Church Heritage Record 618085

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Ballingham & Bolstone: St Dubricius

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Ballingham & Bolstone: St Dubricius
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Closed Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

618085
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Hereford
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Hereford
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Little Dewchurch, Ballingham, Dinedor and Holme Lacy

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is a Grade II* Listed Building
View more information about this Listed Building on the National Heritage List for England web site
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

The church is not in a Conservation Area

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

Medieval

Exterior Image

Exterior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
Caption:

603242 

Exterior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
Description:

It seems to be the wrong photograph. Provided coordinates come up with another church on geograph.org.uk

Photograph of the outside of the church as seen from the north.
Year / Date:

2011, April 06

June 2011
Copyright:

Keltek Trust

Archbishops' Council
Originator:

Keltek Trust

Joseph Elders

Summary Description

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
A small Medieval church with a tall west spire which adds apparent scale, and gives the building considerable landscape value in the flat landscape of the river flood plain. The building largely dates from the 13th century, with extensions of the 14th and 15th centuries and a Victorian restoration. It is simple and compact, but not without charm.

Visiting and Facilities

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The church is closed for worship.
Date closed for worship:
Work in progress - can you help?
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

Work in progress - can you help?

Sources and Further Information

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Joseph Elders (June 2011) Exterior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Exterior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
W E Martin (Unknown) Church plan of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Church plan of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
Joseph Elders (June 2011) Interior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius [Digital Archive/Graphic material]
Interior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
James Miles (2018) Closed Churches [Digital Archive/Data]
CWGC (2016) Commonwealth War Graves Commission CWGC Unique File Reference Number: 7648 [Bibliography/Data]
Number of War Graves: 1
ICBS (1817-1989) Incorporated Church Building Society Archive https://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/detail/LPLIBLPL~34~34~136769~119467 [Archive/Graphic material]

Ground plan

ICBS File Number - 08953

Coverage - 1884-1885

Created by MARTIN, William E.: fl. 1890 of Hereford

Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 3 Bells [Archive/Index]
3 Bells

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SO 576 316

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

Unitary Authority:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

County of Herefordshire

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

A small Medieval church with a tall west spire which makes the church seem bigger than it actually is, and gives the building considerable landscape value in the flat landscape of the river flood plain.  The hamlet is seven miles to the south-east of Hereford, on the north bank of a loop in the River Wye which surrounds the church on three sides. It is surrounded by farm buildings, including 17th-century Ballingham Hall adjacent to the east with its cider house, both Grade II. The church is located at the south-eastern edge of the hamlet, there is a small village hall and some houses loosely arranged around a crossroads, pond and green.

The small roughly square churchyard is raised above the surrounding land, laid to grass within a drystone wall, the main entrance is on the north-west corner from the village through a simple timber gate. Concrete path to the porch. To the east of this is a group of four fine chest tombs which are listed Grade II in their own right. These date from the late 18th and early 19th century, the earliest of Philip Winstone, died 1774.  

Here is also a Grade II listed sandstone base of a churchyard cross and sundial south of the easternmost window of the south side of the nave of the church cross. This is possibly 14th-century, restored in the late 19th or early 20th century. Three square steps with truncated octagonal shaft and moulded top, surmounted by an 18th-century copper sundial inscribed “N Witham, LONDINI, Fecit”.

There are several shrubs and mature trees around the perimeter, amid thick tussocky grass, possibly of considerable ecological significance. There is a war grave in the north-west part of the churchyard near the gate, and a new burial ground to the south delineated by concrete posts, still used for burials. Parking is possible on the verge on the north side of the churchyard. The area around the lane leading from hall to church is called School and Church Common.

Church Plan

Church plan of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
Caption:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Church plan of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Plan of the church by Martin to Church Plans Online.
Year / Date:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown
Copyright:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Lambeth Palace Library
Originator:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
W E Martin

Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

3-bay nave with west tower, south porch, 2-bay chancel.

Dimensions

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Nave c 10m (35ft) x 5m (16ft), chancel 5m x 4m.

Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

195 m2

Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

Before the dissolution Ballingham had been a manor of the Benedictine Priory of St Guthlac in Hereford, perhaps on the site of the later manor house near the church. The church (perhaps a rebuild of a 12th-century church) mostly dates from the early 13th century with tower and nave, extended chancel of the 14th and south porch dated to the early 15th, heavily restored 1884-5 by W E Martin. ICBS notes “with rebuilding of chancel south wall and parts of nave north and south walls, with four new windows & general repairs”. The area belonged to the Scudamore dynasty after the Reformation and into the 19th century.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

This is a simple and compact building of considerable charm. The tower is 14th century, with a battered plinth and fillet-moulded string above, three stages divided by strings.  Plain parapet, recessed octagonal spire with moulded finial beneath large weathercock; central loops to lowest stages, one trefoiled and chamfered opening to each side of bell-chamber, grotesque waterspouts from centre of string beneath parapet on west and south side, gabled ogee-headed opening onto parapet from south base of spire.  Memorial on north wall to six men killed in the 1914-18 War, inscribed “They loved not their lives unto death” (Rev 12:11).

The nave has a small lancet in the west bay of the north wall and east of this two windows with paired 19th-century trefoiled lancets.  In the south wall is the same arrangement with the Victorian windows, the window next to the porch is a restored 14th-century square-headed window of three lights each with an ogeed and trefoiled head and small spandrel lights.

The chancel has one cinquefoiled and trefoiled 2-light Victorian window, under a square head with quatrefoil tracery to north and one to south wall, restored east window with 2-centred head and three ogeed and trefoiled lights; to the west end of the south wall is a blocked chamfered 14th-century priest's doorway with a 2-centred head.

The very fine south porch is early 15th century in date.  It has a moulded parapet, moulded plinth and strings, two diagonal buttresses to front with off-sets and trefoiled panels; deeply moulded 2-centred arch in a square head with spandrels in which are shields set in quatrefoils and mouchettes, above were the remains of black-letter inscription noted by RCHM, but now just the letter M carved exactly in the middle can be seen, and this is eroded. Central niche with 2-centred head interrupts the parapet coping.

Each side wall has a pair of trefoiled openings under square head and label above, a plain tapered waterspout projects west from string beneath parapet.  Inside are stone side benches and a fine square diagonal rib vault springing from part-circular moulded corbels to a restored rosette at the apex.  The inner doorway is 15th-century with moulded jambs and a 2-centred head. There is a rustic cast iron shoe-scraper.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Who:
Hook Mason Ltd
Role:
Architect / Surveyor ICM55
From:
To:
Contribution:
Who:
W E Martin
Role:
Architect
From:
01 Jan 1884
To:
31 Dec 1885
Contribution:
Restoration carried out

Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
CHANCEL (14th century)
NAVE (13th century)
PORCH (15th century)
TOWER (COMPONENT) (13th century)

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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Collapse Building MaterialsBuilding Materials
SANDSTONE (12th / 13th century)
TERRACOTTA (unknown)
WELSH SLATE (Unknown)

Interior Image

Interior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
Caption:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Interior image of 618085 Ballingham St Dubricius
Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Photograph of the inside of the church, looking east.
Year / Date:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
June 2011
Copyright:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Archbishops' Council
Originator:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Joseph Elders

Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The inner door is round-headed, composed of rough lintel stones, and this and the sheer thickness of the walls might suggest a late 12th century origin, though there is little other evidence for this.  Low chamfered tower doorway leads into space used as vestry, timber roof above with one bell rope, ladder and hatch. The interior has bare stone walls and wagon roofs to nave and chancel, the former perhaps 14th-century but heavily restored with scissor braces above collars.  Floor of stone slabs, mostly under red carpet, tiles in chancel.  Plain wooden benches in the nave and choir stalls in the chancel.

Canted ceiling to chancel, which is divided from the nave by a filigree Victorian screen, above which is plank and muntin panelling, the latter probably 16th or 17th century in date with two rows of muntins with straight-cut chamfer stops. A Victorian sedilia in the north wall has two trefoiled openings separated by a column. Victorian octofoil piscina in cill of south window.  

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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Collapse Internal Fixtures and FittingsInternal Fixtures and Fittings
ALTAR (19th century)
BELL (1 of 3 U/R)
BELL (2 of 3 U/R)
BELL (3 of 3 U/R)
FONT (COMPONENT) (13th century)
LECTERN (19th century)
ORGAN (COMPONENT) (19th century)
PULPIT (17th century)
REREDOS (19th century)

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

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Collapse Portable Furnishings and ArtworksPortable Furnishings and Artworks
BOOK (16th century +)

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: SO 576 316

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

Work in progress - can you help?

Ecological Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

Work in progress - can you help?

Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The churchyard has war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Designation TypeNameGrade  
Listed Building Group Of Four Chest Tombs Between South Wall Of Nave Of The Church Of St Dubricius And Path Leading To South Porch II View more
Listed Building Churchyard Cross And Sundial About 10 Yards South Of The Easternmost Window Of The South Side Of The Nave Of The Church Of St Dubricius II View more

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Closed Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

Work in progress - can you help?

Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

Moderate
Setting Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Considerable landscape value and archaeological and ecological significance.
Fabric Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Moderate
Fabric Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
The buildings itself is of considerable architectural significance.
Interior Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Low
Interior Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Interior is of some or local significance.
Community Significance Level:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?
Community Significance Description:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Work in progress - can you help?

Church Renewables

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Bio Mass:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Air Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
Wind Turbine:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
No
EV Car Charging:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown

Species Summary

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

CategoryTotal species recorded to date
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES RECORDED 0
Total number of animal species 0
Total number of plant species 0
Total number of mammal species 0
Total number of birds 0
Total number of amphibian and reptile species 0
Total number of invertebrate species 0
Total number of fungi species 0
Total number of mosses and liverworts (bryophytes) 0
Total number of ferns 0
Total number of flowering plants 0
Total number of Gymnosperm and Ginkgo 0

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

Missing help text - to be added by an administrator

If any of the following species have been seen close to the Closed Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Closed Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Closed Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Closed Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Isobel WeareAdded QI inspectionFri 07 Feb 2025 11:27:54
Isobel WeareCreated asset source linkFri 07 Feb 2025 11:27:54
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionMon 05 Sep 2022 10:51:15
Oliver LackAdded an Architect, Artist or Associated Person/OrganisationMon 05 Sep 2022 10:43:30
Anna CampenModified asset data - Modified the Significance descriptionFri 19 May 2017 15:00:50
Anna CampenAdded object typeFri 19 May 2017 14:51:59
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 19 May 2017 14:51:34
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 19 May 2017 14:50:45
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 19 May 2017 14:50:17
Anna CampenAdded interior feature typeFri 19 May 2017 14:47:26
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