became the patron and rector of Finchingfield. Throughout
the 12th century there was much wrangling between the
Bishop of London, the Chapter of St. Paul's, and the Priors
before a settlement was reached. In 1225 it was finally decided
that a "perpetual vicarage should be established with the
rights of the vicar to certain tithes etc."
OUTSIDE
The best approach to the church is to turn, halfway up
Church Hill, through the archway of the Guildhall. Before
the Reformation, when it was secularised, this belonged to the
Holy Trinity Guild. It was, however, given back to the
village in the 17th century by Sir Robert Kempe, who
endowed the almshouses which you can see on your left.
As you enter the Churchyard the massive quality of the
West tower is well seen and the solidity of its construction
can be appreciated when one realises that it was not until the
20th century that it was found necessary to shore it up with
the sturdy redbrick buttress at the S.W. corner.
The first two storeys date from about 1170 and are the
oldest part of the church. The thickness of the walls and the
narrow slit windows, which could be used by archers, are
typical of this period, when a church tower might well have
to be used for secular defence. The West doorway, with its
three orders of columns, scalloped capitals and zig-zag arches
is on the whole well preserved. Unfortunately the original
tympanum, which was doubtless of richly carved stone, has
disappeared and the semi-circular space filled up by a piece
of modern leaded glass. Note the remains of the moulded
bases and the carvings on the pillars, e.g. on the left you
can see a repetition of the cord motive, which is used on the
fine N.W. quoin of the tower. At the top of the inner jambs,
heads much worn or defaced, can be traced. Note too, the
string courses with their traces of billet decoration, which is
characteristic of Norman work. The next storey, which was
built as a bell chamber, is of much later date: its decorated
windows, its moulded string course and its gargoyles are 15th
century. It may have been at this time or slightly later that
a spire was added. Certainly we read, in a description of the