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I Location

II General Description

The church has a long 12thc. nave with turrets flanking the W facade, a vaulted N porch with later upper storey, a S aisle of the 13thc., and a N aisle, crossing tower and chancel of the 14thc. Romanesque sculpture is found on the corbel tables of the nave, on the nook shafts of the W front turrets, in the S, W and N nave doorways, on the string course and vault responds of the N porch, and in the W tower arch; in the S aisle there is also a fragmentary cross-head, as well as a carved label stop.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) S doorway, nave

Round-headed, three orders.

Inside, the doorway is framed by a continuous quadrant roll, forming a segmental arch above the opening.

Dimensions

First order

Continuous, with pseudo-colonnettes on square plinths.

Second order

Plain keeled nook shafts, the L engaged and the R detached, on attic bases with projecting lower tori; plain but eroded neckings and trumpet scallop capitals, the R with small symmetrical leaves with fluted surface and scalloped edge at the junctions of the shields; hollow-chamfered impost blocks with a groove on the face. In the arch, one row of lateral hyphenated chevrons on the face, and one on the soffit, each syncopated with a single row of hyphenated lozenges on the edge; the third and 5th lozenges contain open flowers, the others buds.

Third order

As first order, but on chamfered plinths. Hollow-chamfered label with a groove on the face; on the R, the label terminates at the 13thc. aisle wall. Eroded beast-head label stop at L; the R label stop is probably reset inside the church (see para. IV.5c below).

(ii) W doorway, nave

Round-headed, three orders.

Inside, the doorway is similar to the S doorway, but it has a label above decorated with billet.

Dimensions

First order

Continuous, with pseudo-colonnettes on square plinths, as first order, S doorway.

Second order

Plain engaged keeled nook shafts on bases as second order, S doorway, plain neckings and eroded carved capitals, the R trefoil-type trumpet scallop but with the upper lobes of the trefoil transformed into a bar and the shields recessed. In the arch, one row of projecting chevrons on the edge, emerging from a recessed ground.

Third order

Continuous, with pseudo-colonnettes on plain chamfered plinths, as third order, S doorway. Hollow-chamfered label with a groove on the face, with renewed dragon-head label stops. The later medieval window inserted above the doorway probably caused some damage to the archivolt, now repaired.

(iii) N porch entrance

Round-headed, four orders.

Above the doorway is a chevron string course (see para. III 3a. below).

Dimensions

First order

Plain, continuous, on squared attic bases.

Second order

Continuous, with keeled pseudo-colonnettes on attic bases, the latter continuous with first order.

Third order

Plain, continuous, on squared attic bases continuous with first and second orders.

Fourth order

Keeled nook shafts on attic bases continuous with the other orders; plain neckings, carved capitals (see below) and hollow-chamfered impost blocks with a groove on the face.

L capital

Symmetrically carved. Each face bears two affronted leaves with fluted surface, scalloped edge and furled tips, emerging from pockets in the bell. Each pair is clasped above by a triple band, from which issue two similar but smaller leaves, turning outwards on either side of a scroll. At the angle is a bifurcated leaf below two pairs of small leaves, the lower pair addorsed and the upper affronted.

R capital

Similar to L capital, but the leaves are badly weathered. In the arch, one row of alternating single and gaping chevrons projecting from the edge, and emerging from a recessed ground.

On the label is one row of lateral chevrons with serrated edges, the points touching a roll, the chevrons emphasized by reeding.

(iv) N doorway, nave

Round-headed, two orders.

Inside, the doorway is similar to the S doorway.

Dimensions

First order

Continuous, with pseudo-colonnettes, any bases concealed by paving.

Second order

Engaged keeled nook shafts on attic bases, the L damaged; plain neckings, carved capitals (see below) and hollow-chamfered impost blocks with a groove on the face.

L capital

Plain narrow leaves with furled tips, partly lost, rise up the bell, two on each face and one at the angle. Above are three small volutes on each face; the angle is damaged.

R capital

Two rows of plain hollowed leaves, five in the lower row, seven above, the tips eroded. In the arch, three rows of chevrons frontal to the face, emphasized by reeding. The label bears a keeled roll.

3. Exterior Decoration

a. String courses

(i) N porch portal

Above the N porch portal is a string course decorated with a single row of lateral chevrons, the lower points forming a serrated edge.

c. Corbel tables, corbels

(i) N porch

On the flanks of the nave below the eaves and across the N porch below the gable. The porch corbel table is decorated above with a row of nailhead or dogtooth.

N1: roll corbel

N2: roll corbel

N3: too eroded to enable the subject to be identified N4: head and torso of an atlantus wearing a cap, R arm raised, L arm missing

N5: a forward-facing bird, perhaps a peacock

N6: uncertain

N7: eroded, perhaps a bearded head

N8: roll corbel

N9: roll corbel

N wall, to E of porch:

N porch, N wall: 12 roll corbels

N porch, W wall: 6 roll corbels

N wall, to W of porch:

d. Miscellaneous

(i) Turrets

The two upper levels of the turrets flanking the W front have keeled angle shafts. The lower tier has trefoil-type trumpet scallop capitals, but with the upper lobes of the trefoil transformed into a bar and the shields recessed; the upper tier capitals have a single row of leaves forming volutes at the angles.

IV. Interior Features

1. Arches

b. Tower/Transept arches

(i) Tower arch

W tower arch

Pointed, three orders on each face.

First order

Engaged half-shafts on attic bases with worn spurs on N, plain neckings and trumpet scallop capitals with recessed shields; the moulding outlining their lower edge has a half-roll on the face and a groove beneath, and forms hyphens between the lobes. Hollow-chamfered impost blocks with a groove on the face. The reeded moulding below the chamfer turns downwards at the angles to project slightly over the capitals. Plain arch.

Second order, E side

Plain arch on impost blocks continuous with First order; the springers are cut by the 14thc. tower wall, which conceals any supports.

Third order, E side

Plain arch and hollow-chamfered label with a groove on the face, both mostly hidden behind the 14thc. tower wall.

Second order, W side

Slender keeled nook shafts, otherwise as first order. In the arch, point-to-point chevron with serrated edge, the points touching an angle roll and the chevrons emphasized by reeding.

Third order, W side

Continuous order of quadrant section. Plain hollow-chamfered label with a groove on the face.

4. Vaulting/Roof supports

d. Other

(i) N porch

One bay. Quadripartite vault, the ribs with two soffit rolls on either side of a hollow. Small pendant pear-shaped boss.

The diagonal ribs spring from small foliate corbels; that at the SW angle bears substantial traces of red paint.

Dimensions

SE respond

Keeled nook shaft on keeled attic base; plain necking and trefoil-type trumpet capital but with the upper lobes of the trefoil transformed into a bar and the shields recessed; hollow-chamfered imposts with a groove on the face.

SW respond

As SE respond

NW respond

Keeled nook shaft rising from stone bench, plain necking, double trumpet capital, the cones emerging from cusped pockets on the bell. The recessed shields are joined at the top, forming a rectangle with double-lobed lower edge. Above is a narrow convex moulding that turns down at the angles. Imposts continuous from N doorway.

NE respond

As NW respond except for the capital, which is badly eroded. In the centre of each face is a fluted leaf with bufurcated tip furling to L and R; above, similar but smaller leaves are addorsed on the face and affronted at the angle.

5. Interior Decoration

c. Miscellaneous

(i) Beast head

There is a beast-head stop at the W end of the S nave arcade; it was probably once the R label stop of the S doorway. The head has bared pointed teeth and protruding tongue, almond-shaped eyes with drilled pupils, small ears and furrowed hair. Parallel grooves run across the cheeks and nose, forming nested inverted Vs.

VI Loose Sculpture

(i) Circular cross-head

Resting against the wall of the S aisle is a circular cross-head, its top arm missing. The four joined pellets in the centre are surrounded by seven intersecting beaded straps, each strap forming a semicircular arch. The straps spring from an outer ring of loose two-stranded interlace with a pellet in the centre of ech loop. The L arm bears a lily and a plain four-petalled rosette, the R a chip-carved saltire with pellets between the arms of the cross and a four-petalled rosette with hollow petals.

Dimensions

VII History

A monastery was founded at Bredon in the 8thc., and annexed to the Bishop of Worcester in the 10thc. No traces of any buildings survive (Church guide). At DS both the manor and the advowson were held by the Bishop of Worcester.

VIII Comments/Opinions

Stratford in Pevsner 1968 (p.96, fn.) notes that continuous mouldings alternate with normal ones in the W bays of Worcester Cathedral and at Ripple, Bredon's Norton and Shrawley, among other places. The beast-head label stops can be compared with Ripple, and the chevron types with Eckington, Netherton and St Mary's, Shrewsbury, as well as with the W bays of the Cathedral and Holt (ibid.). The capitals also relate to those in the Cathedral (ibid.). Willis attributed the W tower arch to the master of the W bays of Worcester Cathedral; the work probably dates fromc.1190 (Pevsner 1968, 96).

IX Bibliography