Church of St Bartholomew

Church of St Bartholomew

A parish church on the south side of Newport Road, Tong. The building dates from circa 1260 but was largely rebuilt around 1410 when Elizabeth de Pembruge founded a chantry college here. A south chapel was added around 1515, and the entire church underwent restoration between 1889 and 1892 by the architect Ewan Christian. The structure is built in ashlar with lead roofs.

The church comprises a three-bay nave with four-bay aisles extending eastwards to form transepts, a central tower and spire, a south transeptal chapel, a three-bay chancel, and a north vestry. Throughout the exterior there is a moulded cill string, continuous hoodmould, buttresses with set-backs and pinnacles above, a parapet string, and a battlemented parapet (except to the aisles).

The tower rises in three stages. The second stage is square with corner pinnacles, while the bell stage is octagonal with chamfered corners. It features a string course, parapet string, and a battlemented parapet with corner pinnacles, topped by a short spire with pinnacled gabled lucarnes and a finial bearing a weathervane. The second stage has two-light windows to north and south with hoodmoulds, and two-light louvred bell-chamber openings on the cardinal faces, also with hoodmoulds.

The nave and aisles have a four-light west window with panelled tracery and a west doorway beneath with boarded doors. The west aisle windows are two-light. On the south side, there are four bays with two-light windows featuring quatre-foil tracery and a three-light east window with panelled tracery. A two-bay chapel projects to the right, equipped with two-light four-centred arched windows. A south doorway in the second bay from the left has a moulded arch and two 15th-century boarded doors, sheltered by a south porch with a moulded arch and two-light side windows. The north side contains four bays with two-light windows, a three-light east window with panelled tracery, and a blocked door in the second bay from the west.

The chancel has three bays. On the south side are three-light windows with panelled tracery, beneath the centre window of which is a four-centred moulded-arched doorway with a square head and carved spandrels. Two three-light north windows are present, with a gabled vestry to the north east fitted with two-light north and east windows. A large five-light east window with transom and panelled tracery occupies the east wall. North east angle buttresses contain two ogee-arched niches, one of which holds a 20th-century figure.

Interior

The interior features three-bay nave arcades with octagonal piers, moulded bases and capitals, and double chamfered arches dying into responds with hoodmoulds to the south. Double chamfered arches appear at the east end of the aisles and crossing. The five-bay 15th-century nave roof has carved corbels supporting cambered ties, moulded beams, and carved bosses. The 15th-century aisle roofs are lean-to construction, and the five-bay 15th-century chancel roof follows the same period.

A four-centred moulded-arched vestry doorway with a square head is fitted with a trefoiled panelled door bearing quatrefoil bottom panels and three circular holes. Three-bay sedilia with cusped trefoiled arches are present, along with a piscina featuring a cinquefoil arch. Evidence remains of former niches flanking the east window.

The south (Vernon) chapel contains a moulded ogee-arched doorway with finial and a four-centred boarded door. A fan vault with shafts and carved pendants covers the space, which also includes an altar slab, piscina, aumbry, and an inscription with remains of painted crucifixion on the east wall.

Fittings and Contents

The church contains numerous fittings of interest. A parish chest is dated 1625, and a carved coat of arms of 1814 is located in the north aisle. A 15th-century octagonal stone font with a large stepped base features carved trefoiled sides with shields. An octagonal wooden pulpit dated 1629 has two tiers of arched panels, a turned stem, and stairs with turned balusters.

Both north and south aisle screens date to the 15th century and consist of five bays with traceried lower panels, ogee lights with open panelled tracery, carved figures, and cresting. The 15th-century chancel screen has nine bays with similar traceried lower panels, ogee lights with open panelled tracery, carved friezes and cresting. Fifteenth-century chancel stalls feature three-light traceried back panels, carved friezes, cresting, carved misericords, and desks with traceried panels, ends, and carved poppy-heads. Sanctuary panelling dates to 1899, and a 19th-century reredos from Oberammergau is also present. A copy of a parish map by Evelyn Knight from 1759 hangs in the north transept, and a vestment dating from circa 1600 is preserved in the vestry.

The stained glass includes 15th-century work in the west window featuring figures, and an east window of 1900 by Kempe.

Monuments

The church contains an exceptional series of monuments. Notable examples include a panel from a tomb chest on the north wall carved with an angel holding a shield, and a 13th-century incised slab to a priest in the north transept.

Sir Fulke and Lady Elizabeth de Pembruge, founders of the college, are commemorated by an alabaster chest tomb dating to 1408-47 bearing two recumbent effigies and sides with single and double tiers of alternating arches.

Sir Richard Vernon and his wife, who died in 1451, are represented by an alabaster chest tomb with two recumbent effigies and sides displaying alternating saints and angels in canopied niches. Sir William Vernon and his wife of 1467 have a chest tomb with two brasses and sides featuring carved quatrefoil panels.

Ralph Elcott, a priest who died in 1510, is commemorated by a brass in the south aisle wall. Sir Harry Vernon of 1515 has a chest tomb located between the south transept and Vernon chapel, enclosed within a panelled elliptical arch with canopied niches and displaying two effigies on the chest with alternating angels and shields on the sides.

Arthur Vernon, M.A. Cantab, who died in 1517, is marked by a brass on the floor of the Vernon chapel and a canopied niche in the west wall bearing a demi figure holding a pen. Richard Vernon and his wife, also of 1517, are commemorated by an alabaster chest tomb with two effigies and sides featuring alternating angels and bedesmen. Humphrey Vernon and his wife of 1542 have an incised slab on a plain chest tomb.

Mrs. Wylde of 1624 is represented by a kneeling figure on the west wall of the chancel. Sir Edward Stanley of 1632 and his parents Sir Thomas Stanley (1576) and Margaret Vernon occupy a two-tier table tomb with an effigy of Edward below and black columns supporting the top tier bearing effigies of his parents with obelisks at the corners.

Elizabeth Pierrepont of 1696 is commemorated by a relief portrait in a medallion on the north wall of the chancel. George Durant of 1780 is marked by a tablet at the crossing featuring a mourning woman below an urn, probably by the sculptor John Bacon.

Historical Context

St Bartholomew's Church was largely rebuilt following the founding of a chantry college here in 1410 by Elizabeth de Pembruge. Although no collegiate buildings survive, remains of almshouses still stand to the west of the church.