc. S doorway; N and S nave arcades and chancel of the 14thc. (as per inscription once in E window of chancel noting patronage of 'Thomas de Wyversty' (see Holles), the abbot of Waltham from 1345-71); clerestory and W tower later medieval. Ewan Christian restored the chancel in 1875-78. The billet frieze on the S and E exterior chancel walls and the tower arch are of the 12thc.

III Exterior Features

3. Exterior Decoration

a. String courses

(i) Chancel, S wall

Three segments of string course are situated 3.50 m above ground level in the W, C, and E sections of the S wall (sections delineated by buttresses); their height above ground corresponds to the level of the springing of the window arches. The string course has top and bottom chamfers which carry roll billet; the top billets are very weathered. The W and C string course segments appear to continue behind the buttresses with small segments of 0.06 m width reappearing on the other side of the buttresses. On the L side of the window in the E section this small segment is 0.07 m wide; originally it continued to the edge of the window label but that portion of it has been cut back to the wall to accommodate the drainage pipe from the roof.

Dimensions

(ii) Chancel, E wall

At the level of the springing of the large W window arch, approximately 6.40 m above ground level, there are two sections of string course, S and N of the window. It is the same type of roll billet pattern as on the S wall of the chancel.

Dimensions

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

b. Tower/Transept arches

(i) Tower arch

Pointed arch with a shared first order, then two orders of coursed nook-shafts on E face and one order of coursed nook-shafts on the W face. Three orders in the arch on the E side and two orders on the W side.

Dimensions

E side

First order, shared: Coursed, semicircular columns without bases carry very rudimentary foliate capitals with a variety of leaf types: some almost like stiff-leaf and ball-flower types. On the S capital there is some beading evident on the leaf of the NW corner; on the W face of the N capital there is a crescent form with two curving rows of parallel beading. Capitals have roll mold necking. The S side has a hollow chamfer impost and its NW corner is a replacement; the impost on the N side has a roll on chamfer and plain upright.

Second order: Both the S and N sides have a coursed, nook-shaft attached with mortar and without a base. Some courses in the mid-section of the shafts are new. S capital has roll mould necking and raised shields at the angles with fluted, scalloped leaves on them Impost continuous with first order and is renewed. The N side has a volute capital with roll mould necking. Impost continuous with first order.

Third order: Nook-shafts same as in second order; again, some mid-section courses are new. S capital may have had an angle volute or a broad leaf which has broken off at the SE angle. From the angle a stem springs L and R which terminates with a furled, almost volute leaf in the middle of the capital face where it meets a similar form springing from the other angle. Roll mould necking and a continuous impost. The N capital is of the waterleaf type. It has roll mould necking and a continuous impost.

Arch, first order: hollow on angle with chamfered stops at base of hollow.

Arch, second order: hollow on soffit, angle keel mould, and hollow on face.

Arch, third order: hollow on soffit, angle roll, and fifty-five foliate forms clasping the roll like beakhead on face. Single row of beading along top edge of order.

Label: an extremely complex, geometric, label consisting of juxtaposed triangular and diamond-shaped facets.

W side

First order: shared with E side.

Second order. Nook-shafts attached with mortar and without bases both N and S. Triple scallop capitals have upright roll between cones and curving edge of shields incised; roll mould necking. The imposts are continuous with the shared first order and differ respectively.

Arch, first order: as on E side.

Arch, second order: roll in hollow on angle and a smaller roll on face.

VII History

Though Wrangle is cited in the Domesday Survey, there is no mention of a church here in 1086. In one entry it is noted that part of the land in Wrangle was 'waste on account of flooding by the sea.'

VIII Comments/Opinions

Whether the string course on the chancel has been reset or not is a puzzle. The chancel restoration dates to the 14thc. according to the E window inscription as well as the reticulated tracery style of the windows. Yet the W and central segments of the string course appear to continue behind the buttresses and the horizontal alignment among the three segments of string course is consistent. Given that the string course does not extend all the way to the E wall, one wonders why it would be reset. On the other hand, the buttress/string course relationship suggests that the string course is in situ, predating the buttressing, and that perhaps the 14thc. renovation did not encompass the complete rebuilding of the chancel walls. But the segment of string course in the E wall does appear to have been reset. The mortar coursing, while fairly regular below the string course, becomes irregular above the string course as if to accommodate for the insertion of the string course; the coursing becomes regular again from the base of the gable to its peak.

The tower arch is unusual in its use of foliate forms as a 'beakhead' motif. But the outstanding element here is surely the label with its very complex geometric design. Though some lower portions of the label are clearly renewed based on their sharp edges, the upper portions are still good.

IX Bibliography