Listed Building: Church of St. Leodegarius (1076499)

Church. C14-C15. Squared coursed ironstone and sandstone and uncoursed rubble. Chancel and north chapel, aisled nave, north and south porches, west tower. C19 east window to chancel. Priest's door with wood lintel in south wall of chancel, Perpendicular 2-light window above and large blocked straight headed opening in left bay. Blocked arch in east wall of south aisle, probably to former south chapel. Perpendicular 3-light windows with panel tracery to north and south aisles. The tracery in the windows west of the porch and in the west wall of the south aisle has been renewed. North chapel has Perpendicular 3-light windows with quatrefoil tracery. C14 gabled south porch. Inner doorway has ogee shaped arch with continuous mouldings and old studded plank door. Perpendicular north porch, converted for use as vestry, has blocked outer doorway with moulded arch and plain jambs. Decorated west tower of 3 stages with crenellated parapet and bell openings of 2 lights with panel tracery. Interior: Perpendicular nave arcades, 4 bays, with double chamfered arches and octagonal piers. Rood screen, c.1500, has 4 traceried openings, coving with fan vaulting, and dado with blind tracery and original painted decoration. Two square Jacobean manorial pews flanking entrances to chancel, carved with blind arcading and stylised foliage. Jacobean 3-decker pulpit. Benches in nave, C14-C15, the ends with blind tracery. C18 box pews in the aisles facing inwards to nave. Musicians pew at west end of south aisle. C18 altar rails. Wall paintings c.1500. One of the most complete cycles in England of the Passion of Christ, but very faded. Also St. Christopher, north wall. Flagellation of St. Margaret, c.1325 behind chancel arch, and Death with pick and shovel, C16, south of tower arch. Stained glass: medieval fragments including Catesby coat of arms, C14-C15, and the figure of a bishop, c.1470. Monuments: John Ianson. 1663, alabaster oval wall tablet with life size three-quarter figure. Brian Ianson died 1634 and his wife. Alabaster wall monument with kneeling figures and children below. Joseph Ashley, died 1737. Grey and white marble architectural wall tablet with pediment and winged cherubs heads below. Signed by N. Hedges. Moses Ashley, died 1740. Grey and white marble wall monument with portrait bust in roundel, also by N. Hedges. John Bentley Ashley d.1761, by John Bacon, 1784. Standing wall monument with two large allegorical figures flanking the inscription. Above them is a sarcophagus on which is a Roman lamp on front of a black obelisk, James Ashley, died 1798; simple wall monument with urn and obelisk. All in chancel. George Henry Arnold died 1844 (north chapel) by I. Wheeler, of Reading. Gothic shrine with elaborate canopy with crocketed pinnacles. Brasses to Thomas Stokes, died 1416 and wife.. Sir William Catesby died 1472 (?) and wife (one figure only remains) and George Catesby (?) died 1505. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.89-90).

Record last edited

Dec 18 2023 9:47AM