Building record 249/2 - Church of St. Mary

Medieval church with Early English and Decorated west tower. Remainder of the church is mainly 14th century with some 17th century features are 17th Century. The chancel was rebuilt in 1840 and further restoration took place in circa 1880 by Law. The church is built of coursed squared ironstone and ironstone ashlar, with lead roofs. The building consists of a chancel, aisled nave, south porch and west tower.

{1} Church. Early C13 and C14. Chancel rebuilt 1840, other alterations c.1880 by E.B. Law. Coursed squared ironstone and ironstone ashlar, lead roofs. Chancel, aisled nave, south porch and west tower. 3-light window to south aisle, C14 has hood with head stops and Intersecting tracery (renewed). Two 2-light windows east of porch, C14, have hoods with head stops, (those to west are re-cut), and Victorian tracery. C14 south porch has entrance arch with continuous mouldings and double plank doors. Inner doorway C13, has jamb shafts with bell capitals, moulded arch and hood stops carved with leaves, probably recut C19. 6-panel double door, C18. Victorian window to west of porch and in west wall of south aisle. C13 tower of 3 stages with crenellated parapet. Perpendicular bell openings of 2 cusped lights with transom. Windows to north aisle Victorian. Interior: Chancel arch C19. Early C13 three-bay arcades extended one bay to west on either side of the tower in the C14. Easternmost piers are round with bell capitals. Octagonal piers to west, that to north has scalloped capital, that to south has capital with broad flat leaves. Victorian hood mould with large head stops. C13 tower arch with triple chamfered arch and jambs. Single chamfered arch to south and north. Decorated tomb recess in south aisle has arch with ballflower decoration and jamb shafts with foliage capitals. C14 piscina with moulded arch, at south east end of aisle. 3 windows in south aisle have jamb shafts with bell capitals. Roofs C19. Font, octagonal, dated 1662. Fleur-de-lys decoration. Lid with scrolls and finial, probably also C17. Bench ends in nave have reused medieval tracery. Large monument to D'Anvers family in the chancel, erected 1790 for Meriel D'Anvers, carved by Thomas Burnell and Sons of London. Pink and white marble sarcophagus with urn flanked by standing cherubs in front of large grey obelisk. Oval inscription plaque at base. Wall monument in north aisle to Judith Rye died 1698. Grey and white marble oval inscription plaque framed by cherubs heads and palm fronds and surmounted by urn and doves with large winged skull at base. High quality carving. Wall monument in south aisle to the Rev. James Weston-Harding, died 1837, signed by M.W. Johnson of London. White marble with draped urn. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.171-2).

{8} The top of a single mortared red brick vault was located. This was a t least 2.5m long and approx 1.5m wide, the ecposed sides of the bricks forming the vaulted roof each measuring c.225x67mm. The top of the vault lay c.0.15m below the existing floor surface. The vault was not breached and will be retained intact below the new floor. It was noted that two early 19th century memorials to John Harding and the Rev. J. Weston harding occupy the south wall of the aisle above the vault.

{12} Description of the Romanesque style north and south arcades of the nave. The piers and their capitals belong to the years around 1200, but the arches were replaced in the later 13th century.

{13} Undated photo.

{14} [Former list description] Church of St. Mary
Stone, a mixture of ironstone and grey limestone, lead roofs. The west tower has 2 stages, the lower Early English, the upper Decorated. The arcades of the nave are Transitional with carved caps, the remainder of the church is mainly C14. Restored C19. The pulpit is early C17 and some of the pews are old. The font is dated 1662 and has a cover of the same date. In the south aisle is a C13-14 tomb recess with clustored columns and carved caps supporting an arch with ball-flower ornament. The monuments include one to six members of the Danvers family buried in the church between 1642 and 1775. It consists of a pyramidal background with sarcophagus and urn flanked by figures of children, all on projecting plinth and at the apex of the pyramid cherubs' heads emerging from clouds. A wall monument in the north aisle to Mrs. Judith Rye, 1698, has an elaborate carved surround and apron, and ont to Fulco Wynne, 1660, is lozenge shaped within an oval with carved honey-suckle ornament. There are also some small brasses to the Rye and Trist families. The churchyard contains some good C18 headstones.
Note:-
Behind and to the N. of the churchyard are the earth-works of a motte and bailey castle called Bery Close Hill.

{16} Copious notes and sketches on the Church;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 11/21 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F03 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.171-2 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.609-10 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<5> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.164-65 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<7> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<8> Cadman, G., 1991, St. Mary's Church, Culworth: Archaeological Watching Brief Note, (checked) (Report). SNN50259.

<9> Pike, A (ed), 1992, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter (22), 32 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN100613.

<10> Dix B., 1992, Recent Work in Northamptonshire Archaeology, P119 (Checked) (Article). SNN104441.

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

<12> King's College, London, 2017, A corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland, Site 1371 (Website). SNN110894.

<13> Photographs of buildings in Culworth (Photographs). SNN111617.

<14> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR) District of Brackley, September 1960 (Report). SNN112993.

<15> Historic England, Undated, St Mary's Church, Culworth, BF107290 (Archive). SNN115738.

<16> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/82/10-24, 27 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 9:06AM