History and Description of
COVINGTON PARISH CHURCH

3. The Chancel

The exterior of the church from the North-East, showing the modern east window and vestry. The exterior of the church from the South-East, showing the Porch, the Nave and Tower. The Victorian domestic organ in the Chancel.

Although the chancel dates from around 1300, the East window is modern with only some of the original stones being reused in the window sill. The remaining windows are original to 1300. The window in the north wall contains the arms, in 14th century glass, usually considered to be that of Richard de Bayons (or Baiocis). The de Bayons family held the manor of Covington and the parsonage at that time. Recently, a small warrant consisting of an enamel shield emblazoned with the arms of the de Bayons family and intended to be worn as a pendant was found in the village. This shows an arrangement of three purple griffins on a field of silver and probably dates from the early years of the Norman occupation. It bears no resemblance to the arms in the window. On the east wall there are two mediaeval brackets with chamfered shelves. On the south side, the piscina is original and the "priest's" doorway dates from the late 12th century with alterations being carried out around 1300. The chancel arch also dates from 1300 but the other arches are modern. On the floor there is an early 14th century Purbeck marble coffin lid which is badly weathered and has an inscription which is unreadable. There are other old stones built into the walls, some of them dating back to the 12th century.

The entrance to the vestry is dominated by the organ, which is of an unidentified Victorian domestic type and may well have seen service elsewhere before being installed here. The decorative pipework has been unceremoniously sliced off at the top right to fit the arch under which it sits.

Monuments in the Chancel include a family memorial to Major James Bonser Brown and a marble plaque, set in the wall above the south doorway, dedicated to the wife of Frederic Heaton. Frederic Heaton was responsible for the refurbishment of the church in the late 1800s.