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SOME HISTORY:

ST JOHN’S CHURCH

The earliest parts of the present church, the nave and chancel, date to the 13th century though there is a record of a chapelry in Fifield in a document dated 1190. There were considerable additions a century later. Thereafter it would seem that the building was, in general, looked after quite well, even when there was no priest living in the village. However, by 1830 there was considerable deterioration and much repair work was done, almost amounting to a rebuild. Later, in 1897, further work was carried out, including the addition of the vestry.

CHANCEL

Early English (roughly 13th century) in style, especially the chancel arch, constructed of half-piers bonded into the walls, the northern capital with nailhead decoration. (below left). The lancet windows on the north and south sides (above) are also Early English. Those on the north side are narrow and deeply splayed; those on the south side were added later, at different times, one inserted as late as the beginning of the 19th century, when a priest’s door to the south west of the chancel was blocked up. It has the arms of the Zouche family (who also had connections with Haringworth and Ashby-de-la-Zouche in Leicestershire). The Zouches can be traced back to a daughter who married a descendant of Henry de Ferrers, Lord of the Manor at the time of Domesday. This shield is 14th century. The later shield is 15th century and represents the quartering of the arms of John Barton with those of Cecilia Radcliffe on their marriage in 1486. Above the shield is a ‘sun in splendour’ in black and yellow glass; surrounding the shield are ‘crowns in thorn’ which apart from their religious significance also commemorated Henry VII’s victory over Richard III at Bosworth in 1485. Both shields were originally set in the East window.

NAVE

The nave was completely rebuilt in 1840 but two windows of the Decorated period (14th century) on either side of the chancel arch were retained. These now have 17th century stained glass, in the north window by O’Connor and in the south window by Tower (succeeding Kempe), depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The west end windows to each side of the nave are all of re-used 14th century work and were inserted to give light to a gallery which was accessed by a flight of stairs on the outside. The hood of the doorway was revealed during replastering in 2017. Two years later another gap was revealed and it has been suggested that this might be linked to the need for access to the tower when the bells were rung.

The nave was again restored in 1897 when a vestry, also accessible from the outside, was added. This was completely refurbished in 2010-2011. There is a good octagonal font, Perpendicular in style with two blind trefoiled arches on each face. It was moved in 1897 to its present, and probably original position, by the entrance from the porch.

MEMORIALS

There is a brass fixed to the north wall of the chancel, in memory of Mary Palmer who died in 1620. She was the wife of Captain John Bray of Fifield (born 1579). Their three sons and six daughters – Mary, Ann, Edmund, Ursula, Elizabeth, Dora, Eleanor, Giles and Athony - are all portrayed on the brass.

A brass on the north wall of the Nave is in memory of Rev. Samuel York, Vicar 1883-1904 and one on the south wall of the Nave is to the Chambers family. Other than the floor tiles referred to below, the only other memorials are to Keith Cameron (1913-1980), for many years Churchwarden, and also to is wife Anne.

A shield in the north wall of the nave, was not registered with the College of Heraldry, has been identified as being that of the Hambidge family, a branch of which lived in Fifield around 1800, in what was then known as Manor Farm, now The Manor.

The remaining interesting feature in the Chancel is the large aumbry set in the wall to the south of the east window, originally used for storing the altar’s sacred vessels. The oak doors were carved by Rev. E.A. McConnell, a former Rector of Fifield, and depict Charles I and Archbishop Laud. At the back of the aumbry is the ledger stone of Brilliana Bray who died in 1717 aged 10 weeks. This stone was formerly in the Chancel floor but was removed in 1840 when the floor was tiled. A tile in the new floor records Brilliana’s death and also that of her sister, Letitia, in 1728, aged 18 months Another tile records the death of their father, Edmund Bray MD, in 1731, aged 63. At that time the Bray family owned Fifield House and a second house thought to be Manor Farm.

PORCH AND SPIRE

The south porch is of unusual construction. It is Early English with a roof of stone slabs carried on one stone transverse rib. Above the entrance is a very weathered finial, possibly of carved foliage, suggesting the 14th century.

On the west side, behind a notice board, there is a barely visible outline of a single-masted and in a good light, a prow, sail and oars, shown in profile, representing, possibly, the shipping of Cotswold wool to the Continent in medieval times can just be discerned. On the doorway there are makers marks and small crosses.

The bellcote was also added at this period.

Another unusual feature of the church is the small octagonal spire, with trefoil-headed bell openings, rising directly from an octagonal tower. It is 14th century and was either restored or repaired in 1699, as evidenced by a marking on a stone at the base.

BELLS

In the tower are three bells, two from the 18th century and one from the 14th century bearing the marks of the Wokingham foundry: a lion’s mask, a trefoil and circle quarters within a square (equaling a coin). They were not rung for a number of years until work was carried out in 2006/007. In 2013, after professional inspection, further work was considered necessary and the bells are no longer rung. The small Sanctus bell which hangs in the bellcote has not been rung for very many years.

GATE ARCH and LIGHTING

The arch over the gate was erected to mark the Millennium and as a memorial to a parishioner. Lanterns in the church, made by a local blacksmith and incorporating in their design the stone carving of the font, were hung in 2004.