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All Saints Hoby Stonework Key: 1 Description 2 Material 3 Date 4 Measurements 5 Artist 6 Maker 7 History 8 Donor 9 Memorial Inscription 10 References
The condition of items in this Section appears to be satisfactory unless otherwise stated.
200 HIGH ALTAR Phs SANCTUARY, E wall
1 The table of the high altar is a large stone mensa with rear-side flat and fixed to the east wall. The sides and front of the mensa have two grooves running parallel to the top of the slab, cavetto moulding and chamfered moulding below. The upper surface of the mensa has two remaining consecration crosses engraved into the two corners at the back of the slab. There is damage to the edge of the slab which is chipped and eroded in places. The top surface is slightly dipped in the centre and has some smooth areas that appear as repairs – other areas pitted. Deeply scored random grooves are cut across the centre of the top surface but do not form a recognisable pattern.
The mensa is supported by a panelled wooden frame, the front of sixteen bays with applied Gothic tracery, featuring trefoil arches and foliar designs, and holding painted aluminium plates which form the altar frontal.
The frontal has sixteen apertures, in two rows of eight, which display dual-faced, painted, metal panels.
A: Four panels: Angel with red wings holding a blue shield with the words: Holy/Alleluia/Lord/ Almighty.
B: Four panels: Angel with blue wings holding a red shield with the words: Holy/Alleluia/Lord/God.
C: Eight panels: Floral group in white, gold and green on a black background with the words: O Lord God / God the the Father Almighty / Heavenly King / We worship Thee / We praise Thee / We bless Thee / We glorify Thee / We give thanks to Thee.
D: Eight panels: Floral group in white, blue and gold on a red background.
E: Eight panels: The Sacred Monogram IHS on a gold, with red, background with black foliage.
Sides and back are plain and open. The base is a late 16th century (ref a) memorial stone (See Memorials 001) with wooden surround.
2 Limestone mensa, dark-stained oak frame, unstained oak surround, aluminium panels, paint
3 Mensa Pre-reformation (ref b), oak frame/table 20th c (refs c and d), painted aluminium panels completed by Miss Erskine in 1908 (ref e)
4 Mensa h.18 x w. 252 x d. 90cm
Wooden Altar Frame h. 108 x w. 216 x d. 64cm
Wooden surround h. 6 x w. 253x d. 235cm
Each aluminium panel: h. 21.5 x w. 16.5cm
5 Miss Alice Erskine of Stamford (1858-1947) painted the aluminium frontal panels
6 –
7 The mensa ‘was rescued from the floor of the nave’ and ‘restored to its original position in 1862’. (ref b) However, in May 1904, there is a reference to a ‘new oak holy table’ (ref c) but in the Accounts Book for Easter 1906, the Holy table to hold paintings on aluminium was reported as complete (ref d). The Accounts Book for April 1st 1908 states that the altar is reported as completed with panels by Miss Erskine (ref e).
Miss Erskine was a designer and painter, including stained-glass. She was an independent artist, along with others, who used the studio facilities of The Glass House, Lettice Street, Fulham, London. This company was founded in 1896 by the influential Mary Lowndes who had been influenced by the Arts & Crafts style, and the Suffragette movement. (ref f).
8-9 –
10 a) Nichols p 267 b) Brief History of All Saints’ Church, Hoby c) Hoby with Rotherby Parish Magazine, May, 1904 d) All Saints Hoby Accounts, 1906 e) All Saints Hoby Accounts, 1908 f) V&A Archive of Art and Design
201 PISCINA Phs CHANCEL, S wall
1 The piscina has a hooded, pointed arch with nail-head design and foliated stops. It is supported by colonnettes with roll-moulded pedestals and roll-moulded capitals. A trefoil arch forms the underside of the piscina cavity. The back is constructed of ashlar slabs. Signs of a bevelled edge still exist on the ironstone base. It has a rectangular depression in the centre with slanting sides but no drain hole. There is evidence of limestone-repaired inserts in the ironstone pointed arch. The ironstone base is crumbling and in very poor condition.
2 Limestone and ironstone
3 C 1300 (ref a)
4 h. 115 x w. 64 x d. 26cm
5-9 –
10 Pevs p 178
202 WINDOW ARCH Phs CHANCEL, S wall
For Window see Windows 701
1 Over the window in the south wall of the chancel is a roll-moulded, pointed arch, supported by slender, engaged colonnettes with roll-moulded capitals and bases.
2 Limestone
3 14th c (ref a)
4-6 –
7 The Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby states that ‘the reconstructed window in the south wall is 14th century’. Pevsner also notes, ‘Chancel rebuilt during Ewan Christian’s general restoration of 1863-4’ and ‘In the chancel an equally characteristic (re-used) s window; mullions formed as circular shafts with capitals’. (ref b)
8-9 –
10 a) Brief History of All Saints’ Church, Hoby b) Pevs p 178-9
203 CHANCEL ARCH Ph NAVE
1 A pointed arch of two orders, both chamfered. The outer arch springs directly from the engaged shafts, with an impost on the nave and chancel sides. The inner arch springs from the multi-moulded, semi-hexagonal capitals. The shafts have octagonal, moulded capitals and small, octagonal bases, the one to the south being partially obscured by the rood screen and the one to the north showing some signs of damage which may have been sustained when the chancel was restored in 1863-4. (ref a)
2 Limestone
3 1216 (ref b)
4-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 179 b) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby
204 STRING COURSE Ph S AISLE, E wall
1 A moulded string course begins to the right of the chancel arch and runs under the window in the east wall of the south aisle, forming the front of the window ledge. The string course continues, running the entire length of the south aisle, surmounting the sedilia, and forming the ledges of the two windows in the aisle, stopping when it meets the south doorway. It resumes its course to the right of the south doorway, running along the west wall, forming the ledge of the west window, stopping finally when it meets the north wall of the south aisle.
2 Limestone
3 1216 (ref a)
4 Measurement from floor 136cm, from floor to above sedilia 188cm 5-9 –
10 a) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby
205 WINDOW ARCH Ph LADY CHAPEL, E wall
For window see Windows 702
1 Over the window in the east wall of the south aisle is a roll-moulded, pointed arch supported by slender engaged colonnettes with roll-moulded capitals and octagonal bases, a larger, lower base being surmounted by a smaller upper one. Above this arch is a roll-moulded hood mould with mask stops. The right hand mask is of a female head wearing a wimple and a veil with short draped sides. The face is finely carved showing wide eyes with lids, a long nose with defined nostrils and a closed mouth. The left hand mask is probably male as he is wearing a little round cap but his face has been hewn in half diagonally and shows half a forehead and one eye only.
2 Limestone
3 14th c
4-6 –
7 The window arch is probably 14th as suggested in the Brief History of All Saints, Hoby. (ref a). Pevsner notes the style is characteristic Perpendicular: ‘S aisle windows (renewed) of characteristic forms, especially the four-light E window with pointed trefoils and foiled circles.’ (ref b).
8-9 –
10 a) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby b) Pevs p 178
206 MENSA Ph LADY CHAPEL, E wall
1 In the Lady Chapel the stone mensa under the east window is a simple slab with a deep bevelled edge. No consecration crosses are evident on the top of the slab. It is supported at the rear by a solid slab of stone which is fixed to the wall. At the front it rests on ‘two altered 13th century supports (apparently not performing their original function) (ref a). The base is a tombstone, probably 16th century. (See Memorials 009). A band of nail-head decoration is carved along the top of the support at the front and side. A dogtooth band runs vertically towards the outer edge and a ridge is seen near the base of the supports only at the front and outer side. The outer front corner of each of the two supports is curved with a rolled edge. The stone aspect of the interior side and back of each support appears rough. The mensa is damaged on the left hand corner.
2 Limestone
3 Pre-reformation mensa (probably), 13th c supports (ref a), 16th c tombstone base (ref c)
4 Whole: h. 95 x w. 209 x d. 85cm Slab: h. 18 x w. 209 x d. 85cm Supports: h. 77 x w. 28 x d. 23cm
5-6 –
7 The old stone altar was placed in the ‘Villars’, which is now known as the south aisle Lady Chapel – recorded in 1906-7. (ref d) There is some confusion, however, about dates – and stone tables – as there is also a reference in 1915 to the ‘300-year old stone being placed on the new Holy table’. (ref e) The latter is presumably not the high altar table as that was reported as complete in 1908. (ref f)
8-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 179 b) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby c) Greenhill p 85 d) The Parochial Church Register, 1906-7 e) All Saints Hoby Accounts, 1915 f) All Saints Hoby Accounts, 1908
207 PISCINA Ph S AISLE, S wall
1 Over the piscina is a moulded, pointed arch which is abruptly cut off at the ends and unsupported by columns. There is also an inner, moulded, trefoiled, pointed arch. The bowl of the piscina is scooped out in a circular shape but this is intersected by a much larger circular hole to the front which opens into the stonework beneath, forming a large cavity. Whether or not this was a drain hole is unclear. The inner arch is damaged whether by cutting or erosion is unclear.
2 Limestone
3 1216 (ref a), c 1300 (ref b)
4-9 –
10 a) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby b) Pevs p178
208 SEDILIA Phs S AISLE, S wall
1 The sedilia recess is set below two moulded, pointed arches. Only one sedile, the upper one for the clergy, remains, the surface of which has been drilled with a number of holes, the purpose of which is unclear. There are three orders of arch, a rolled arch within the recess with a fillet. The middle order has no vertical supports although there is evidence of their having existed remains and a central springing with an abrupt ending. The hood mould has foliated stops between the two arches and on the right side. The foliated stops appear to be acanthus leaf balls.
There is considerable damage, erosion and repair to the sedilia. The left side of the middle order has been hacked off and the central impost and column are missing. The hood mould has a foliated stop missing from the left side. The hood mould appears to have been originally of iron stone but inserts of limestone have been used to repair it.
2 Limestone and ironstone
3 13th c (ref a)
4 Sedilia: h. 192 x w. 196 x d. 32cm Clergy seat: h. 55 x w. 80 x d. 38cm 5-9 –
10 a) Pevs p178
209 FONT Phs S AISLE, E wall
1 The limestone font is octagonal in shape with plain, straight sides which are chamfered inwards at the bottom to meet with the octagonal stem which has four broaches positioned alternately on four of its flat sides, giving it the appearance of having four corners. There is a rusted metal loop on one corner of the rim of the bowl and a metal spike (what remains of a corresponding metal loop now sheared off?) on the opposite side. The loop and spike fit into slots in the octagonal, wooden lid to secure it in place. The bowl is lead-lined and there is evidence of a central drain hole, now filled in. The unadorned sides of the font are scored and scratched with numerous grooves and the side facing the south door has a crudely scored cross. One corner of the rim of the font is damaged, missing a large chip of stone.
The font is mounted on a rectangular plinth composed of three, stepped tiers of stone which form a straight and upright edge by the west wall. The largest, bottom tier is composed of slabs of stone and protrudes on three sides of the rectangle to form a step. One slab, nearest the nave pews, has carving on it, ‘Part of a cross, date uncertain. Built in as part of the bottom step font W. end of south aisle.’ (ref a) The second tier is a 16th century alabaster memorial stone (ref b) (See Memorials 013) on which the decorative edge and inscription are still faintly visible. This stone, on which the font rests, also protrudes on three sides only, forming a second step. The third and top tier, also alabaster, forms a further step behind the font on which the priest would stand.
2 Limestone and alabaster
3 13th c (ref c)
4 Font: h. 48 x w. 63 x d.17cm Stem: h. 56 x w. 37cm Plinth: Lower tier: l. 215 x w.134 x d.9cm Middle tier: l. 97 x w. 95 x d.13cm Upper tier: l. 99 x w. 69 x d. 9cm 5-6 –
7 The font was restored to its original position in the south aisle in 1904 (ref d) 8-9 –
10 a) F.A. Greenhill, Incised Slabs of Leicestershire & Rutland, Leicester Archaeological and Historical Society 1958, p 85 b) and c) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby d) Hoby with Rotherbury Parish Magazine – Parochial Register 1904.
209A FONT LID Ph S AISLE, E wall
1 The lid is octagonal, composed of three oak panels with decorative ironwork screwed into it, forming a central cross with each of the four arms terminating in a fleur de lys. There is a circular metal fixture holding a ring with which to lift the heavy lid. On one of the sides of the octagon there is a slit into which the metal loop on the rim of the font bowl slots and on the underside of the opposite edge is a small hole into which the metal spike on the rim of the font bowl fits. One of the octagonal sides is chipped.
2 Oak
3 Unknown
4 Diameter: 62 x d. 4cm
5-10 –
210 STONE PIECES Phs S AISLE, W wall
1 Eight misshapen pieces of masonry are located under the bench below the west window of the south aisle. One piece has remnants of moulded column and another is carved with a trefoil. The remainder are very damaged and misshapen.
2 Limestone
3 Unknown
4-10 –
211 STONE BUTTRESSES Ph NAVE, TOWER wall
1 On each side of the tower wall is a projection of stonework which appears to have been built to strengthen the construction of the tower. These projections rise in a wedge shape from just above the springing of the arches of the arcade to the roof. The stonework begins as single blocks of stone but becomes a double layer from just under the clerestory and continues in this way to the roof.
2 Limestone
3 ‘Late C13 W tower’ (ref a)
4-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 178
212 TOWER ARCH Ph NAVE, W wall
1 The tower arch is a chamfered, pointed arch. On the nave side, the outer arch is built into and supported by the tower wall, with the inner arch springing from the octagonal pier. On the tower side the inner arch springs from the octagonal pier but hastwo outer arches which spring from the wall of the interior of the tower. The octagonal base on the south side is very eroded.
2 Limestone
3 ‘Late C13 W tower’ (ref a)
4-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 178
213 TOWER DOORWAY Ph TOWER, N W corner
1 There is a doorway, now sealed with blocks of stone, which would have led to the tower stairs, access to which is now from a door in the external wall of the tower. Over the doorway is a pointed arch, rather crudely formed of three irregular pieces of stone, the right hand one being considerably larger than the other two. Over this arch is a further rounded, segmented arch which has been rendered over in parts and pointed to resemble blocks of stone. A wooden step has been placed over the threshold and two wooden shelves have been inserted into the doorway, the upper one at eye level, forming a narrow shelf, and the lower one forming a table supported by a single wooden leg. (See Woodwork 357)
2 Limestone
3 ‘Late C13 W tower’ (ref a)
4-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 178
214 NICHE Phs N AISLE, W wall
1 The niche in the west wall corresponds to a blocked-up arch in the exterior stone wall, indicating this was once a doorway. However, the rectangular niche inside is shown from the floor level to the height of the window lintel above, but outside the height is indicated by a much smaller lower pointed shape for the doorway. The rectangular shape of the niche is curved at each side as it reaches the lintel. A grotesque, carved mask is present, set well back within the left side wall of the niche and what appears to be a more conventional face on the right shown with a mediaeval hair style. However, this carving is very badly eroded.
Wooden shelves have been inserted into the niche.
To the rear of the lower half of the recess, a memorial slab has been attached to the wall with metal brackets.
(See Memorials 017)
2 Limestone niche, ironstone masks
3 Unknown
4 h. 184 x w. 103, at top 85 x depth 36 cm
5-10 –
215 ROOF CORBELS Phs N AISLE
1 Along the north wall are five corbels which bear the weight of the large roof beams and on the south wall of the aisle are five corresponding corbels. Below these are eight smaller ones, which hold up the horizontal roof beam above the arcade. All are the same simple, curved shape. Three of the eight smaller corbels are damaged.
2 Limestone
3 Pevsner describes the north aisle roof as ‘largely Perp’ (ref a) which dates it between 1380 and 1550 and the Church Guide refers to the north aisle as being ‘later’ (ref b) than 13th c.
4-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 179 b) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby.
216 ARCADES Phs NAVE
1 The two arcades of four bays on the north and south sides of the nave are composed of matching pairs of pointed chamfered arches of two orders with octagonal responds at the east and west walls. The westernmost pair of columns is octagonal with octagonal moulded capitals and bases which stand on square stone plinths. The two other pairs of columns are of ‘unusual shapes, one pair round with four attached demi
shafts with fillets, the other four main round shafts of rectangular section. Double chamfered arches without hoods: some of the chamfers have little broaches carved as fleurs-de-lys’. (ref a) The broaches on the outer arches are plain. The capitals and bases of these rounded columns are correspondingly moulded and rounded and stand on square stone plinths. Some of the bases have been repaired with cement and the stone plinths are very eroded.
2 Limestone
3 13 c (ref b)
4-6 –
7 ‘The bases of the pillars in the nave suggest that it was built on the site of an older church’. (ref c)
8-9 –
10 a) and b) Pevs p179 c) Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby.
217 GRAFFITI Phs ARCADE PIERS, NAVE
1 On a number of the piers of the arcade, but mostly on the pier nearest the south door, at eye level, there is much graffiti. The marks include numerous crosses, crude circles, compass-drawn designs, grids and diagonal scoring as well as some very faint ornate scoring. There are also the remains of some form of chalky, red distemper on one or two of the piers. See key on church plan for piers with graffiti and distemper.
2 Limestone
3 Unknown (ref a and b)
4-6 –
7 Apotropaic ‘VV’ marks, grid designs and crosses, ritual protection marks made by medieval masons to fend off demonic forces, are etched into many of the piers. Dating of such marks is imprecise but likely to be between 13th c and 17th c. (ref a) ‘…the vast majority of all graffiti crosses that have been recorded are invariably round the doorways or in the church porch. There does seem to be a bias towards the south door, which was the most usual entrance to the church…’. There is debate about the purpose of these crosses, ‘Were these [crosses}carved by those ready to take a vow of pilgrimage? Did these crosses represent the vow itself, carved there as an act of faith and undertaking? Or were these carved by pilgrims who had returned safely to the parish from which they had set out, wanting to leave a mark of thanksgiving for their safe return?’ (ref b)
8-9 –
10 a) James Wright’s AS lecture, ‘Cultural Anxieties and Ritual Protection in High Status Early Modern Homes’, 28.03.18. b) Matthew Champion, Medieval Church Graffiti, Ebury Press, pp 63-64
Details Pier A
Details Pier B
Details Pier C
Details Pier D
219A SOUTH DOORWAY Phs S AISLE, S wall For doors see Woodwork 369 A
INTERIOR
1 The south aisle door, which serves as the main entrance to the church and leads to the churchyard, has over it a chamfered, shallow pointed arch composed of blocks of ashlar stone, supported by similar blocks. Within this arch is a deeply set pointed arch of very smooth ashlar stone which meets flush with the door.
2 Limestone
3 c. 1300? (ref a)
4 h. 285 x w. 153 x d. 40cm
5-9 –
10 a) The aisles are of a later date than the nave and clerestory, the latter added in 14th c. Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby.
EXTERIOR S wall
1 Over the door is a pointed arch of six orders, springing from three piers of three clustered shafts topped with rounded abaci. The inner and outer piers are edged with a concave groove running down to floor level from two small concave trefoils. Over this arch is a hood mould with two mask stops of crowned heads, on the left a male and on the right a female. No reference to this arch was found in any of our texts and it is difficult to identify or date the heads. There are some signs of erosion on the masks and some chipping on the abaci.
2 Limestone
3 c 1300? (ref a) Whilst the doorway is typical of c 1300, the masks are difficult to date and identify.
4 h. 252 x w. 139 x d. 17cm
5-6 –
7 There was once a porch over the south doorway as old photographs show. The tiled area in front of the door, which would have formed the porch floor, remains.
8-9 –
10 a) The aisles are of a later date than the nave and clerestory, the latter added in 14th c. Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby.
219B NORTH DOORWAY Phs N AISLE, N wall For doors see Woodwork 369 B
INTERIOR
1 Over the door, which leads to the churchyard, is a semi-circular rere-arch of very large stone blocks within which is deeply set an equilateral Gothic arch, the area in between these two arches being filled in with regular stonework.
2 Limestone and ironstone
3 c 1300? (ref a)
4 h. 220 x w. 113 x 20cm
5-9 –
10 a) The aisles are of a later date than the nave and clerestory, the latter added in 14th c. Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby.
EXTERIOR N wall
1 Over the door is a hooded arch with concave moulding on the inner arch. The arch springs from a moulded ledge supported by large blocks of ashlar stone with concave carving on them.
2 Limestone
3 c 1300? (ref a)
4 h. 220 x w. 113 x 20cm
5-9 –
10 a) The aisles are of a later date than the nave and clerestory, the latter added in 14th c. Brief History of All Saints Church, Hoby.
219C VESTRY DOOR Phs CHANCEL, N wall For doors see Woodwork 369 C
INTERIOR
1 Over the door, which leads from the chancel to the vestry, is a shallow pointed arch composed of two huge blocks of stone which are chamfered on the underside. These blocks bear very faint writing (painted?) in large Gothic script which could not be deciphered. The arch is supported by blocks of stone which form part of the regular stonework of the chancel. Wood is used under the arch to accommodate the door which is Gothic in style.
2 Limestone
3 1863-4 (ref a)
4 h.205 x w.87 x d.18cm
5 Architect Ewan Christian rebuilt the chancel in 1863-4. (ref a) 6-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 179
INTERIOR LEADING TO CHANCEL Ph VESTRY, S wall
1 Over the door which leads from the vestry to the chancel is a chamfered, Gothic arch which runs smoothly in an unbroken curve into the blocked stonework uprights of the doorway.
2 Limestone
3 1863-4 (ref a)
4 h. 205 x w. 87 x d.19cm
5 Architect Ewan Christian rebuilt the chancel in 1863-4. (ref a) 6-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 179
VESTRY DOOR INTERIOR TO CHURCHYARD N wall For doors see Woodwork 369 D
1 Over the vestry door which leads to the churchyard is a solid block of ashlar stone, forming a flat lintel. The uprights are composed of stone blocks.
2 Limestone
3 1863-4 (ref a)
4 h.199 x w.100 x d.21cm
5 Architect Ewan Christian rebuilt the chancel in 1863-4. (ref a) 6-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 179
EXTERIOR N wall
1 Over the door which leads from the churchyard into the vestry is a shouldered, chamfered arch cut from one piece of stone. The uprights are also constructed of large ashlar blocks, with the base blocks at either side forming a rainwater ledge with broach decoration.
2 Limestone
3 1863-4 (ref a)
4 h.191 x w. 84 x d. 16cm
5 Architect Ewan Christian rebuilt the chancel in 1863-4. (ref a) 6-9 –
10 a) Pevs p 179
