Church history - Copford Church

The history of Copford Church
West End of Copford Church

St. Michael & All Angels, Copford

Background

A church has stood on the present site since around 1130 AD, when the most substantial part of the present edifice was erected.

Its artistic sumptuousness is almost certainly due to its proximity to Copford Hall. Gifted to Bishop Elfstan in 995 AD, this was the ancient manor of the bishops of London during the rule of the later Saxon kings of England. It is referred to in the Doomsday Book of 1068 as "Copeforda", being held in Lordship for 1½ hides and 18 acres (approximately 150 acres altogether). The bishops held the manor until 1559 when the catholic Bishop Bonner was dispossessed of his holdings for refusing to take the oath of allegiance and supremacy to the new protestant Queen Elizabeth I.

The style and quality of the church, and above all its decoration, strongly suggest that the early Norman bishops regularly resided in the manor and that the church was built as their chapel. Indeed, Bishop Bonner was apparently buried here in preference to a London resting place (see Local history/information for more).

Until the late 19th century, the church was originally dedicated to St. Mary, the Virgin.

Exterior
The Exterior

The whole exterior, until the end of the 19th century, was rendered and was believed originally to have been painted. The walls are rubble with substantial amounts of Roman and medieval brick. It has been much restored, although structurally little has changed since two hundred or so years after the present structure was completed.

The semi-circular apse is probably the least altered part of the original building of circa 1130. It is divided by two buttresses into three bays, each with a round-headed window, and displays the most direct influence of Roman architecture from nearby Camulodunum (Colchester). At the west end is the late 14th to early-15th century oak-shingled belfry with its broach spire.

Apart from a small fragment of the early 12th century chapel of the bishops of London, most of the visible parts of the south wall date from the 14th century. It appears as if the south side of the Norman church has, with the exception of its apse, been encased in a later extension, all housed under one roof. The absence of a clerestory (a series of windows clear of the roofs of the aisles) supports this belief. The most westerly of the three windows in the north side shares the features of those in the apse. It appears to be of the same date.

The ancient door for the laity near the west end on the north side, and entering the nave, hangs on partly original hinges under which, reputedly, some pieces of parchment were discovered in around 1780. This is consistent with an ancient and gruesome local tradition, that a marauding Dane had been caught plundering the church and paid for his sacrilegious act with his skin (link here for similar stories of the Dane's Skin for other Essex churches). However, marauding Danes predated the building of our church by 200 years or more. The truth may be that the skin had belonged to a poacher caught harassing the king's deer. The law at the time of Henry I stated that, "If a man chaseth the deere and mayketh him pannte, if he be free, he shall lose his hand, if bond, his skin." Forensic examination of the 'parchment' early in the 20th century confirmed that the skin was that of a fair-skinned male.

The north-west window was subdivided by the addition of 14th century cusped tracery until it was removed in the 19th century. The eastern buttress of the north wall shows evidence at the top of a former doorway giving access to a room or space above the vault running the whole length of the church, providing accommodation for the priest. Access to this would have been by a wooden external stair.

The asymmetrical Romanesque west façade is simple and plain. It has no west door and the two-light 14th century window is without cusping (projections between adjacent arcs) or any other form of decoration apart from a simple hood moulding. The most intriguing features are in the gable area. This has an elongated round-headed 'window' completely encased in Roman brick with an occulus (small circular window) on either side. Although now glazed, it seems the window was originally a door opening onto an external wooden balcony, perhaps serving on feast days as an outside pulpit or for the display of relics. The occuli, now blocked, would originally have been glazed to provide light to the interior.

Interior
The Interior

The 'chapel' was originally aisle-less and consisted structurally of two simple spaces, the semi-circular apse for the altar and the rectangular nave for the laity. These two spaces, which were completely stone-vaulted, are separated by the round-headed apsidal arch with its two orders.
The priest's doorway leads into the short chancel which occupies the first bay of the structural nave and is demarcated by the much restored 15th-century wooden screen.

Between 1832 and 1879, the Rood screen had served as a support for a gallery at the west end (now demolished). Prior to that it had been stored in a barn, seemingly dismantled in the 18th century to make way for one in the classical style known to have been erected in that 'age of enlightenment'. The Rood itself (crucifix over the middle of the screen) with its supporting figures was presumably removed and destroyed at the time of the Reformation, probably being replaced by the Royal Arms in indication of the monarch's status as head of the Church in England. The Royal Arms now displayed at the east end of the south aisle are those of George I. Interestingly, the Act of Parliament signed by Charles II requiring all churches to display Royal Arms has never been repealed.

The original building was spatially very simple and dark, probably with the nave lit only by five windows: one on the north, two (possibly three) on the south and the two-light west window. The top part of one of the original south windows survives above the arches of the second bay of the structural nave. Traces of an original window can be seen above the organ arch in the chancel. The west window was replaced by the present window in the 14th century. The south aisle shows the greater part of the external wall of the bishops' chapel, complete with its massive buttresses and the substantial remains of one of its Romanesque windows.

In the course of the 12th to 14th centuries many parish churches up and down the country were enlarged as the cult of saints and the need for more altars and space grew with the increasing population. This was achieved at Copford, over a period of more than 150 years (from the late 12th century to the second half of the 14th century), by punching a series of holes - one at a time from east to west - through the Norman south wall. This had the advantage of avoiding the cost of having to rebuild its massive stone vault each time there was a wish to extend the building laterally. However, it is believed they eventually miscalculated, punching one opening too many, so that ultimately the vault had to be demolished to avoid the collapse of the whole building. The result is a south aisle largely bereft of 13th and 14th century features and somewhat resembling a medieval lean-to, being nothing more than the substantial remains of the wall and buttresses of the Romanesque chapel. However, the creation of this arcade also led to the destruction of the Romanesque windows and, even more importantly, of significant areas of wall painting. The Victorians added one further hole through the south wall of the chancel to access space for an organ and a vestry.

Whilst the vaults have gone, the internal buttresses and vault springers (parts of the arches where the curves begin) survive in the nave. The nave vault was probably demolished at the beginning of the 15th century. Experts disagree as to whether it was a tunnel vault with lateral elements or a fully-fledged groin vault (i.e. with intersecting edges between the arches) with a 'stilted' profile. Recent careful measurements by Professor Eric Fernie (former director of The Courtauld Institute) support the latter theory. Either way, it would have given the nave a much weightier and more substantial crown than the trussed-rafter and partially king-posted timber roof with which the vault was immediately re-placed. This roof is of a type that is very typical in English parish churches and sits very lightly on the heavy architecture beneath. It gives the nave an almost barn-like quality which, when viewed from the east, is heightened by the massive exposed timbers supporting the bell tower. At some time in the past - probably in the 18th century - the timbers were covered with a ceiling which was removed at the end of the 19th century.

Architecturally, the apse is the crowning feature and best-preserved part of our Norman church, remaining exactly as it was built in about 1130. The majestic proportions, the elegant windows (whose internal details mirror their external appearance) and the superb semi-domed vault represent a minor triumph of English Romanesque architecture. It is a rare survival and fully justifies the attention which it is increasingly receiving.

In the south aisle an attractive and crisply carved marble memorial of 1747 reminds us of the virtues of Mrs. Catherine Haynes, 'wife of Hezekiah Haynes Esq., Lord of this manor'. The Haynes were descendants of John Haynes (1594-1654) who emigrated to America and became the third governor of Massachusetts and the first governor of Connecticut (see Local history/information for more).

Medieval Wall Paintings
Chronology

Date	Event
Circa 1130	On completion of the building works, the decoration scheme completely covers all wall and vaulted surfaces with a series of approximately 34 subjects. The paintings may have been the work of a Master Hugo of Bury St Edmonds. It is known that Abbot Anselm's sacristan, Hervey, commissioned a Master Hugo to oversee the artistic work carried out at Bury in the 1130s, including the Bury Bible. The marked similarity in style between that and the Copford frescoes suggests that Hugo had a hand in both. It was the practice for the master craftsman to execute the outline of murals, leaving his apprentices to fill in details later. This is what happened at Copford. The outlines were drawn on the wet plaster - true fresco - and the details were finished later after the plaster had been re-wetted. (Abbot Anselm was elected bishop by King Stephen and was known to have been aware of and influenced by the Byzantine art tradition that was then prevalent in Rome.)
Circa 1190	The south wall loses an area of painting when the arch is created in the first bay of the nave to give access to a small transept.
Circa 1200-1400	Two further substantial areas of mural are lost when the other arches are made in the nave south wall to extend the transept into an aisle.
Circa 1400	The collapse or removal of the stone vault over the nave sees the largest single destruction of painted decoration in the history of the church. The wooden trussed rafter roof is built to replace it.
1547	The surviving paintings disappear under a coat of lime wash applied in the increasingly puritanical atmosphere of the reign of Edward VI.
1690	Some of the paintings in the nave make a brief re-appearance when they are 'discovered' by a workman undertaking repairs before applying a fresh coat of lime wash. Writing twenty years later, Newcourt in his Repertoriumnote described the event in the following terms: "Upon scraping the walls, in order to be whitewashed, there appear'd very fair and fresh Paintings of Christ upon the Cross, of St. Peter's mother in law, lying sick of a Fever, of St. Mary Magdalen and other Representations, which were all whited over again, but not otherwise defaced."
unknown dates	The rectangular 'pulpit window' is inserted with the loss of a panel reputed to have represented 'the Woman of Samaria at the Well'. The chancel north window is inserted with yet further decorative loss.
1880	The pulpit window is remodelled and the last vestige of the well painting disappears with the insertion of a stone heading.
1871	Canon Wood, recently appointed rector, oversees the removal of the lime wash covering the apse paintings.
1872	Daniel Bell undertakes the over painted 'restoration' of the apse paintings, giving a pre-Raphaelite flavour to the angels and a halo to Christ. Unfortunately, he also uses the wrong type of plaster which is now causing serious damage.
1888	The decoration of the structural nave is uncovered and cleaned but not altered. Sadly, at the same time, the south wall of the chancel is destroyed, obliterating what was probably the crucifixion scene mentioned by Newcourt above.
1886	An unknown artist paints probably the first wholly contemporary murals in the church for over 700 years. Painted above the chancel arch, they represent the Annunciation and the Visitation of the Shepherds. Also probably by the same artist are the trumpeting angels in the spandrels (spaces above the chancel arch) and on the west wall of the nave, Empress Matilda above the organ arch and the knight on the east side of the north-west window of the nave.

Medieval Wall Paintings
Description

The apse houses the magnificent Christ in Glory fresco. Christ in apocalyptic grandeur, enthroned upon a rainbow, looks down from the vault above the officiating priest on the supplicant congregation in the nave below. Surrounded by angels and attended by ranks of apostles the divine image is the ultimate statement of power and authority. The two paintings of buildings on the springers on either side are taken by some to be the architectural representation of the New Jerusalem. Others believe they represent the church buildings and manor house at the time of painting.

As part of the Victorian over painting of the apse by Daniel Bell, the figures on the vault were partially repainted. However, the apostles between the windows were almost completely over painted and the lower halves of their figures reconstructed because they had become indistinct or had disappeared altogether. It seems Bell was prone to adding 'details' that were not present in the original composition, including the symbols carried by the apostles and the rather Gothic-looking crown on the head of Christ but also tidying up the outlines and altering facial features. For example, a crowned Christ in a mandorla (almond-shaped panel) is unknown from the England of that period. Even so, the power and authority of the figures and the general composition must surely owe more to the Romanesque artist who originally created them than to Bell. The archangels Michael and Gabriel on the splays (obliquely angled surfaces) of the east window are paintings entirely by Bell.

The chancel arch is decorated with bands of 'meander' patterns and, on its soffit (under surface), with the twelve signs of the zodiac. These terminate above the capital on the north side with a rising sun and on the south side with a semi-crescent moon. It is very unusual to find signs of the zodiac in this position. When they were uncovered at the end of the 19th century, after being hidden for over three hundred years, the figures of Leo, Cancer and the Virgin (with a halo) were found intact, others were partially recognisable, while some could only be restored by following the original scratch marks. No other English church seems to possess a complete Zodiac. That it appears at all seems to suggest a very early date.

The best-preserved Romanesque fresco in the church is the Raising of Jairus's Daughter. This is positioned in the first bay of the nave at the lunette (semi-circular space) above the rectangular pulpit window. The scene is both united and separated by two arches springing from a central towered structure with a doorway. To the left of the tower an interior is suggested by a gathered curtain. In the room, on a pallet, lies Jairus's daughter under a blanket. Behind her stands her grieving mother. To the right of the tower we see Christ standing in a cross-legged attitude and, to His right, an unidentified figure with a halo. The artist has chosen to illustrate the moment when Jairus returns home, having found Jesus. He looks backwards over his shoulder and up into the face of the disproportionately tall figure of Christ. Jairus is explaining the cause of his distress and appealing for help, while pointing with his left index finger towards the interior of the house. The facial features of the figures are especially noteworthy, each having individual characteristics. Jairus, with his highly simplified and accentuated features, is close to being a caricature. The dynamic character and apparently random quality of the composition are very different from the static, hierarchical decoration of the apse. This fresco has not been over-painted and is in its original state. So far as is known it has only ever been cleaned.

The total effect of the early paintings in the rest of the nave is perhaps more impressive than the remains of the individual scenes, which are generally truncated or so faded as to be indistinguishable. A series of heads above the north chancel window, which lost their bodies when the window was inserted, fall into the former category. However, the figures on the south side of the west window were identified, only in a report on the paintings compiled in 1990, as a royal presence flanked on each side by soldiers, their shields still being easily recognisable.

There are one or two surviving fragments which do command rather more individual attention. The north-west window is flanked by figures of knights wearing chain mail and helms, carrying shields and spears. While the knight on the east side is a 19th-century re-interpretation, that on the west is both original and clearly identifiable, thus giving a good indication of the armour and equipment of the period. Roundels on various pilasters containing the heads of angels and other worthies are delightful but of mixed age and condition.

On the springer immediately to the west of the Jairus lunette there are the legs of a man and the lower body and legs of a lion. This probably represents Samson struggling with the lion and is so animated, that it seems as if the figures are dancing.

Medieval Wall Paintings
Restoration

The paintings continued to deteriorate during the course of the 20th century and attempts, not always successful, were made to stabilise the paint surfaces. For example, due to darkening of a wax preservative applied earlier, the angels above the south chancel arch are now barely discernable.

A major initiative was clearly needed if the paintings were to survive. Improvements to ground drainage and extensive repairs to the church were carried out as an essential prelude to completing work on the conservation of artwork throughout the building.

Between 1988 and 1993, the conservation of the wall paintings was undertaken by Wolfgang Gartner and his team from the Canterbury Cathedral Wallpaintings Workshop. Their task was to conserve the paintings of all periods in the state in which they existed. No attempt has been made to remove Victorian over painting or to restore any of the medieval frescoes to their assumed original form. More details about this work are on display in the church.

The paintings are now critically examined by experts at each quinquennial inspection of the building and necessary repair work is carried out.

Further information
For further history and information on the church see British History Online.

Adapted by Roland Mallinson (2005) from the guide by A J Wright (1993, revised 1998 and 2003), with kind permission.

Photographs: Susanna Harrison & John Warburton