Church Heritage Record 608370

South tower with porch. 5-bay aisled nave, 2-bay chancel and north vestry.

Nave estimated to be c 19m (60ft) x 5m (16ft), chancel 7m long (23 ft).

The church was built as a parish church in 1849-52 to the designs of William Hambley of London. It would appear to be the only church designed by this minor architect.  It was partly paid for by George Finch, the lord of the manor who also gave land for the extension of the churchyard, with £50 donated by the Elders of Trinity House towards the construction of the spire (with the provision that the steeple be high enough to act as a landmark for navigation) and an ICBS grant; the plan submitted to them is identical to the building which now stands.

The first chapel was possibly built as early as the 12th century, but the first definite record is its establishment as a chantry chapel by and for “William Bohun once earl of Northampton, Humphrey his son late earl of Hereford, and all their progenitors and successors, and Simon de Sudberia bishop of London” in 1374. The chapel served what appears to have been a prosperous farming and fishing community, sheltered by sea walls erected in this period.

A timber-framed chapel was built after the Reformation when Foulness became an ecclesiastical parish (there is a list of incumbents dating to 1377, after the first chantry priest was installed), recorded by White’s Directory in 1848 as a plain building. Nothing appears to have survived from these earlier churches with the exception of the gravestones and some items (notably the bell), but the site has considerable archaeological potential.

The church is designed in the Early English style with lancets. The slender 3-stage south-west tower gives considerable vertical emphasis. It has an octagonal shingled spire topped by a globe finial, and hipped at the base. Under this the corbel table to the belfry has angle pilasters and a louvred lancet to each face, the pilasters rising from angle buttresses. The second stage has quatrefoiled roundels to the east and west faces. Diocletian recess with circular window within to the south face. Bands define the stages.

The lower stage serves as a porch, with a chamfered 2-centred arch to the doorway under a moulded label with King and Queen stops, and vertically boarded door with ornate hinges. Original iron lantern over doorway. Small lancet windows to side walls. Closer inspection as one approaches the porch reveals signs of decay; there are dead pigeons around the wall footings, along with rotting timbers and pieces of masonry. A sign on the door tells you the church is closed for worship.

The church stands on a plinth. The nave and aisles each have steeply pitched slate roofs, gabled to east and west. There are slender buttresses of two weatherings to all angles and bays.  As noted already the windows are all pointed lancets, all windows have labels with real and stylised heads. Nave west window of two lights with quatrefoil head, pointed elliptical window in the gable. The aisle west windows are simple lancets, as are the windows to each aisle bay and the east ends. The doorway in the west bay of the north aisle has a 2-centred head, chamfered of two orders under a label with king and queen head stops, pediment over, vertically boarded door, and ornate strap hinges.

The chancel is narrower and lower than the nave. The east wall has a 3-light of stepped lancets with chamfered heads, the south wall a lancet to each bay. The cross finial to the chancel apex has fallen. The north vestry doorway has a shouldered (Caernarvon) head and vertically boarded door, and lancet to the east wall.

Within, the church is quite plain, with whitewashed walls. Pointed aisle arcades with moulded capitals and bases to alternate round and octagonal columns and responds.  The roofs have purlins and ridge board construction with collars, moulded posts on corbels and moulded wall plates. Stone flag floors throughout except coloured tiles to the sanctuary, partly under red carpet. Panelled plain box pews, complete with doors.  There is serious damp in several places, most notable at the west end, and obvious signs of rodent infestation.

The east end of the north aisle has a vestry behind the organ case, the latter attractively painted with trefoiled roundels. There is a simple 2-centred chancel arch. Square head to north vestry doorway, which has a table which may be 18th-century, with turned legs. The chancel has stained glass to the north and south windows imparting some colour, and a panelled wooden reredos. Plain bench choir stalls, ornately carved Bishop’s chair and other chair, plainer.