Listed Building: Church of the Holy Trinity (1040093)

Church. C11 to C14, tower rebuilt early C17. Chancel rebuilt 1819, north aisle and north chapel rebuilt mid/late C19. Squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings. Collyweston slate roofs with C20 plain tiles to inner slopes. Nave, chancel, north aisle and north chapel, west tower and south porch. South elevation of chancel of 2-window range of 3-light Decorated windows with geometrical tracery 2-stage ashlar buttresses between windows. Corbel table with carved heads. Gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets, finial and pinnacles at eastern corners. Late C19, 4-light east window with curvilinear tracery and initialled label stops. Flanking 2-stage ashlar buttresses. 3-light east window of north aisle, to right, is also late C19 with trefoil circles and foliated label stops. North elevation of north aisle is of 2 bays, one-window range, with a C19 three-light window to right, with intersecting tracery. Priest door, to left, has single chamfered surround. 2- and 3-stage ashlar buttresses, abutting to left and 2-stage ashlar buttress to right. Gabled roof with ashlar gable parapet and finial. South elevation of nave is of bays with irregular 2-window range. 3-light window with intersecting tracery, to right, has carved label stops. Central C17, two-light window has square head and hood mould. C19 porch, with ashlar façade, breaks forward to left. Outer doorway has double-chamfered surround. C12 inner doorway has semi-circular double-stepped head and one order of shafts. Plank door. Gabled nave roof. South elevation of north aisle of 2 bays, one-window range, with C19 three-light window to left, with intersecting tracery. 2-stage ashlar buttress at corner. Gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets and finial. C19 three-light west window has geometrical tracery and foliated label stops. 3-stage, unbuttressed, west tower with plain plinth. Reset C12 west door with plain arch-head, now blocked. Small single-light north and south windows in lower stage. Similar west windows in second stage. 2-light square-head bell-chamber openings, with arch-head lights, to each face of upper stage. Plain ashlar parapet with one gargoyle on north face. Interior: 2-bay north arcade to nave of semi-circular arches, with small single chamfer. Circular pier with plain spine abaci. Similar responds, that to east has waterleaf capital. Double-chamfered chancel arch and arch from north aisle to north chapel. Both have bracketed responds, the chancel responds are mutilated. C12 semi-circular tower arch with plain responds. 3-bay arcade of c.1300 between chancel and north chapel has double-chamfered arches with quatrefoil piers and similar responds. C19 roof structures with arched braced trusses. Tall, trefoil-head niches, with crocketed gables above, flanking east window of chancel. Smaller niches between window and larger niches. Blocked doorway to left of altar. Trefoil head piscina in north aisle. Square font with wheel head cross, on circular base, restored late C19. Chancel screen has C18 turned balusters to base, originally probably a communion rail. Simple C19 upper section. Plain early C19 panelled pews. Pulpit with reeded pilasters. Second pulpit in north aisle, probably reset, has eleborate carving with matching tester. Stained glass: late C19 and early C20 windows to all chancel and north chapel windows and west window of north aisle. Some are by Clayton and Bell. 2 south windows of chancel are probably by Kempe. Monuments: coffin lid with foliated cross to south side of chancel. Humphrey Stafford, d.1548, and wife, wall mounted brasses in north chapel, has simple Gothic surround with flanking columns. Wall monument, to right, is probably Sir Humphrey Stafford, d.1575 and wife. 2 panels with egg and dart surround and kneeling figures. Flanking detached columns and heraldic devices above. C19 inscription. Sir Humphrey Stafford commenced the building of Kirby Hall. Sabbian Cressener, d.1598, inscribed brass floor tablet in chancel. Various C17 and C18 inscribed floor slabs. Thomas Randolf, a poet, monument by Nicholas Stone c.1640 commissioned by Sir Christopher Hatton. Inscribed marble tablet to south wall of north aisle has oval laurel wreath. Henry O'Brien, d.1723 and wife, plain inscribed tablet in north chapel. Reverend Edmund Popple, d.1726, inscribed tablet south wall of chancel. Various C19 tablets in north aisle and north chapel commemorate Stafford O'Brien family who lived at Blatherwyke Hall. Wall tablet to north wall of nave describing late C17 charities in Blatherwyke. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: p107; RCHM: An Inventory of Architectural Monuments in North Northamptonshire: p19)

Record last edited

Jun 5 2023 1:45PM