Building record 5446/2/1 - Church of Holy Cross

Church with Anglo Saxon and Norman features, with some alterations made in 1663. Restored and vestry enlarged 1872

{1} Church. C11 to C15. Restored and vestry enlarged 1872. Coursed squared limestone and ironstone, and ironstone and limestone rubble, ironstone dressings, lead roofs except for tile roof of porch. Chancel, vestry and organ chamber replacing north chancel chapel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch, west tower. 2-bay chancel has 3-light east window with C19 Decorated tracery and 2-light windows to south, that to south-east Perpendicular with straight head, that to south-west with C19 Decorated tracery. Small blocked low-side lancet window to south-west. Vestry and organ chamber to north, has 3-light hollow-chamfered stone mullion windows to north. 1-light windows and door to east with stone lintel and hollow-chamfered Tudor-arched surround, and lean-to roof. Nave has clerestory of two 2-light leaded windows to north only, with wood lintels, and long and short work to north-east and north-west angles. North aisle has projection to east end with 2-light window to north with ogee-headed lights and quatrefoil to triangular head, a 3-light Perpendicular window to east of blocked north door with round-arched head and imposts, and 2-light west window with Y-tracery. Similar window to west end of south aisle, which has similar windows to south-east and south-west, 3-light Perpendicular window to east of south porch, and 4-light east window with pointed cinquefoil-headed lights and quatrefoil to head. Hollow-chamfered south doorway with chamfered stone surround and hood mould in C17 gabled porch with round-arched doorway with keyblocks and imposts and stone sundial above with shaped top. 3-stage tower has many-moulded west doorway with old plank door and hinges, probably medieval, a 2-light window above with Y-tracery, bell-chamber openings with similar tracery and plain stone-coped parapet. Diagonal offset buttress to tower, south aisle and chancel. Plain stone-coped parapets to body of church. All windows except those to vestry and clerestory have hood moulds. Interior: chancel has piscina with pointed trefoil head, blocked north door with similar head and inscription above, chamfered arch and double-chamfered arch to vestry, and tomb recess to south with roll-moulded arch. Norman chancel arch with round-arched head and carved imposts. Nave has 3-bay arcades with octagonal piers, polygonal responds, moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches. Chamfered arch on corbels at east end of north aisle; similar corbel to north, one bay west. South aisle has piscina with cusped head and aumbry. Blocked windows visible on south wall of nave above arcade on south side, one apparently circular. C17 communion table in north aisle. Polygonal C17 pulpit. Hanoverian Royal arms, oil on canvas, over tower arch. 2 panels of much restored medieval glass in south aisle window; old crown glass leaded quarries. Monuments: wall monument of limestone to Thomas Yoving, founder of charity school, d.1684. White marble wall monument to Thomas Coleman Welch, d.1770. Wall monument with white marble sarcophagus inscription plaque on grey marble ground signed J. Stephens, Worc. To William Drayson of Floore Fields, d.1840, High Sherriff, 1839, and Thomas Drayson, d.1872, of Pattishall House (demolished). (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, 1973, pp.370-1; H.M. and J. Taylor: Anglo-Saxon Architecture, 1865, Vol.II, pp.483-4).

{3} The church has distinct Anglo-Saxon features inside and on the outside of the nave. Most of the rest of the church is Norman, 13th century and of 1663.

{4} Mention in an article investigating Anglo-Saxon long-and-short quoins.

{5} The Anglo-Saxon remains are situated above the pulpit.

{10} Radiocarbon dating was undertaken in order to confirm the date of a disused wooden door in the church. Although dating was problematic, it be confirmed that the door probably dates from no earlier than the mid-16th century.

{12} Undated photo.

{14} The Anglo Saxon remains are situated above the pulpit. See photograph.

{15} Drawings, measurements, plan, notes re communion items, also family tree of donor of said items, Duchess Dudley, also notes and sketches re church itself;

{16} Recent renovation work carried out in the chancel revealed a few early architectural features including a 14th-century cupboard or locker erected by John Gylling.The locker was cut into the infill of an earlier, probably early 13th-century window, indicating that the window had been blocked at an early date. There is an inscribed stone at the head of the locker.

Historic England, Undated, Holy Cross Church, Pattishall, BF107383 (Archive). SNN115763.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 7/150 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F09 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.370-1 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> 2005, The Archaeological Journal (162), p.193 (checked) (Journal). SNN107450.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP65SE9 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Potter, J.F., 2010, A Geological Review of Some Early Churches in the Northamptonshire Area, (unchecked) (Article). SNN107495.

<7> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN56583.

<8> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<9> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.268-69 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<10> Streatfeild-James, J., 2015, Holy Cross Church, Pattishall, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief, 2015, p. 6 (Report). SNN110944.

<11> Crank, N. (Editor), 2017, South Midlands Archaeology (47), p. 35 (Journal). SNN111362.

<12> Photographs of buildings in Pattishall (Photographs). SNN113511.

<13> Lambeth Palace Library, Incorporated Church Building Society Archive, ICBS07167 (Digital archive). SNN115761.

<14> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 JB 23-JAN-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<15> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/210/13-19 (Archive). SNN115.

<16> D.E. Friendship-Taylor (Ed.), 1973, 78-85, Northamptonshire History News, 1979, No 43, p. 24-5 and figure, B Giggins (Newsletter). SNN106196.

Record last edited

Mar 20 2025 4:27PM