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St Mary, Enville, Staffordshire

Location
(52°28′43″N, 2°15′38″W)
Enville
SO 824 868
pre-1974 traditional (England and Wales) Staffordshire
now Staffordshire
  • G. L. Pearson
  • Ron Baxter

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Feature Sets
Description

Enville is in the extreme SW of the county, less than 4 miles W of Dudley, but only 9 miles SE of Bridgnorth (Salop) and 6 miles N of Kidderminster (Worcs). The church is on a hill at the northern end of the village, and to the S and W are the extensive grounds of Enville Hall. St Mary's is a red sandstone church comprising a chancel with a N organ room; a nave with N and S aisles and a N porch; and a tower, incorporating a S porch, at the W end of the S aisle. The four-bay nave arcades are carried on cylindrical piers of coursed ashlar; the S arcade 12thc. and the N 13thc. but heavily restored. The tower does not respect the S arcade; i.e. its N wall blocks the W bay completely. The church was restored and enlarged by George Gilbert Scott in 1871-74. His work included the rebuilding of the chancel (including the organ room), the insertion of new aisle windows on both sides, the erection of new porches and the rebuilding of the tower. This has an elaborate crown based, according to Pevsner, on Gloucester Cathedral or Dundry. The tower was restored in 1990-92, following falls of masonry onto the aisle roof. Romanesque sculpture is found in the S nave arcade and on carved panels and corbels set into the spandrels above pier 1, on the nave and aisle sides.

History

In 1086, there was a tenant named Gilbert and three hides were held by William FitzAnsculf. The overlordship descended with the barony of Dudley. In 1176 and 1183 the manor was held by Ralph of Enville; it was subsequently held by William of Enville, and by Richard of Enville in 1207.

Benefice of Kinver and Enville.

Features

Interior Features

Arcades

Nave

Interior Decoration

Miscellaneous
Comments/Opinions

It is not clear whether the corbels were designed to support the figures, or whether all four carved stones are re-set (any re-setting probably took place during the 19thc. restorations). There are heads of similar size to these corbels in the spandrels of the N nave arcade at Overbury, Worcs, but there they are label stops. There is a seated figure above pier 3 of the N nave arcade at Stottesdon, Shropshire. Pevsner compares the arcade with nearby Bobbington. It may date fromc.1150-60.

Bibliography
E. Bennett, Short History of Enville Parish and Church. Undated (c.1900).
N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Staffordshire. Harmondsworth 1974, 129-30.
G. G. Smith, A Short History and Guide of the Church of St Mary the Virgin Enville. Kempsey 2000.
Victoria County History: Staffordshire. XX Seisdon hundred (S), (1984).