NHER 7221 (Building record) - St Thomas' Church, Foxley

Late 13th to 15th centuries. Good fittings, box pews, etc. Southeast nave quoin bases are massive blocks of conglomerate. Late Saxon origin? Fragment of elaborate Norman arch reused in east wall.
See (S1) and (S2) in file.
E. Rose (NAU), 6 August 1987.

September 2013. Inspection
The nave is Norman extended to the west in the later Middle Ages. Rubble and ferruginous conglomerate quoins are evident on the eastern quoins of the nave. The west quoins are visible as a straight joint on the north side. Anglo Norman coursed large flint masonry is in evidence. The voussoir incorporated in the masonry of the east wall, mentioned above, is a clasped roll (related to beak head ornament). The porch has the carving of a tree branch or 'ragged staff' in the spandrel of the entrance arch, identified by Ron Fiske as the black ragged staff which is a badge of the Grey family which held the manor of Foxley from 1390 to c.1500 (see S3 & S4) . The screen has very good dado paintings of saints of which some are defaced. The upper part of the screen has been cut off and re-fixed with crude iron plates. This must be a reflection of the situation during the iconoclastic excesses of the Commonwealth. With the return to more catholic worship at the Restoration a resourceful churchwarden was able to put the screen back in position having carefully stored it elsewhere. The bells have recently been re -hung. The pews are remarkable owing to the simplicity of the poppy head bench ends and the incorporation of the odd box pew. Behind the chancel screen are four new pinnacles waiting to be erected on the tower where the bases of the tall pinnacles remain. See photos in image library.
S. Heywood (HES), 25 September 2013