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Little Faringdon Church (dedication Unknown)

Little Faringdon

Oxfordshire

C12, extended c.1200 and C14 with later additions and alterations

Architectural Features

Nave: mainly C12 fabric with original eaves line visible on north, south and west sides, heightened c.1500

South side: square-headed clerestory windows (c.1500) with 2 round-headed lights and label to either side of C14 gabled porch

Infilled probably C14 semi-circular arch to right of porch with 3-light C18 window inserted, formerly led to chapel

West side: narrow round-headed C12 window below original eaves cornice and 2-light square-headed window with good Perpendicular tracery (c.1500) above

Chancel: C12 with plain corbel table and string course

East end, buttressed to centre and with clasping buttresses to angles, has 2 early C13 lancets linked by continuous hoodmould

North and south sides each have C12 round-headed windows to either side of central buttress, arrangement on north concealed by C19 vestry, embattled with 2 lancets on north and cambered doorway to east side

Transitional 3-bay north arcade has deeply moulded round-headed arches with carved heads to spandrels and apexes

Circular piers with square bases and corner spurs have mixture of stiff-leaf and stiff-leaf and late late Romanesque flat-leaf carving to capitals

Similar carving to capitals of semi-circular corbelled responds

Traces of former screen across arch visible and C14 trefoil-headed piscina immediatelv to left

Stepped splays to C12 west window and aisle windows and carved angels as label-stops to west clerestory window

Probably C19 arch-braced roof in 3 bays has carved bosses to principal rafters and plastered-over common rafters

Chancel with continuous string course and deeply-splayed window reveals has C14 aumbry below north-east window with cusped head and ball-flower ornament to pinnacles

C12 rub-shaped font on later base

Stained glass: late C19 and early C20 except for collection of medieval fragments, including a mid-C13 rounded possibly from Salisbury Cathedral, in first window from east in nave

also some early C17 Netherlandish pieces in same window

Monuments

The early C13 remodelling of the chapel may possibly be associated with the maintenance of a grange here by the Citercian Abbey of Beaulieu

Photo coming soon