Listed Building: Church of St Michael (1192622)

Church. C12-15 with C17 additions. Datestone 1654 and 1871. Squared coursed limestone. Slate and lead roof. Consists of Chancel, South vestry, nave and clerestry, North and south aisles, south porch, west tower. East window of chancel is Decorated, 3 lights with reticulated tracery. Blocked doorway in North wall with plain pointed arch and stone hood. In the South wall is a C14 trefoil headed lancet. To the right is the head of a Decorated window with reticulated tracery, the lower section now forming doorway to the late Perpendicular South vestry, reputedly built as a schoolroom in the C17. It has windows of 3 and 4 arched uncusped lights under square heads, and a doorway with a 4 centred arch, in the west wall. Decorated and perpendicular windows of 2 and 3 lights in south aisle. C13. South doorway has responds each with a pair of detached shafts. Porch rebuilt 1871 (date stone) in gable re-using C13 and C14 work. West tower of 3 stages has castellated parapet and 2 light Perpendicular bell openings with square. On south face of central stage is a sundial with Egerton coat of arms and date 1654. Also a plaque with names of church windows recording repairs to tower. C12 west doorway with plain round arch. In North aisle are 2 Decorated 2 light windows with reticulated tracery (renewed) in North wall. Similar 3 light window in East wall, and Perpendicular west window of 2 lights with square hood for Turret with stairs to former road loft between north aisle and chancel. Perpendicular clerestory windows of 2 cusped lights with square hoods. Interior: early C13 south arcade, 3 bays with pointed double chamfered arches and round piers, one capital carved with stiff leaf, the other moulded. Similar North arcade has capital with primitive stiff leaf carving, the other moulded. The lead corbels in the clerestory are Perpendicular. Plain C12 tower arch. Monument to George Rush died 1806. Signed by Charles Regnart of London. Free standing sarcophagus with life size white marble figure in loose robe reclining with slippers on feet and Bible in hand. According to R. Gunnis the masterpiece or Regnart. The effgy is "one of the most remarkable and unusual in England during the early nineteenth century." The wall tablet now dissembled to Henrietta and Catherine Rush died 1801, with mourning women by urn. Stone wall tablets in chancel; 1684 and 1694, inscriptions in oval frames of scrolls with cherubs and swags of fruit. (Buildings of England, Northamptonshire. P.212; R Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculpture, revised Edition p.317).

Record last edited

Aug 18 2023 11:30AM