Building record 4771/1/1 - Church of St. Mary

Church built in the 13th and 15th centuries. The north chancel chapel was added in the mid 18th century. The church was restored in 1863 by E F Law, with further restoration work in the 20th century. Built of coursed limestone rubble with limestone and ironstone dressings and lead roofs. The church consists of a chancel, north chancel chapel, aisled nave, vestry, south porch and west tower.

{1} Church. C13 and C15. North chancel chapel added mid C18; restored 1863 by E.F. Law and C20. Coursed limestone rubble with limestone and ironstone dressings and lead roofs. Chancel, north chancel chapel, aisled nave, vestry, south porch and west tower. 2-bay chancel has 3-light east window with C19 geometrical tracery, 2-light window to north with pointed trefoil-headed lights and quatrefoil to head, and 3-light Perpendicular windows to south with 4-centred heads; all have hood moulds with label stops. Blocked, roll-moulded south door in massive offset buttress with pointed arched opening for access. Diagonal buttresses and chamfered plinth and string course. North chapel has round-arched window to east with moulded stone surround and keyblock. Ironstone ashlar walling with limestone angle pilasters and moulded stone eaves. Raised on burial vault. North aisle has 3-light windows to north with 4-centred heads and hood-moulds and similar, larger window to west. Vestry to north-west has 3-light hollow chamfered stone mullion window to north and lean-to roof. South aisle has 3-light windows to east and south with straight heads and ogee-arched lights and 3-light west window with cinquefoil-headed central light flanked by pointed trefoil-headed lights and 3 quatrefoils to head; all have hood mould. Many-moulded south doorway with hood mould and label stops in porch with continuous chamfered doorway with sunk quadrant moulding and hood mould. Niche above porch doorway with triangular cinquefoiled head and small rectangular window to north side with stone lintel. 3-stage tower has 2-light west window with quatrefoil to head, similar bell-chamber openings and 1-light windows to north and south of middle stage, all with hood moulds. Door to south with 4-centred head, C20 1-light window to north side of first stage, polygonal stair turret to north-east with cruciform slit windows. Diagonal offset buttresses and battlemented parapet. Plain stone-coped parapets to nave, aisles and chancel. Interior: chancel has chamfered pointed arched niches, flanking east windows, with traces of medieval wall-painting inside. Piscina with shafts, cusped head, shelf and drain. Sedile with similar head and shafts. Round-headed arch to chapel with moulded abaci and keyblock. Squint between chancel and south aisle. Chamfered chancel arch. Nave has 3-bay arcades with octagonal piers, moulded bases and capitals, polygonal responds and chamfered arches. Perpendicular roof, much restored, resting on painted head corbels. North aisle has piscina with cusped head and traces of medieval wall-painting to jambs of former east window, overlaid by C16/C17 texts. Window partly blocked and filled by arch to C18 chancel chapel similar to that in chancel. South aisle has many-moulded piscina. Octagonal font with stiff-leaf foliage. Complete set of C18 box pews and double-decker pulpit with marquetry to panels and sounding board. Communion rail with twisted balusters, and communion table, both c.1700. Royal Arms of George IV, dated 1823, oil on board. 5 Fermor hatchments, oil on canvas. Stain-glass east window said to be designed by Sir F. Shuckburgh (Pevsner) made by F and C. Crace. Others signed T. Crace 1841. Monuments: Chest tomb with brasses to Richard Fermor, merchant of Staple of Calais and purchaser of the manor, d.1552 and his wife Anne; palimpsest of brasses of c.1480-1525. Wall monument to Sir John Farmer (sic) d.1577 and his wife Dame Maude with small figures kneeling at prayer desk facing each other, of limestone and alabaster with apron and cartouche of arms above. Large alabaster monument to Sir George Farmer (sic) d.1612 and Dame Mary d.1628 with two recumbent effigies, children kneeling in relief to front of tomb chest, arch behind supported by Corinthian columns, its head filled by scalloped fan with pennons. Strapwork to spandrels, obelisks and achievement of arms flanked by allegorical figures. Attributed to Jasper Hollemans. Marble wall monument of similar size to Sir Hatton Fermor erected 1662 with life-size standing figures of Sir Hatton and his wife, a bust between them, flanked by black marble corinthian pillars with three female half-figures at prayer on cornice and obelisk finials. Attributed to Pierre Besnier. Marble wall monument (in chapel) to Anne Fermor d.1740 with obelisk background. White marble wall monument by Chantry in style of Greek stele erected 1819 to 2nd Earl of Pomfret d.1785 and his wife Anne Marie d.1787 with relief of figures bidding farewell. White marble wall monument to 3rd Earl of Pomfret d.1830 with lifesize male figure seated by urn. Another large Grecian style monument to Peter Denys d.1816 and Lady Charlotte Denys d.1835 with relief of three female genii hovering over draped urn and sarcaphagus. Acroteria and urn on top. Both by E.H. Baily. Other C19 and C20 Fermor and Fermor-Hesketh monuments. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, pp200-201; Laws Plans, Northamptonshire Record Office)

{8} Two undated photos;

{11} Drawing of tomb of Richard Fermor and wife;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 12/43 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F10 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.200-1 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.291-95 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<5> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.147-50 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77328.

<6> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 42 p.88-90 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<7> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<8> Photographs of buildings in Easton Neston (Photographs). SNN111650.

<9> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.258 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<10> Historic England, Undated, St Mary's Church, Easton Neston, BF107306 (Archive). SNN114417.

<11> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/99/2 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2024 3:52PM