Church Of St Ethelbert

TANNINGTON TM 26 NW 5/63 Church of St Ethelbert 29.7.55 - I Parish church. Medieval, the chancel restored 1879. Nave, chancel, west tower, south porch, north vestry. Flint rubble with stone dressings; the nave and side walls of the porch are plastered. Continuous plaintiled roof. Square turret to south. The plinth of the tower has a chequer pattern in flushwork. Moulded west doorway, considerably renewed; original hoodmould with much-weathered carved spandrels. The west window has plain C19 or C20 infilling although the original opening is intact. 2-light belfry openings. Core of nave probably late C12. The north doorway is of this date: one order of colonnettes with crocket capitals and semi-circular arch with hollow and keel moulding. Various C14 and C15 windows. 2 of the C14 windows are largely original; internally one has shafting and a hoodmould with mutilated stops, the other has a moulded surround. C15 moulded south nave doorway. C15 porch with flushwork panelling to the facade and an embattled parapet. Moulded entrance arch with rose-carved spandrels. Over the entrance is an empty trefoil-headed ogee niche flanked by demi buttress-shafts. Original roof (restored). Early C14 chancel: a good 5-light east window with intersecting tracery. Side windows and Priest's doorway in Perpendicular style, all much renewed Interior. No chancel arch. Coupled rafter nave roof of medieval date, with a pair of straight braces to each collar and ashlar pieces. At the east end a section of the roof is panelled as a canopy of honour, with moulded ribs and fleuron bosses. The panels contain traces of 'IHS' and rose motifs, some overpainted in a restoration of 1967. 4-bay chancel roof: C15 trusses with long arched braces to the collars; rafters renewed 1879. Altered C14 angle piscina with drop-sill sedilia adjacent. Font has C13 bowl of Purbeck marble. Nave has 11 poppyhead bench-ends of C15 date with buttresses terminating in mutilated figures; some of the seats are original and one has a good C15 traceried back. The remainder of the furnishings are largely of later C19. In the sanctuary is an effigy brass to Ann Dade (1612). 2 early C17 brass inscriptions and several late C17 and C18 ledger slabs, all to members of the Dade family. On north wall of sanctuary, an early C17 alabaster wall monument, also to the Dade family. In south east nave, an early C19 white marble wall monument to members of the Barker family, over which is a single hatchment.

Listing NGR: TM2423967492