Description of the Church.
Battlefield Church was, as we have seen, doubtless erected in the years 1407 and 1408, excepting the tower, which was completed a century later. It is entirely of the perpendicular style of architecture, with the exception of one window on the north side of the church and two on the south side which have reticulated tracery in their heads. The church is not, strictly speaking, divided into nave and chancel, as is usual in parish churches, but consists of one covered space only, and is uniform in its character throughout.
The length of the nave and chancel inside is 94 feet, and of the tower 18 feet; the breadth of the nave is 28 feet, and of the tower 14 feet; the total length outside being 119 feet, and the breadth 33 feet.
On the South side of the church was the cemetery or burial ground, formerly enclosed by a stone wall which came up to the church, at its south east and south west corners, and had an exit at the west end. The dimensions of the cemetery are given in one of the Morris MSS. in the Salop Free Library as follows,—length 126 feet, breadth 80 feet, including the church; from the east end of the church to the ditch, 57 feet; from north to south between the ditch, 222 feet; width of the ditch, 22 feet. This stone wall, which was probably coeval with the church, was taken down at the restoration in 1862. The church and college originally stood in an oblong space enclosed by a moat, which may still in places be traced.
The tower is about 100 years later than the rest of the church, and was completed by Adam Grafton, master of the college, in 1503. His initials and the date, A.G. 1503, occur on a shield on the east side of the tower. Roger Ive by his will in 1444, left directions as to certain alms being accumulated for the building of the belfry; and the funds may have been thus raised. The tower has eight pinnacles, which were mostly replaced in 1862. It is surmounted by an embattled parapet of equal intervals, with plain cappings. Just below the battlements, is a handsome carved frieze or border, enriched with diamond shaped ornaments and quatrefoils. On the west it has two windows, and one on the east, north, and south sides. Over the higher of the west windows, in the middle of the frieze, is an escutcheon bearing an animal, apparently a lion rampant passant; and over the east window is an escutcheon having on it the inscription A.G. 1503. The second floor of the tower is furnished with a fireplace, having a chimney formed within the thickness of the wall, and opening outside the western window of the bell chamber. Exterior buttresses are built at the corners of the tower, and a square projection on its south-east corner has a spiral staircase to the top. The tower is not placed at right angles to the body of the church. The break in the stonework at its eastern wall, the comparative rudeness of the mouldings, the absence of a second plinth mould to the base, and the coarse treatment of the angle buttresses at their lower weatherings, all bear out the statement that the tower is a hundred years later than the body of the church.
The church was probably all of one pace originally, and no division made between nave and chancel externally. The exterior, between the windows, is supported by handsome stone buttresses. And it seems clear that there never was any clerestory.
With the exception of the three already referred to, the windows are all of the perpendicular style, though in some of them there are evidences of a lingering fondness for the flowing lines of decorated tracery. Some of the windows have the dripstones terminating at the bottom with plain returns, others with representations of human heads. The three windows with reticulated tracery in their heads, one on the north and two on the south side, are in style a century earlier than the rest of the windows. How can they be accounted for? One theory is that the church was designed by an architect from France, where the decorated style remained longer than in England. Another, and more probable, theory is that they were brought from the neighbouring church of Albright Hussey, which, judging from the window mouldings in the fragment that remains, was of 14th century architecture, and was probably suffered to fall into decay when Battlefield Church was built.
The east window is of five lights, and has handsome perpendicular tracery. The present stained glass in it is modern, and represents our Lord led out to crucifixion, followed by the women, the home at Bethany, Mary wiping Christ’s feet, the women at the Sepulchre, and the Risen Lord appearing to Mary,—all scenes in the history of St. Mary Magdalene. Above are the Evangelists and four greater Prophets. The old stained glass represented the decollation of St. John Baptist, and was probably brought from Albright Hussey church, which was dedicated to that saint. When the church was undergoing its first restoration in 1749, this glass was taken down, and entrusted to the care of a neighbouring farmer, who suffered his children and servants to destroy it, so that when it was to be replaced only a few fragments could be found. These were inserted in the window, much injured and dilapidated, and contained, amongst other designs, two crowned heads, a human head in a dish, a chalice and wafer, the crucifixion, some escutcheons of arms, and an inscription commencing “Orate pro animabus Rogeri . . . hujusce capellani . . . .” These fragments at the second restoration in 1862 were carried away to Prees Church, and some portions to the ante-chapel at Sundorne Castle.
The stained glass in the vestry, not of any high artistic merit, was not originally in the church, but was brought from France by the Rev. A. J. Pigott, and placed in the vestry.
Outside the church, immediately over the East window, is a niche, surmounted by a canopy, in which stands the statue of Henry IV., about half life-size, crowned, with a dagger hanging on his left side, and his right hand grasping a sword.
On each side of the exterior of the chancel, near the East end, are dripstones, as if intended for the arch of a window, carried up nearly to a point. No window ever was thrown out in either place; and probably the architect’s intention may have been to add small side chapels at some future time.
At the dissolution of the college, two great bells and a sanctus bell were left. These bells are traditionally said to have been carried off to Berrington or Wroxeter in the last century. In 1861 the only bell went to St. Mary’s, Shrewsbury. The present bell is modern, and was cast by Naylor, Vickers and Co. in 1861.
The three sedilia with plain gothic arches, and the piscina adjoining, on the south side of the altar, are original.
In the chancel is a seated figure of “Our Lady of Pity,” the blessed Virgin with the dead Christ in her lap. This is said to have been brought here from Albright Hussey. It is 3ft. 9in. high, and carved out of a block of oak hollowed behind. The execution of the image is good, and it is probably of 14th century work. It was formerly seated in the westernmost of the three sedilia. There was formerly another figure, that of a man, in one of the other sedilia, but it was destroyed at the first restoration of 1749.
Some fragments of the original roof still remain, worked up into the present chancel roof. The corbels at the spring of the roof trusses, some of foliage, but mostly of heads, are original and are well carved. Outside are a few of the original gurgoyles, though most were placed there in 1861.
The nave is entered by a doorway under the tower, which was reopened out in 1861. There are also doors on the north and south sides of the nave, the latter formerly leading into the cemetery; and on the north and south sides of the chancel, the former leading into the vestry, the latter, which formerly communicated with a priest’s chamber, being now bricked up and the organ placed over it.
Above the south chancel doorway, over the organ, nearly up to the roof, is a small square aperture now bricked up, which communicated with an outer priest’s chamber, and enabled its occupants to see inside the church. On the south side of the church, near the second bay from the eastern end, between the second and third buttresses may be seen some masonry, the foundations of a building which was three storeys in height, the upper storeys being approached by a circular staircase, of which the foundations still remain. The lowest storey opened directly into the church by the doorway now bricked up. From the upmost storey the little square window opened into the church. On the buttresses may be seen some projecting pieces of masonry, which supported the topmost storey; over the doorway may be seen against the wall a projecting support for the middle storey. These little rooms were probably only about 9ft. square, and were for the accommodation of the priests whilst on duty at the church.
A modern screen divides the choir from the nave. Round the church are fixed a number of shields bearing the arms of those knights and others who fell in the battle.
The font is modern, though a portion of the ancient font was lying in the tower in the year 1856, and a second font was erected in 1749 probably and taken away in 1861.
The vestry, or strictly speaking the Corbet mortuary chapel, was erected in 1861 over the place of interment of the family of Corbet of Sundorne Castle and Pimley. The Corbets are the patrons and proprietors of Battlefield.
On the north side of the chancel is a large and handsome monument erected in December 1821, to the memory of John Corbet, Esq., and several members of his family. John Corbet died 19 May 1817, aged 65 years; Emma Elizabeth, his first wife, and daughter of Sir Charlton Leighton, Bart., died 19 September, 1797; Annabella, wife of Sir Theodore Henry Lavington Brinckman, Baronet, and daughter of John Corbet, Esq., died 24th January, 1864, aged 61. Several other of this family are also named on this monument, and lie buried in the vault, which was made in August 1797.
A brass, mounted on jasper, affixed to the south wall of the tower, commemorates the restoration of 1861. It bears this inscription:—“This church, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, was built and endowed by Henry IV. in memory of the battle of Shrewsbury 1403. Having fallen into decay, its restoration, originated by public subscription, was finally completed in the year of Our Lord 1861, at the private cost of Annabella, wife of Sir Theodore Brinckman, Bart., according to plans prepared by Pountney Smith, Architect. Soli Deo Gloria.”