BISHOP'S WALTHAM HUNDRED DROXFORD 



order on the west has nook-shafts with foliate capitals, 

 and small shafts with scalloped capitals are worked on 

 the western angles of the inner order. 



The nave is of three bays, with a north arcade of 

 wide pointed arches of a single order springing from 

 plain rectangular piers, with square-edged chamfered 

 strings at the springing. All arches have a plain 

 chamfered label towards the n.ive, and the eastern arch 

 has an edge-roll on arch and jambs, the other having 

 plain chamfered angles. 



The south arcade has pointed arches of two cham- 

 fered orders without labels, the outer order dying into 

 the walls at the east and west of the nave without 

 responds, while the inner is carried on half-round 

 moulded corbels of mid-thirteenth-century character. 

 There is a clearstory on the north side only, of two 

 three-light windows, a pointed light between two 

 square heads ; on the south the roof is carried 

 without a break over the nave and south aisle. 



The north aisle has two square-headed north 

 windows of late fifteenth or early sixteenth-century 

 date, each of two cinquefoiled lights with pierced 

 spandrels, and in the west wall is a plain square- 

 headed two-light window of the date of the tower. 

 The wall in which it is set is in part of late twelfth- 

 century date, the original north-west quoins of the 

 former aisle being visible and showing the extent to 

 which the aisle was widened at the later rebuilding. 

 The blocked doorway in the north wall was formerly 

 the north doorway of the aisleless twelfth-century 

 church, and like the contemporary south doorway 

 must have been twice moved and reset. Both have 

 semicircular arches of two orders with a chamfered label, 

 the label enriched with tooth-moulding on the upper 

 member and a zigzag on the chamfer, while the outer 

 order has a beaded cable mould and three rows of 

 horizontal zigzag, and the inner order is plain. The 

 outer order has nook-shafts in the jambs with moulded 

 bases, and capitals scalloped in the north doorway 

 and simply foliate in the south. On the east jamb 

 on the south doorway is an incised sun-dial. 



The south aisle has the same arrangement of 

 windows as the north, of the same detail and dates, 

 and in its west wall is similar evidence of widening. 

 The west tower, built in 1599, is finished with 

 modern red-brick battlements, the north and south 

 windows of the upper stage being of two lights in 

 brick, while the east and west windows are of modern 

 stonework, with four-centred heads to the lights. In 

 the middle stage is a square-headed window of three 

 lights, and another in the ground stage over the west 

 doorway. The stonework is nearly entirely modern 

 here, and over the latter window is a tablet with the 

 date 1599, also ' n modern stonework. At the north- 

 west angle of the tower is a projecting rectangular 

 stair turret. 



The roofs of the church seem to have been entirely 

 renewed in the eighteenth century, when plaster 

 cornices and ceiling were added, and the chancel roof 

 was tiled and hipped at the east. Plaster coved eaves 

 were added to the north and south chapels, and a 

 cornice with mutules to the chancel, and there are 

 traces of internal painted decoration of this date. 

 The altar rails are an interesting example of seven- 



teenth-century date, with heavy rails and posts 

 crowned by finials in two cases, and balustrades of 

 turned shafts. The other fittings of the church are 

 modern, the panelling round the east end of the 

 chancel being a very good piece of work. In the 

 north chapel on the south and east walls parts of an 

 eighteenth-century masonry pattern decoration remain 

 in red lines, with floral sprays in each block. 



The font is modern, of twelfth-century design, with 

 a square bowl on a central and four angle pillars. 



In the north chapel is a brass plate with an inscrip- 

 tion to Edward Searle, farmer, 1617, and close to it 

 a marble slab with the indent of an inscription plate. 

 In the south chapel is the effigy already referred to, a 

 poor figure in Purbeck marble of a lady in long gown 

 with hanging sleeves and a jewel hung round her 

 neck. 



There are four bells, the treble of 1606, the second 

 recast 1899 from a bell of 1631, and the third and 

 tenor of 1672. 



The plate consists of a silver cup and paten of 1737, 

 and a cup, paten, and flagon of 1632. 



The registers begin in 1633, the first book going 

 to 1736, but the marriages end in 1701 and the 

 burials in 1727. The second book is of burials in 

 woollen, 1678-1739, and the third has baptisms 

 1778-1812, marriages 1732-54, and burials 1740- 

 1812. The fourth and fifth have marriages 1754-90 

 and 1790-1812. 



The church of ST. B4RN4BAS, SW4NMORE, 

 erected in 1845, is of stone and flint, in twelfth-cen- 

 tury style, the south aisle and tower being added in 

 1876-7. The register dates from 1845. 



The church of ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, 

 SHEDFIELD, built in 1875, replaces an older 

 structure on the same site, the tower of which still 

 stands in the churchyard. The register dates from 

 1829. 



The earliest mention of Droxford 

 dDPOfrSONS church is in 1280, when the king 

 presented to the living because of a 

 vacancy in the see," the usual patron being the bishop 

 of Winchester." The advowson was surrendered with 

 the manor to the crown by Bishop Poynet in 1551," 

 was granted by the king in the same year to William 

 earl of Wiltshire,* 6 and restored to the bishopric in 

 1 5 58." The living is a rectory, and was entered in 

 the Valor Ecclesiasticus among the ' peculiar benefices ' 

 of the bishop, 88 in whose gift it still remains. 39 



Swanmore was constituted a consolidated chapelry 

 and ecclesiastical district in 1846.' The living is a 

 vicarage in the gift of the bishop of Winchester. 



In 1829 Shedfield was constituted an ecclesiastical 

 parish. The living is a vicarage in the gift of the 

 rector of Droxford. There is a Primitive Metho- 

 dist chapel at Droxford, built in 1886; another on 

 Shirrell Heath (now in Shedfield parish), built in 

 1864 ; and another at Swanmore, built in 1863. 



Henry Collins, by will 1679, 

 CHARITIES charged a close called Clever's Close in 

 Bishop's Waltham with the payment 

 of 3O/. a year, 5*. to be paid to each of six of the 

 poorest people in Swanmore yearly for ever on the 

 Thursday before Easter. 



83 Cat. of Pat. 1272-81, p. 416. 

 * Winton. Epis. Reg. Egerton MSS. 

 2031-4. 



85 Pat. 5 Edw. VI, pt. 6, m. 20. 



86 Pat. 5 Edw. VI, pt. 4, m. 39. 



87 Pat. 4 & 5 Phil, and Mary, pt, 7, 

 m. 20. 



88 Vahr Eccl. (Rec. Com.), ii, App. 



8 Inst. Bks. P.R.O. 



Land. Gas. 21 April, 1846. 



287 



