Listed Building: Church of St. Mary the Virgin (1075249)

Church, Early C12 south wall, C13 west tower and north aisle, nave rebuilt and south porch added C14/C15, chancel of 1850 by Philip Hardwick; church restored 1878-80 by William Butterfield. Ironstone and limestone rubble and coursed squared ironstone, tile roofs. Chancel nave, north aisle, south porch, west tower. Two-bay chancel has 3-light geometrical east window and coupled lancets to south, and vestry to north with hollow-chamfered north door and 2-light east window with plate tracery. Nave has some herringbone masonry to south wall, 2 small round-arched windows, one to south-east, the other visible inside and blocked by porch, tall 3-light windows either side of porch with intersecting tracery to east, reticulated to west, and clerestory on north side with three 2-light windows with straight heads. Two-storey south porch has chamfered rib vault and doorway with chamfered inner arch on polygonal responds, outer arches dying into wall, blocked 1-light above and to east and west sides. South door has double hollow-chamfered arch. North aisle has renewed 3-light Perpendicular east window, blocked double hollow-chamfered north door and lancet windows to north and at west end, that to north-east blocked; heads mostly renewed. 3-stage west tower with angle buttresses to lowest stage, chamfered west door with lancet above, a lancet to south side of middle stage and 2-light bell openings of coupled lancets under one arch. Plain stone-coped parapet on corbel table with corner pinnacles and low pyramidal lead roof with weathervane. Interior has C19 stained glass east windows to chancel and north aisle and in tower. Chamfered chancel arch on polygonal responds. Rood screen with traceried lights given to church in 1440 by Sir John Cressy. Nave has 4-bay arcade with double hollow-chamfered arches on octagonal piers and polygonal responds to east and west. Triple-chamfered tower arch, inner arch on polygonal responds. Circular Norman font carved with linked beaded semi-circles framing foliage patterns. C19 roofs throughout except possibly for some elements of north aisle roof. Important set of monuments including 3 brasses: John Cressy d.1414 and his wife; William Wylde d.1442 and wife; Bridget Wyrley d.1637. Purbeck marble recumbent effigy of a knight with crossed legs wearing band mail - a rare type of armour - thought to be of Sir Robert Keynes d.1305 (Pevsner). Early C14 tomb recess in north aisle with oak effigy of another lady on tomb chest in front with mourners and angels supporting pillow on which tier head rests, said to be Wentiliana de Keynes d.1376, grand-daughter of Hawise. Alabaster tomb chest with effigy of Sir John Cressy d.1444, with angels supporting arms either side and at west end. C17 alabaster wall monument to John Wyrley. Large C18 marble wall monument to Henry Benson d.1725 in Smith of Warwick style with inscription framed by round-headed arch with keyblock flanked by Ionic pilasters supporting entablature and broken segmental pediment framing cartouche of arms. (Buildings of England: Northants, p.187).

Record last edited

Jun 16 2023 9:57AM