An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex, Volume 3, North East. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1922.
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15. COLNE ENGAINE. (B.c.)
(O.S. 6 in. (a)xvii. N.E. (b)xvii. S.W.)
Colne Engaine is a parish and small village 2 m. E. of Halstead. The church is the principal monument.
b(1). Parish Church of St. Andrew stands near the middle of the parish. The walls are of flint and stone-rubble mixed with Roman bricks and tiles; the porch and the upper stages of the tower are of brick; the dressings are of Barnack and limestone; and the roofs are tiled. The Nave was built early in the 12th century. The Chancel was probably rebuilt in the 13th century. The West Tower was added possibly in the 14th century. Early in the 16th century the top stages of the tower were rebuilt and the South Porch added. The church was restored in the 19th century when the chancel-arch was rebuilt, the E. wall raised and the North Vestry added.
The top stage of the tower and the S. porch are interesting examples of brickwork; the porch is in part a replica of that at Pebmarsh.
Architectural Description—The Chancel (26 ft. by 18½ ft.) has a modern E. window with some reused stones in the splays. In the N. wall are traces of a tile relieving-arch over the head of a blocked lancet window, only visible internally; further W. is a single light 'low-side' window of the 14th century with a trefoiled ogee head and tracery; between the windows is a modern opening to the organ chamber. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern is of early 14th-century date and of two septfoiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with richly moulded jambs and label with head-stops; the western window is of the same date and is a 'low-side' window similar to that in the N. wall; between the windows is a 13th-century doorway with chamfered jambs, two-centred arch and moulded label with headstops, one modern; it is now blocked; above the doorway are traces of a relieving-arch similar to that in the N. wall. The chancel-arch is modern.
The Nave (48 ft. by 24 ft.) has W. quoins of Roman brick and in the S. wall are well-defined courses of similar bricks. In the N. wall are two modern windows. In the S. wall are two windows all modern except the rear-arch and splays of the eastern, which are of the 14th century; W. of this window is a 12th-century window, now blocked; further W. is the S. doorway with double chamfered jambs and moulded two-centred arch of the 14th century.
The West Tower (11 ft. square) is of three stages, the lowest probably of the 14th century and the two upper of early 16th-century date; the embattled brick parapet has crocketed angle pinnacles and projects on a trefoiled corbel-table above which is a band of cusped ornament; on the E. side this band has a shield and the Vere molet; the buttresses have each a trefoil-headed panel at the level of the second stage. The tower-arch and W. window are modern. The second stage has a loop in the N. and S. walls. The bell chamber has in each wall an early 16th-century window of two four-centred lights with a pierced spandrel in a four-centred head and a moulded label.
The South Porch (Plate, p. xxix) is of brick and of early 16th-century date. The outer archway has moulded jambs, two-centred arch and label all set in a projection with a crow-stepped head surmounted by a niche. The side walls have each a window of two four-centred lights with a pierced spandrel.
The Roof of the nave is of the 15th century and of four bays with moulded wall-plates and tiebeams with curved braces and square king-posts with moulded capitals and bases; two braces rest on grotesque stone corbels. The 15th-century roof of the porch evidently belonged to an earlier structure and has moulded wall-plates and tie-beam with king-post, two-way struts and central purlin; the cusped and sub-cusped barge-boards are much decayed.
Fittings—Bells: six; 3rd by Miles Graye, 1624. Brass: On S. respond of chancel-arch—to Agnes Hunte, widow, and Agnes, Alys and Elyzabeth, her daughters, early 16th-century, inscription only. Chest: In vestry — plain, with ring-handles and strap-hinges, probably 17th-century. Niche: On porch—with moulded base and four-centred head, early 16th-century. Piscina: In chancel—with moulded jambs and trefoiled ogee head with carved spandrels, crocketed label and finial, octofoiled drain, 14th-century. Sedile: In chancel —sill of S.E. window carried down to form seat, splays stopped with trefoiled ogee heads, 14th-century.
Condition—Good, but some ivy on N. wall.
The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered or weather-boarded; the roofs are tiled or thatched. Some of the buildings have original chimney-stacks and exposed ceiling-beams.
Condition—Good, or fairly good, unless noted.
b(2). Row of Cottages, 300 yards W. of the church, has an original chimney-stack with grouped diagonal shafts.
b(3). Goldington's Farm, house and barn, nearly 1 m. W. of the church.
b(4). Cottage, 300 yards S. of (3), has the modern date 1620 on the W. gable. The central chimney-stack has four octagonal shafts and an original bay-window at the W. end of the house is of six transomed lights with moulded mullions.
b(5). The Grove, house on Boose's Green, nearly ½ m. N.N.W. of the church, has large modern additions and the modern date 1684 on the S.W. end. Inside the building is some original panelling and a moulded ceiling-beam.
b(6). Cottage, 180 yards E.N.E. of (5), has a wing on the E. with a projecting upper storey on its N. side.
b(7). Brickhouse Farm, house, ¼ m. E.N.E. of (6), is built of brick and has at the back an original window with a moulded frame.
a(8). Hungry Hall, house and barn, 1½ m. N.E. of the church. The House has been refaced with modern brick, but the chimney-stack has two original octagonal shafts.
The Barn, W. of the house, is probably of the 17th century and is of seven bays.