Building record 0219200000 - BRILL PARISH CHURCH

Dimensions - Length 21m, Width 20m.
Plan Form - Sub-rectangular.
Chancel & nave c.1120, W tower early C15, windows c.1250-C16 (B4).
Repaired & enlarged 1835 (B2).
Largely rebuilt by J Oldrid Scott, 1888 (B5).
C17 chancel roof is noteworthy (B4).
From C12-C16 Brill Church was a chapel of Oakley Church (B3).
Church on hill (at NGR) (B6).
In the C18 church the nave had a gently sloped leaded roof, with a barrel-vaulted ceiling. The chancel was slightly shorter, the roof was steeply pitched and tiled and also had a barrel-vaulted ceiling. There were several altars and shrines dedicated to certain saints. Robert Harte, by his will of 1503, left legacies to the 'high alter at Brill, All Hallow's light, the rood, St George's, St John's. St Clement's and St Christopher's lights, also for the high alter, Our Lady's and St Nicholas' alters'. The church had two galleries in the C18, both were supported by wooden pillars of classical design and fronted with ornate rails and twisted and barley sugar ballusters. The west gallery was the gift of Mrs Elizabeth Dawson in 1749 and remained in place till the church was remodified in 1889. A memorial tablet to Eeles Benjamin, born 1756 is found at the east end of the south aisle. The south gallery was built by Thomas Saunders in 1785. In the C19 the church was cleared of its private pews, servants’ seats and galleries, etc. 2nd half of C20 the Baron enlarged the church. On 16th Sept 1855 T S Orchard & Sons of Grimsbury, Banbury started work by removing the north wall of the original chapel and replacing it with the present arcade, to which the north aisle was added. The roof was raised. The chancel was extended east by 5 ft. The barrel-vaulted ceiling was removed. In 1888 the south wall was removed and replaced by an arcade. It was at this time that the windowed clearstory was added and the roof replaced by a steeper, higher and tiled roof (B9).
Grade II+. Parish church. Originally C12, much rebuilt 1888 by J. Oldrid Scott, retaining C15 tower. Tower and chancel are of rubble stone, remainder roughcast. Tiled roofs to nave and chancel, lead roofs to aisles, small leaded spire to tower. W. tower is short in comparison to heightened nave and is of 2 stages with moulded ashlar parapet, diagonal buttresses and 2-light traceried openings to bell-chamber and W. side. Nave has C19 clerestory with 4 bays of cusped roundels. N. aisle built 1839, S. aisle 1888, both with 4 bays of 2-light traceried windows and both re- using restored Norman doorways with roll-moulded arches on shafts with cushion capitals. E. bay of N. aisle is small chapel with shallow gabled roof and re-used C13 E. window of 4 traceried uncusped lights. S. aisle has re-used C15-C16 windows to E. and W., and C19 timber gabled porch. Chancel entended to E. C19, with C19 3-light traceried E. window below re-used pair of C15 cusped lights. S. side has 2 C19 ogee lights and small doorway; N. side has restored cusped lancet and small blocked window with semi-circular head. Interior: low wide double-chamfered arch to tower with deeply splayed semi-circular head of C12 window above. C19 nave arcades of 4 bays, C19 roofs to nave and aisles. S. aisle has semi-circular arched recess with similarly arched piscina, and another piscina with octagonal shaft. Narrow mid C13 chancel arch with traces of paintings on the soffit. 2 C17 roof trusses to chancel, both with curved queen posts, the W. truss with elaborate pendant in central cusped arch, dated 1639. Fittings: C17 chair inscribed 'I G Thomas Pavier' in chancel; C17-C18 turned baluster rails and chest in S. chapel; heptagonal C15 font with traceried panels; elaborate wooden font cover by Canon Vernon Staley c.1914. Monuments: small brass inscription tablet to John and Mabil Hood c,1540 in chancel; marble tablet with pilaster strips, cornice, base and armorial crest to Mary Belson 1715, on W. wall of nave. RCHM I p. 62-64 (B8).