WESTON CHURCH - the mortar


The interior of this pleasant, though rather austere country church consists of a nave, central embattled tower, height 69ft. (21 m.), a chancel with a vestry in cream and very little of the stone work is decorative. The only colourful touches are provided by some stained glass and the tapestry hassocks.

The designs of the hassocks are varied and range from a regimental coat of arms to pictures of farm animals. The cushions on the chairs show the Knights Templar, who were patrons of the church in the thirteenth century. All furnishings have been made since 1970 by members of the parish.


The North Transept

The oldest part of the church is the north transept which is Norman. Here, the walls are very thick, 3ft. 2" (.96m.) and the roof is high pitched. In the north and west walls are small 12th century windows with semi-circular heads. On the eastern side is a blocked arch which may have opened into an apsidal chapel. The south transept is also present but has been completely altered by being incorporated into the south aisle. Nicholas Pevsner says that 'presumably the church had two apsidal transept chapels and an apsidal eastern end'.


The Nave

The original Norman nave has disappeared without trace and the existing one was built sometime before 1400. It is 44ft. long and 21ft. wide (13.4 x 6.4m.). The beams of the roof of the nave rest on corbels and the two lower ones in the centre are said to represent Henry 4th and his Queen. There are two 15th century traceried windows in the north wall. The modern stained glass in the one near the pulpit is a memorial to the Farr family who have farmed and lived in the parish since 1650;

Also on the north wall is a stone tablet in memory of Hannah Pryor. She was a member of another long-established Weston family. Mrs. Pryor gave lessons to the children of the parish in the part of the village hall now known as the reading room.

Beneath the window of three lights is a blocked 15th century doorway and there is another window of similar age in the west wall. The pulpit was bought from the churchwardens of St. Mary the Less, Cambridge, in 1840 and was used by Jeremy Taylor when he was vicar of that parish.


The Central Tower

The main feature of the church is the central tower with its Norman crossing and its four crossing arches. -Their height to the crowns is 13ft. 9" (4. 1 m.) and they are 9ft. 6" (2.9m.) wide. The crossing piers have cushion capitals of which the western pair are plain. The eastern pair, nearest the altar have abaci with a little billet or crescent decoration. In 1867 an attempt was made to gain entrance to the tower stairway from inside the church. This resulted in a partial collapse and the tower had to be rebuilt. The vicar of the time, the Reverend George de Vitre would have liked to have re-sited it on the position of tile present church porch. Fortunately for the preservation of the original cruciform design Mr. Robert Pryor of Weston Park persuaded him to allow rebuilding in the original central position. Mr. Pryor, whose family later became patrons of the living, paid almost the whole cost of the work. The tower was rebuilt on the old lines after a skeleton had been removed from the foundations and buried in the churchyard. The lead covered. wooden spire was not replaced and the upper part of the tower is modern. The present church clock was installed soon after in 1873.

In 1552 there were 'iiij Belle in the Steple'. However, the fate of these four mediaeval bells is not known and the earliest bell of the six now hanging in the tower is dated 1634. This bell is number three in the ring and was made by Miles Grav, junior, whose father cast the Tenor bell at Lavenham - one of the finest bells in England.

The Tenor bell in Weston Church tower was cast in 1682, weighs 10cwt 15lbs. (.5 tonne)and has an impression of a Charles 2nd coin on the waist. It is the bell that sounds the hour and there is a belief that when it sounds 'heavy' in the village it is calling someone to the churchyard. A strong east wind may be in part the reason for such a superstition, but the Tenor bell is still used as the knell occasionally. It was also the gleaning bell until the first World War and woe betide anyone who picked an ear of corn after it sounded at the beginning of the day or before it sounded at the end of the day, during the harvest. A new, treble bell was given by Mr. John Pryor in 1977 to celebrate the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Just inside the door from the south porch is a series of photographs of the priests of Weston, beginning with Benjamin Donne who died in 1864. Also near the main door is an oak table which was formerly the communion table in the Weston Methodist Church. It now holds the book of remembrance for all parishioners who have died since 1974


The South Aisle

The south aisle is perpendicular in style and may well have been added in the 15th century at the same time that the windows were inserted in the nave. It is separated from the nave by three bays with two-centred arches of two hollow chamfered orders. The octagonal columns have moulded capitals and bases. Above the arcade are four clerestory windows which may once have contained tracery. These now look into the heightened south aisle. The windows are of similar design to those in the nave. The glass of the east window was taken from a former chancel window and represents Our Lady, St John and the Crucifixion. The corbels at the sides of the roof are small and denote evil spirits crushed by the power of the church. In the corner by the organ is a 15th century piscina with a quarter round moulding.

The font, which is of the same date, stands at the western end of the south aisle. It is octagonal with quatrefoil panels on the moulded bowl and has a moulded and panelled stem.

The carved oak chest, which stands at the foot of the pillar just inside the door, was the gift of the Reverend N. Paine (1897-1901). The loaves which formed the bread charity, used to be placed on this chest on a Saturday, ready for distribution after morning service the next day. It was not unknown for the mice to be busy during the intervening night, so there was an anxious scramble after the blessing had been given. The charity was discontinued in this form some years before the second world war.

The main doorway is also 15th century and leads into a small porch. The outer doors were made by the Reverend Stutely Abbot (1926-1944) with the help of Frank Eldridge, one of his churchwardens.


The Chancel

The chancel was rebuilt in red brick in 1840 in the Norman style. The construction is lighter than the rest of the church, the walls being only 14" thick (.4m.). The bosses of the roof principals are modelled in cement and coloured to imitate oak. In 1902 the beautiful three light window made by Messrs. Powell and Whitefriars was inserted. The window represents the 'Adoration of the ascended Christ by saints and angels'.

There is a monument on the wall to John Fairclough, 1630. The Fairclough family lived at Halls Green, Weston, for a considerable time during the late middle ages. The inscription is in Latin; from a translation of which the following passages are quoted:-

"Epitaph on the most esteemed John Fairclough esquire, of Faircloth Hall. Virtue outlives the grave. -Thou wert worthy of a better site, a better sepulchre. 'Thou wert unwilling to sound forth grandly thy titles. This is thy praise, to have lived for God, for Country and for Kin, and to be able so to close thy last day that thou couldst say, life is happy, the grave happier and in such manner, full of years, he passed (much deplored) on the last day of December in the year of human salvation 1630, of his age 86, from this transitory to an everlasting life. By his most beloved and refined wife, illustrious as much by her virtues as by, birth, Anne Spencer, daughter of Thomas Spencer of Cophhull in the County of Bedford. esquire, he had two sons and eleven daughters. Thomas, the first born, married Maria Harvey, daughter of John Harvey of Thurleigh in the aforesaid county, esquire; by her he had two sons, viz. John and Lytton, now surviving, and one daughter deceased. The elder son, John, married Margaret Horne of Tibenham, in the county of Norfolk, gentleman."


Six Bells

1. Jubilee 1977 d.d. John Pryor. White chapel bell foundry-
Diameter 27 in. (.6m)

2. John Wayiett made me 1716
Diameter 281"4 in. (.7m)

3. (Blank)
Diameter 31 in. (.8m)

4. Milonem Gray me fecit 1634
Diameter 34 in. (.9m)

5. Cast by John Warner & Sons London 1867
Diameter 37 in. (.9m)

6. Richard Chandler made me 1682
Diameter 41 1/2 in. (1.1m)


Weston Church - Inventory
1553 (Cussans)

"Belonging to the pishe churche of Weston, &c.
Impimis one Chalice poz xiiij oz,. of haberdepoz.
Ite One old Cope of Damaske.
Ite ij Vestments of grene and rede silke.
Ite One Crosse of Cop.
Ite iiij bells in the staple."

Weston Church - Inventory
1771 (From Register)

"Inventory of books, vestments and ornaments belonging to ye parish church of Weston in the County of Hertford.

The books.

A Bible and a Common Prayer Book
The Book of homilies (folio).
The old Parchment Register for Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials.
The new Register for Marriages.

Vessels for ye Communion.

A Silver Place.
A silver Cup with a cover of the same.
A Pewter Flagon.

Vestments and ornaments.

A Surplice. A Hood or Tippet.
A green velvet cushion for ye Pulpit.
A Green Cloth for ye Pulpit.
A Green Cloth for ye Communion Table.
The linen cloth and napkin for the Communion Table.
Five Bells.

Jos: Read, Vicar.
Jos: Adams)
Robert Farr)
Churchwardens.

This inventory was presented at a parochial visitation
June 20th, 1771 to me Nic: Cholwell,
Archdeacon."


The Legend of Jack O'Legs

Jack O'Legs has always been a hero to us Weston people. He lived a very long time ago in a cave in the middle of Weston Wood. None of the wood is there now but the field there is still called The Cave and neighbouring ones, Weston Wood and Colsumers - that's Charcoalburner's - Oak.

He was a very big chap and traded on his strength to take a bob or two off any strangers that came by. His favourite place for this is still called Jack's Hill on the old Great North Road, but he never molested anyone in Weston. Indeed he used to walk into Weston to talk to his many friends, though he was so big he had to converse through their bedroom windows in the first floor, putting his elbows on the window sill.

One day in Spring when he came to Weston they said to him: "Oh dear, we don't know what we're going to do for a bite of bread. Last harvest was so bad we haven't got a bit of flour, left." "I know the miller at Baidock's got plenty," said Jack. "I'll see what I can do." and went down to the Black Horse mill on the River Ivel, broke in and carried a sack of flour back to his friends. This didn't last long and he had to go again and again.

One night the miller's mates hid behind the tombstones and sure enough along comes Jack. The let him pass, then jumping up, they clubbed him down. With the cruelty of those days they blinded him and said "Now we'll find a tree high enough to hang you on Jack."

"That's good, put me out of my misery," said poor old Jack. "i can't see to shoot you now. In fact you've got to bury me somewhere. Let me shoot towards home and bury me where the arrow falls."

So they put his bow into his hands and he took a great pull and shot off, from Baidock churchyard, remember, towards Weston and he overshot his cave and hit Weston church tower and there's his grave -15 foot long, it is- just inside the churchyard gate. Jolly good shot, about three miles.


Weston Church - Sources and Acknowledgements

Sources


Acknowledgements


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