Chancel

In the twelfth cen­tury, it is con­jec­tured that the chan­cel did not extend much beyond the west­ern­most win­dows, the orig­i­nal chan­cel and rest of the nave hav­ing been destroyed. The west­ern­most lancet on each side of the chan­cel is not nearly so tall as the other chan­cel win­dow. This, how­ever, does not decide the mat­ter by any means. It would seem per­haps to show that the present chan­cel was built at two dif­fer­ent peri­ods in the thir­teenth cen­tury, and to sug­gest that the Nor­man chan­cel was then entirely destroyed.

There are three lancet win­dows in each side of the wall of the chan­cel, and also in the east wall with a cir­cu­lar win­dow above. These lat­ter win­dows were of stained glass, and were destroyed by blast from a fly­ing bomb in August, 1944, as were also all the win­dows on the south side of the Church, includ­ing the stained glass Champ­neys memo­r­ial win­dow in the nave. The roofs of both the chance! and the nave were much dam­aged and had to be retiled. The east win­dows were replaced by the War Dam­age Com­mis­sion in 1950, being designed, made and fit­ted by Mr. J. F. Nuttgens.

Stone benches run along the north and south walls. There is an ancient piscina in the south wall, and east of it there is a small pointed niche.

A mar­ble mural slab com­mem­o­rates Augus­tine Green­land, who died in 1708. He was church­war­den at, or just before, the time of his death, and his ini­tials are marked with the date 1708 upon the north door of the Church. Brass-headed nails have been dri­ven into the door, form­ing these let­ters: A.G. — C.W. 1708,

The blue altar frontal used at fes­ti­vals is a part of the Coro­na­tion hang­ings in West­min­ster Abbey of King George VI, and the present altar was given in mem­ory of Albert and Annie Wood, 1943, and is made of local grown oak. The large wooden can­dle­sticks were made and given by Mr. R. Han­nan in mem­ory of Edward Skerritt.

In 1956 the chan­cel was restored, the wall plas­ter, being in a very bad con­di­tion, was replas­tered and dis­tem­pered and the stonework cleaned. The inte­rior of the roof of the chan­cel, between the beams, was reboarded with hard­board painted white, to look as it did orig­i­nally. Two new reflec­tor spot lights were also given by Mr Row­land Har­man to illu­mi­nate the altar.