Parish Church Of St Mary

Parish Church of St Mary, Kelvedon

This parish church has origins in the 12th century, with extensions added in the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 19th centuries, and was restored in 1877. The walls are mainly of coursed flint rubble, partly cement-rendered and partly of red brick in English bond, with dressings of limestone and clunch. The roof is covered with handmade red plain tiles and lead substitute. The spire is timber framed and shingled.

Architectural Development

The nave probably dates from the early 12th century, though only the northwest angle retains original detail, with the northwest quoin mainly constructed of Roman brick. The north aisle and arcade were added around 1230, followed by the south aisle and arcade around 1250. The chancel and west tower date from around 1360, with the clerestorey and third stage of the tower added in the 15th century. The north chapel and north vestry are early 16th century, while the south chapel and south porch are 19th century additions.

The Chancel

The chancel features a 19th-century east window. In the north wall is a 14th-century window of one cinquefoiled light with a moulded label and chamfered semi-circular rear-arch, now opening into the north vestry. Further west is a doorway inserted in the early 16th century, made up of the jambs and head of a 14th-century window that was formerly of two cinquefoiled lights in a two-centred head. West of the doorway is an early 16th-century archway of plastered brick with a moulded and four-centred arch, moulded east respond and splayed west respond, both with moulded capitals and bases. At the west end of this wall is a blocked doorway to a former rood-loft stair, with a chamfered four-centred head. In the south wall is a 19th-century arch and arcade of two bays.

The chancel-arch of around 1360 is two-centred, of two wave-moulded orders; the responds have semi-octagonal attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases, partly restored. On each side of the chancel-arch is a 15th-century squint with chamfered jambs and four-centred head; that on the south side is restored. The 14th-century roof of the chancel comprises 18 couples framed in seven cants with moulded wallplates, partly restored.

The North Vestry

The north vestry has a re-used 15th-century east window of two cinquefoiled lights under a square head with a moulded label, partly restored, and an old external wrought iron grill. The north wall is of early 16th-century brickwork, with a 19th-century doorway. In the southwest angle is a 16th-century doorway of brick with a four-centred head, which opens into a triangular lobby, with a similar doorway into the north chapel. The door is 16th century, of plain battens, with a later false frame planted on externally. The vestry contains an early 16th-century oven.

The North Chapel

The north chapel has a north wall of 16th-century brick with a stepped gable and a roll moulding below each step, and a roll moulding above the plinth which continues along the north wall of the north vestry. It has one window of plastered brick, of four transomed lights with intersecting tracery in a four-centred head with a moulded label; in the gable are two blocked small vents or niches with semi-circular heads. The 16th-century west archway is of plastered brick, and has a moulded and four-centred arch and moulded responds with capitals and bases. The roof of the north chapel has moulded wallplates, the remainder restored. In the northeast angle is a niche with a four-centred head, moulded cornice, and cusped support of exposed brick, early 16th century.

The South Chapel

The south chapel is 19th century; re-set in the east wall is a 15th-century window of two cinquefoiled lights, restored. Re-set in the south wall are two windows, the eastern of two trefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label, much restored; the western window is 15th century, of two cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label. Between the windows is a doorway, possibly of 14th-century origin but covered with cement render.

The Nave

The nave has in the east wall, north of the chancel-arch, a 16th-century doorway at the level of the former rood-loft, with chamfered jambs with broach stops, rebated at the base for a door, and chamfered four-centred arch. The north arcade, of around 1230, is of three bays with two-centred arches of two moulded orders, with a chamfered label to the south. The east respond has a moulded corbel carved with stiff-leaf foliage, restored; the front column is moulded and has four attached shafts with moulded and foliated capitals, mutilated on the west side (probably for a former pulpit) and moulded bases; the second column is cylindrical with a moulded and foliated capital and moulded base; the west respond has two angle rolls and a restored attached shaft; the south shaft has a simple foliated capital, the north shaft has a plain capital. Further west are traces of a blocked opening, possibly of a 12th-century window.

The south arcade, of around 1250, is of three bays with arches similar to those of the north arcade. The east respond is 14th century, with a semi-octagonal attached shaft and capital, partly restored; the first column is cylindrical with a moulded capital and chamfered base; the second column, of later date, is cylindrical with a moulded capital (partly restored) and moulded base; the west respond has three attached shafts, the middle shaft and the capitals restored.

The 15th-century clerestorey has on each side four windows, each of two cinquefoiled lights, mainly restored. The 15th-century roof of the nave is in four bays, with moulded arched braces of four-centred curvature to the tiebeams, and tracery in the spandrels; the tiebeams and one brace are 19th century. Moulded arched braces below the principal rafters support pendants with carved bosses at the apices. At half-bay intervals there are false hammer-beams with painted carved figures, and similar braces, principal rafters, pendants and bosses. The side-purlins are moulded, butted to the principals. The ridge-piece has moulded pendant braces. The rafters are plain, of horizontal section. The wallplates are moulded. Wall-pieces at bay intervals are supported on stone corbels.

The North Aisle

The north aisle has in the north wall two 15th-century windows, the eastern of two cinquefoiled lights under a square head with a weathered moulded label, external old wrought iron grill and unusual keystone rear-arch, plastered over; the western window is of two cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label; further west is the 15th-century north doorway, with moulded jambs, two-centred arch and weathered label. In the west wall is a window similar to the eastern window in the north wall, but with a plain segmental rear-arch and normal sill. Externally there is a moulded cornice with two grotesque heads at the west end, and a crenellated parapet of brick, mostly rendered. In the north wall, west of the north door, is a small niche with moulded jambs and trefoiled head.

The South Aisle

The south aisle has in the south wall three windows and a doorway, all 19th century except the westernmost window, which is late 14th century, re-cut and re-set, of two cinquefoiled ogee lights with tracery in a square head. The west window is 19th century. There is a moulded cornice and crenellated parapet. The roofs of both aisles are of lean-to form, with plain rafters of horizontal section.

The West Tower

The west tower is of three stages, the lower two having 14th-century detail, the bell-chamber 15th century. The two-centred tower-arch is of two moulded orders; the responds are of two chamfered orders with moulded capitals and bases; above the arch is a plain two-centred opening, blocked. The west window is wholly restored except the moulded jambs, splays and chamfered two-centred rear-arch. In the north, south and west walls of the second stage is a single light with a trefoiled ogee head, all restored. The bell-chamber has in each wall a window of two cinquefoiled lights in a square head, much restored. There are two plain string courses, and a crenellated parapet with carved grotesques at the angles. The tower is topped by a small shingled spire.

Fittings and Monuments

There are two piscinae: one in the south chapel, re-set, with moulded jambs and cinquefoiled ogee head, and quatrefoiled drain, 14th century; the other in the south wall of the south aisle, with chamfered jambs and trefoiled ogee head, and quatrefoiled drain, also 14th century.

The church contains numerous wall monuments dating from before 1840. On the east wall of the nave, north of the chancel-arch, is a memorial to Reverend Edward Chester, 1787, a plain white marble cartouche with urn in low relief. In the south chapel, on the south wall, is a memorial to Thomas Crane, 1654, a black and white marble oval tablet with wreath, garlands, arched cornice and skull above. In the south aisle are memorials to Thomas Abdy, 1684, and Rachel Gurdon, 1689, a carved white marble tablet with pediment and cartouche of arms; to Sir Anthony Abdy, 1794, carved white marble with gadrooned base with foliage and vine-ornament, frieze with foliage and shield of arms, moulded cornice with urn and lamps above; and to Sir Thomas Abdy, 1685, Mary (Corselis), his wife, 1645, Abigail, his daughter, wife of Sir Mark Guyon, 1679, and William, son of Sir Thomas, 1682, white marble with carved curtain flanked by fluted pilasters with egg-and-dart capitals, broken pediment, achievement, three cartouches and a shield of arms. In the north aisle are memorials to Philip Browne Dalton, 1835, white tablet on black marble, and to Jane, wife of Reverend Charles Dalton, 1837, and daughters Louisa Anne, 1817, and Sarah Anne, 1837, white tablet on black marble.

In the north aisle, at the west end, are floor-slabs to William Abdy, 1682, black marble with shield of arms; to Anna Abdy, 1692, white marble with inscription in inscribed heart, and carved arms; to Thomas Abdy, 1697, black marble with shield of arms; and to Joanna Abdy, 1710, white marble with inscribed arms and border.

On the east column of the south arcade is a painted stone shield of England quartering France (modern) with a label and surmounted by a crown, 15th century.

Glass and Other Items

In the second window of the north aisle are fragments of 15th-century glass, including sun and stars, leopards' heads and leaf-ornament. In the vestry is 16th and 17th-century oak panelling, including panels carved with a figure subject, Ahasuerus and Esther, or Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, birds, foliage, linenfold, and other motifs.

In the north aisle are lead plates, embossed: 1675, Iohn Tayler, Plvnmer; 1675, John Wood, John Clenche, Churchwarddins; Henry Robinson, plumber, 1765; and Thomas Leapingwell, William East, Church Warddins, 1765. The second and fourth have embossed geometrical borders.

On the south wall of the west tower are the Royal Arms of Queen Anne, 1709, on canvas. On the west wall of the nave is a pair of Commandments, gilt paint on black boards with gilt gesso frames, 18th century. On the 19th-century south door is a plain stock-lock of uncertain date.

There are six bells: the third is by Henry Pleasant, 1705; the second and fourth are by John Briant, 1803; and the fifth is by Miles Graye, 1615.