The church of ST. KATHERINE, or All Saints Church, Catherington.
The greater part of the building belongs to the end of the twelfth century and the beginning of the thirteenth, and, though doubtless developed from an older church, gives but little evidence of its predecessor's size and arrangements.
The south arcade of the nave and the south-west tower date probably from the last decade of the twelfth century, and from the evidence of the masonry seem to be contemporary with each other. The older nave, probably of the same width as the present, may at this time have been lengthened by 12ft.
The rebuilding of the north side of the church seems to have been undertaken with little if any interval after the completion of the tower and south arcade. If, as seems probable, the older church had a chancel narrower than its nave, it was now removed, the new work being built outside its lines after the usual fashion.
The north arcade was set out to range with the south arcade, and continued eastward for two more bays, the eastern bay being only half the width of the others. The north aisle, which now runs as far west as the nave, may have been in the first instance one bay shorter, and equal in length to the south aisle. The north chapel appears to be contemporary with the arcade, but its length has not been determined by the spacing of the bays, or by any other obvious reason.
In 1883 the building was extensively repaired, £3,086 being spent on the work. The north chapel has two lancet windows in the east wall, and between them on the site of the altar stands the large monument of Nicholas Hyde, 1631, described below. All windows in both aisles of the church are modern, and at the west end of the north arcade of the nave is a modern arch of the same general detail as the north arch of the tower, opening to the nave from the west end of the aisle. In the north wall a blocked doorway is to be seen, corresponding in position with that in the south aisle.
The southwest tower is of three stages, the top stage being of eighteenth-century date in red brick and embattled, with a leaded cupola, while the lower stages, having shallow clasping buttresses at the angles, belong to the end of the twelfth century, and have small roundheaded lights on the south and west on the ground and second stages. The tower opens to the nave by plain pointed arches of two orders on the north and east, 7ft. and 4ft. wide respectively, with chamfered strings at the springing.
The weathering already noticed on its east face continues horizontally on the north face, and shows that the original roof of the nave was carried down in an unbroken line over the south aisle. On the north wall of the nave is a large early fourteenth-century painting of St. Michael weighing souls, the end of the balance being held down by our Lady.
The church contains many modern monuments of the Napiers, but the only tomb of any architectural interest is that of Nicholas Hyde and his wife set against the east wall of the north chapel. It is an altar tomb on which lie the two effigies, with an arched panel containing the inscription on the wall above them.
In the tower are six bells, the treble and second by Mears and Stainbank, 1887, and the fourth by the same founders, 1888, while the third, fifth, and tenor, are by Wells of Aldbourne, 1751, having the inscription as usual with this founder, on the sound bow instead of the shoulder.
Pealringer has mentioned the bell information is out of date....
Catherington was augmented to 8 bells in 2003 with 2 new trebles cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry - the old treble became the new 3, the old second the new fourth etc etc.
So thanks for that :)
To find the cache you need to do some exploring around the church.
Question 1 – Go to N50° 55.558 W001° 00.669 and look at what you find there. On the western face is an inscription. A= the number of letters in the 3rd word B= the number of letters in the 4th word
Question 2 – Go to N50° 55.550 W001° 00.623 and look at the plaque on the wall. C= number of words in the 3rd line.
Question 3 – Now go to N50° 55.557 W001° 00.605 and look at the rather impressive structure here. D = 2 people mentioned were leaders of the English Theatre 18D1-18D9, and the tomb was restored in 19EF
Now head to N50° 55.ABC W001° 00.D(E+1)(Fx2) for the cache.
Please conceal well once you've found the cache.
If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication
To view the church micro stats page, please click here
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