Building record 849/1/1 - St. Luke's Church

Parish church mainly built in the Decorated period, restored circa 1700 with some alterations, the tower was restored in 1717 and the body of the church was restored in 1829-30, the vestry was also added at this time. Further restoration work was carried out in early 20th Century and the upper part of spire wall was rebuilt in 1926. Built of coursed squared ironstone and limestone, with ironstone and limestone dressings, the roofs are of slate except for lead roofs to the aisles. The church consits of a chancel, vestry, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and west tower.

{1} Church. C14, restored c.1700 with some alterations, tower restored 1717, spire rebuilt 1926, body of church restored and vestry added 1829-30; other C20 restorations. Coursed squared ironstone and limestone, ironstone and limestone dressings, slate roofs except for lead roofs to aisles. Chancel, vestry, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and west tower. 2-bay chancel has fine Decorated 5-light east window with intersecting ogee tracery and quatrefoils and 3-light windows north and south with similar tracery; many-moulded priest's door to south with hood mould and head stops. Vestry to north has gabled roof and panelled door with stop-chamfered lintel to west. 3-light leaded casement west window with stop-chamfered wood lintel, similar 2-light east window, chamfered plinth, stone eaves and stone-coped gable with kneelers. Aisles have 2-light Decorated windows to west with reticulated tracery and 3-light straight-headed windows north and south with chamfered stone mullions and no tracery, probably of c.1700. North door has sunk quadrant moulding, fleurons and hood mould with head stops. South door has 6-panel double-leaf doors to many-moulded doorway with ball-flowers and fleurons and hood mould with head stops. C15 south porch has chamfered doorway with 4-centred head and hood mould and 2-light Perpendicular windows east and west with straight heads. Stone in gable inscribed with churchwarden's names and date 1747 and another below of red sandstone recording "thorough and complete repair in the years 1829 and 1830". 3-stage west tower has west door with chamfered jambs and lintel inscribed with churchwarden's names and date 1717 and 2-light window above with Y-tracery. 2-light bell-openings with Y-tracery. Diagonal oofset buttresses, battlemented parapet with corner pinnacles and recessed spire with 2 tiers of lucarnes. Chancel has offset angle buttresses and offset buttress between bays to south. Deep chamfered plinth string course at sill level with fleurons, plain stone-coped parapets and fleuron frieze to south side of chancel at eaves level. All windows except those to vestry have hood moulds, most with head stops. Interior: canopies of former statues flank east window. Piscina with cusped ogee head, hood mould, head stops and finial. Sedilia with seats separated by shafts with foliage capitals, triangular cinquefoiled heads; crocketed hood mould with head stops and foliage finial to west seat. Fine door to vestry with leaf trails, fleurons and hood mould with head stops. Chamfered chancel arch on head corbels. Nave has 4-bay arcades with octagonal piers, moulded bases and
capitals, double sunk chamfered arches and head corbel responds. Piscina in south aisle with cusped ogee hood, hood mould and crocketed pinnacles either side. Plaster ceilings to nave chancel and aisles. Octagonal font with fleurons
in quatrefoils to sides and to underside of bowl and panelled stem, Chest of c.1500 with blind arcading and big rosettes. C18 16-broach brass chandelier with dove finial. Monuments: alabaster wall monument with slate inscription to Rev. John Perkins, d.1728, flanked by panelled pilasters, carved apron and urns with flame finials, signed John Hunt, Northampton. Veined marble wall monument to John Jephcott, d.1743, and Reverend Henry Jephcott, d.1798, and her husband, d.1801. Early and mid C19 wall monuments with white marble inscriptions on black marble ground, 2 signed Whiting Northampton. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.283 and 284; Kelly's Directory for Northamptonshire, 1928; vestry door illustrated in J.H. Parker, "An Introduction to Gothic Architecture", many editions from 1849, fig.140).

{5} Vestry door illustrated.

{12} Undated photo, also two photos dated 09.12.1993, also postcard which also shows the Rectory dated 1838.

{13} (SP69745965) St Luke's Church.

{15} Engraving of church, drawing of capital;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/94 (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.283-4 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> 1928, Kelly's Directory (1928), (unchecked) (Trade Directory). SNN104681.

<5> Parker J.H., 1849, An Introduction to Gothic Architecture, Fig.140 (unchecked) (Book). SNN105260.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.531-2 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<7> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.214-5 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<8> FLESHER J., 1800, Kislingbury Church, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN105262.

<9> CLARKE G., 1850, Kislingbury Church, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN105261.

<10> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, vol.40 ff.22-4 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<11> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<12> Photographs of buildings in Kislingbury (Photographs). SNN112767.

<13> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<14> Historic England, Undated, St Luke's Church, Kislingbury, BF107353 (Archive). SNN114642.

<15> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/169/1,2 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Mar 20 2025 4:28PM