Listed Building: Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (9+12/91)

Church. C13 origins, largely rebuilt 1666 for Lord Montagu, restored and nave rebuilt 1873. Squared coursed limestone and limestone ashlar with C20 concrete slate roof. Nave, chancel, south porch and west tower. South elevation of chancel is a 2 window range of C19 two-light windows with shallow segmental heads, with differing sill heights. 2 stage buttress to far right. Central priests door. Corbelled cornice with central gargoyle. Steeply gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets, kneelers and finial. C19, three-light, east window with quatrefoil tracery. North elevation of chancel is similar to south elevation, without a priests door. South elevation of nave of 3 bays, 2 window range. C19 two-light windows to centre and right. 2-stage buttresses to far left and right. Plain cornice, with gargoyle, to right. Steeply gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets and kneelers. The names 'Montagu' and 'E.Thornhill' are inscribed to left and right of the right hand window. C19 gabled porch has roll moulded outer arch with cluster responds. Inner doorway has semi-circular head with moulded surround. C17 plank door with strap hinges. Initials E.T.H. inscribed to left of doorway. Return walls have quatrefoil windows. North elevation of nave is a 3 window range of C19 two-light windows. 2 stage buttresses to far left and right. Plain cornice with 2 gargoyles. Tall ashlar stack abutts east gable. Perpendicular west tower of 4 stages with 3-stage clasping buttresses to lower 3 stages. West door has 2 centred arch head with chamfered and hollowed surround. Square plaque with Montagu arms above. 3-light Perpendicular west window, to second stage, has 4-centred arch head and hollow reveals. Relieving arch to lower part of third stage. Single light window above with similar window in south face. 2-light bell-chamber openings, to each face of upper stage, have Y-tracery and hollow reveals. Moulded string course, with castellated ashlar parapet above. 3 stage buttresses, in two directions, at abuttment of tower with nave. Interior: C19 double chamfered chancel arch, with polygonal responds, incorporating some earlier masonry. Double chamfered tower arch with plain responds. C17 nave roof of 4 bays with double collar trusses. C19 chancel roof. Square font, with chamfered corners, has carved head on each corner. The bowl is supported on a short circular pier with nailhead decoration. C19 altar reredos with flanking piscina and aumbry. 10 very fine stalls, in chancel, from church of St. Mary the Virgin and All Saints Fotheringhay (q.v.). All have misericords which include a publican, hawk, mermaid, owl and tumbler. Bench ends have swan neck finials and tracery. C19 pulpit incorporating fragments of Perpendicular screen. Monuments, Thomas Montagu died 1517 and wife. 2 brass figures with inscribed panel and 3 shields; matrices of fourth shield. Stained glass; south window to centre of nave has fragment of glass, probably C17, with Montagu arms at east window. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: p253; RCHM: An Inventory of Architectural Monuments in North Northamptonshire: p89)

Record last edited

Jul 5 2021 1:53PM