Church Of The Holy Rood

HAWKLEY EMPSHOTT SU 73 SE 5/2 Church of the Holy Rood 16.3.54 GV I

Parish church. A complete C13 building with alterations and furnishings of the early C17, and minor changes since, with a C19 exterior. Nave of 4 bays with aisles, aisleless chancel (formerly with chapels on the north and south side), a Victorian south vestry, a bell-turret at the west end of the nave, and west porch. Walls of malmstone, mostly rubble with re-used windows to the aisles (made narrower in the C17), and porch rebuilt from the south side, Victorian polygonal work to the chancel; lancets throughout. Tile roof. The bell turret has a c19 shingled broach spire (housing the bells) above a C17 lantern of timber-framed construction, with its upper part all glazed and its lower framing exposed in the west wall or the interior. The interior of the church contains its best features, with pointed arches having hoodmoulds with dog-tooth ornament, moulded caps with stiff-leaf foliage, round, octagonal, and clustered columns. There is an arch to the former north chapel, and the remains of another giving access from the south aisle to the former south chapel: the former south doorway is blocked. Norman Purbeck square font with arcaded panels, resting on a drum and with corner columns. The seating is plain, mostly C15 with simple decoration of the bench ends. In 1624 much work was done inside, resulting in a fine screen with open strapwork and pierced frieze (now at the west end), communion rails, pulpit, chairs, a desk and a chest.

Listing NGR: SU7532331112