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I Location

II General Description

The church has an aisled nave (the S arcade Romanesque, the N of 1887) and a later medieval chancel and SW tower. Romanesque sculpture is found in the W doorway of the nave, moved from the N wall in 1831, and in the S nave arcade.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) W doorway, nave (reset)

Round-headed, two orders. Arch now slightly depressed; some original features damaged or omitted.

First order

Engaged quadrant nook shafts directly on plinths; no neckings, carved capitals (see below) and plain hollow-chamfered impost blocks, the foliage from the capitals intruding into the hollow.

L capital: symmetrically carved; in the centre of each face is a tripartite leaf with fluted surface and scalloped edge, which is flanked on either side by a furled leaf, turning to L and R respectively, two of them meeting at the angle. Scrolled tendrils emerge from the tops of these leaves, to frame a horizontal projection on the impost hollow.

R capital: symmetrically carved; a plain leaf with central rib and scrolled tip at the angle flanked to R and L by a furled leaf with scalloped edge. In the arch, one row of freestanding straddling directional chevron (alternate directions in pairs).

Second order

Detached nook shafts on eroded bulbous bases with vestigial spurs. No neckings, carved capitals (see below) and imposts continuous with first order; major losses on R.

L capital: two rows of plain leaves, the tips forming volutes, with the tip of a scalloped leaf in the centre of each face at the top.

R capital: major losses, but similar to first order, R capital, except that the leaves on the faces project onto the adjacent walls. In the arch, two rows of lateral hyphenated chevrons on the face, similar on the soffit, meeting hyphen to hyphen, the outer chevrons on the face outlined by a hollow. The design is interrupted towards the top of the arch, where three voussoirs have lateral chevrons on face and soffit meeting the double angle roll point-to-point. Rosettes in the lozenges formed on the edge, and trefoil leaves in the outer triangular fields. Plain roll on label.

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

c. Nave

Dimensions

(i) S arcade

Round-headed, three bays.

E respond: engaged half-column on spurred torus base; plain necking, short trumpet scallop capital with thick tapered wedge mouldings between the cones; plain chamfered impost.

Bay 1: plain arch, two orders on each face.

Pier 1: cylindrical pier on spurred torus base; plain necking, shallow trumpet-scallop capital with recessed shields and thick tapered wedge mouldings between the cones; plain chamfered impost.

Bay 2: as bay 1.

Pier 2: as pier 1, but with plain shields (?unfinished) and the trumpets rising vertically up the bell before turning sharply outwards.

Bay 3: as bays 1 and 2.

At the W end of the arcade, the arch rests on a figured corbel of later date.

VII History

The manor of Eckington was granted to Westminster Abbey by Edward the Confesser; it had previously belonged to Pershore Abbey. In 1086 Urse the Sheriff held part of the Abbey's lands at Eckington; in the 12thc. this estate was held by his descendant William Beauchamp. The patronage of the church was confirmed to the Prior of Great Malvern, a cell of Westminster, in 1217.

VIII Comments/Opinions

Chevrons containing rosettes (W doorway, second order) are also found at Bredon, Netherton and Shrawley; Netherton and Eckington could have been carved by the same hand (Stratford in Pevsner 1968, 140, fn.).

IX Bibliography