THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST PETER

MARTLEY, WORCESTERSHIRE

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The Parish of Martley is one of the most ancient in the Diocese of Worcester.  Although no trace of an Anglo-Saxon building remains it is probable that one stood on the site of the present church, and the traditionally named St Peter’s Well nearby may indicate the place of administration of Holy Baptism here in the earliest days of Christianity in the Midlands.

The present church is substantially of Norman origin and the walls of the Nave date from the early 12thcentury.  The Chancel was rebuilt in the early 13thcentury and the East Wall again in the early 14thcentury.  A large portion of the South Wall of the Chancel dates from about 1315 when the Mortimer or Lady Chapel was formed by enclosing a part of the South side of the Chancel.  The Tower dates from the middle of the 15thcentury, the vestry from 1875, the Porch from 1884, and the whole church was most skilfully restored by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1909.

MANORIAL DESCENT

Martley was included in the Herefordshire survey in Domesday Book and was retained as a Royal Manor till 1196.  Thereafter it changed hands amongst the great families of the Teme Valley: le Despencer, Wyward, Mortimer, until 1527 when Sir Thomas West, Lord de al Warr, sold it to William Mucklow of Areley Hall.  It remained in the Mucklow family until 1654 and in 1690 was purchased by Thomas Foley of Witley, remaining part of the Witley Estate until the estate was broken up in recent times.  The Earl of Dudley is still the Lord of the Manor.

NOTEWORTHY FEATURES OF THE CHURCH

The church is built principally of red sandstone, quarried locally, and in the evening sunshine glows with a brilliance which, according to the writer in Collins Guide to English Parish Churches “has to be seen to be believed”.

North and South Nave Doorways (North blocked)of 12thcentury date, contain excellent Norman decorative details.  the North doorway has the original consecration cross and on the outside of the South doorway is a mutilated Holy Water stoup.

The Walls of the Navewere originally built with alternate bands of red and white sandstone in the four upper courses but have been much disturbed by subsequent restorations and the insertion of later windows.

Rood Doorway.  This gave access to the rood staircase which must have been partly contained in an external projection which was cut away when the stairs were destroyed in Reformation times.  In the 1909 restoration the stairway was opened out again and an iron ladder inserted to give access to the top of the rood screen, a modern copy of the original screen which was destroyed in 1829.

The East Window of the Chancelis of early 14thcentury date and the two Eastern-most windows in the North wall are lancets of the ate of the first rebuilding of the Chancel in the 13thcentury.

The roofs of the Chancel and Nave, of continuous construction are original of the 14thcentury but much repaired and restored.

The Wall Paintingsare perhaps the feature of most conspicuous interest in the church.  They were uncovered at the 1909 restoration.  the earliest are those on the North side of the Chancel with a masonry pattern and a stalked four leaf flower.  The curtain pattern on the East wall with fabulous beasts in the top loops of the curtains in the style of Giraldus Cambrensis probably date from the late 13thcentury.  The fox, stag, hare, wolf and four dragons are traditional figures of the medieval bestiaries.  The upper part of the north side of the East wall has a 15thcentury canopy design, the splay of the South East window has an unusual heraldic pattern incorporating the arms of the Despencers and Clares and the South wall has an Annunciation group with a single female figure, possibly one of the Mortimer family, donors of the Mortimer or Lady Chapel of which this South Chancel wall formed a part.  On the North wall of the nave are two groups which are scarcely decipherable but which are said to represent St Martin on horseback dividing his cloak with the beggar and the Adoration of the Kings.  Figures over the pulpit, more recently uncovered, appear to depict the Risen Christ with His disciples and the Doubting Thomas.  The paintings have undergone extensive and thorough restoration in recent years by Mrs Eve Baker, ARCA, of the country’s most eminent experts on mural decoration.  She describes the figures on the East wall as “possibly the best examples of such extant in the country”.

The Original Altar Stonewas restored in 1909, medieval tiles were laid along the footpace of the altar and memorials to the Nash and other local families cover the chancel floor.  At the South end of the Communion benches is the RECUMBENT EFFIGY of a late 15thcentury knight in elaborate Yorkist armour, possibly HUGHMORTIMER who died in 1460, and at the North end is a stone coffin marked with traces of a carved staff, possibly the burial place of an ABBOT OF CORMEILLES which owned the advowson of the living in Medieval times.

Two Jacobean Houseling Benchesof fine design constitute the Communion Rail, and three chests of early date stand in the church.  The oldest piece of plate is an Elizabeth chalice of 1571, and a small sacring bell and incense boat of pre-Reformation date, found beneath the pulpit in 1829, are preserved in the vestry safe.

The Bellsare the original set of six by Richard Keene of Woodstock, probably cast locally in 1673.

The former Rectory on the East side of the churchyard dates from the early 14thcentury but was much altered in Elizabethan and Caroline times.  The Great Hall contains an Elizabethan and a Georgian staircase with a 16thcentury ceiling inserted at half height.  An alabaster panel retained in the house with angels holding shields of the arms of families associated with the wide-spreading Manor of Martley may have been a side of the Mortimer tomb on the South side of the Chancel, brought to the Rectory by one of the Vernon rectors.

The Living of Martleysince Reformation times has been an outstanding example of a “family living”, occupied principally by members of the Vernon family who were also to be found at Areley Kings, Shrawley and Hanbury; and the Hastings family.  From ancient times the Rector of Martley has held the patronage of Areley Kings.  The Hastings family supplied five rectors between 1796 and 1958 and the advowson of the living was transferred by the last member of the family who held it to the Worcester Diocesan Board of Patronage.  The parish is now united to the neighbouring parish of Wichenford and a new rectory was built within the walls of the old kitchen garden in 1974. 

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