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                                The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene

                                                        Ashford Carbonell

  

 

 

 

 

                            West end of the Church                                  South side of the Church

 

 

 

Text Box: The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, Ashford Carbonell, sits prominently on high ground to the north of the village, surrounded by open farmland and with commanding views across to the Clee Hills. The church dates back to Norman times: inside, the chancel arch and the deeply set narrow windows in both nave and chancel, together with the font basin, remain from that time. About half the chancel and two-thirds of the nave were probably built in the early Norman period. By 1200 the chancel had been doubled in length and less than a century later the western third of the nave was added. In the centuries that followed, larger windows in both the nave and chancel transformed what must have originally been a rather dark interior. An oak-framed belfry was added in the 15th century and inside a gallery seating twenty-five people at the west end in the 18th century.

 

 

 

Text Box: In 1882–3 an extensive restoration was carried out by the architect Ewan Christian.   In the chancel, the lovely and unusual arrangement of windows at the east end was restored to its original form.   In the nave, oak benches with carved ends, each one different, replaced the box pews; the old pew doors were placed around the walls to form a dado.   A carved pulpit was installed, and in the sill of the nearby window a piscina was uncovered, suggesting a small chantry chapel with altar was once there. The gallery was removed and a south porch added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: The 20th century saw the construction of an organ loft, and an organ replaced the harmonium. The bells, two from the 14th and one from the 17th century, were restored and re-hung, and to celebrate the millennium, the lighting and heating were improved and the vestry refurbished.

 

Text Box: East end showing the altar with lancet and vesica windows.

 

 

Text Box: In the churchyard there are a number of yew trees which are older than the church itself, suggesting that there may have been an earlier structure on the site – either Saxon or even pre-Christian. In addition to the main south door, there is a small priest’s door to the chancel which dates from the 12th  century, with fine moulding at its head. There is also a blocked doorway on the north side, only slightly later in date, with dog-tooth moulding around the arch. At the west end, the lancet window has two medieval sculpted heads.  

 

Text Box: View looking west, showing the Norman chancel arch and west end lancet window.