Church Micro 2080...Ashford-St Mary Traditional Geocache
Church Micro 2080...Ashford-St Mary
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The Domesday Book holds the first reference to St Mary’s, recording ‘at Essestisford, a church and a priest’, in 1086.
It is thought that the first significant structure on the site was a twelfth century Norman church, recorded amongst the possessions of the Priory of Horton Kirby. Robert de Derby was the first recorded vicar in the late thirteenth century, around the time that the foundations of the present building were laid.
The thirteenth century church had a cruciform plan; the crossing was covered with a squat central tower and wooden spire, which was probably lead-covered. A limited quantity of thirteenth to fourteenth century stonework is thought to survive in the west wall of the south transept. The columns and arcades of the chancel are also of the thirteenth to fourteenth centuries. Between 1470 and 1490 the church was renovated and partly rebuilt under the patronage of Sir John Fogge, Lord of the Manor at Repton and once treasurer to Edward IV.
The church was considerably enlarged in height, gaining a taller perpendicular tower and raised nave, transepts and chancel, all with large windows. It is not clear how much if any of the old tower was encased within the fifteenth century work. Structurally, all but the nave of the late medieval church survives in the east side of the church, although its roofs and tower have been repaired over time.
Sir. John Fogge also commissioned his own tomb to reside in the church. Now located to the north of the altar, it displays his political allegiances with Yorkist roses, which, with Fogge’s coat of arms, were repeated on the sides of the contemporary font. A heavy wood rood screen was installed by the close of the century.
The will of William Whyte who died in 1472 left 40 shillings towards the ‘new work of the rood loft in the two aisles of the church’. The only description of the screen before its removal in 1697 comes from William Warren, whose father had been the Vicar. He described the screen, which stretched across the two transepts, as ‘of heavy wood construction with folding doors and painted in green and gold.'
Of the remaining medieval fittings, some of the choir stalls and their misericords are thought to date from the late fifteenth century. Virtually all of the window glass was destroyed in the Civil War, but studies made by John Philipot in 1616 (now in the British Library) record that the fifteenth and sixteenth century glass contained portraits of Sir John Fogge and associated nobles as well as Edward IV and Richard III.
The church is situated in a pedestrianised area so there is no car parking in the immediate vicinity. However there are plenty of public car parks around the centre of Ashford, one of the closest is Vicarage Lane Car Park.
Please be stealthy as possible, there is a camera in the opposite corner.
You are looking for an unknown container - you need to bring a pen - there is no need to go inside.
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.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Hfr fgrnygu - Zntargvp - Obk Pyrire.
Oruvaq.