Building record 234/2/1 - St Michael's Church

The church was built in the 12th-15th centuries with 17th century additions. The building includes date stones from of 1654 and 1871. Built of squared coursed limestone with slate and lead roofs. The church consists of a chancel, south vestry,nave and clerestry, north and south aisles, south porch, and west tower.

{1} Church. C12-15 with C17 additions. Datestone 1654 and 1871. Squared coursed limestone. Slate and lead roof. Consists of Chancel, South vestry, nave and clerestry, North and south aisles, south porch, west tower. East window of chancel is Decorated, 3 lights with reticulated tracery. Blocked doorway in North wall with plain pointed arch and stone hood. In the South wall is a C14 trefoil headed lancet. To the right is the head of a Decorated window with reticulated tracery, the lower section now forming doorway to the late Perpendicular South vestry, reputedly built as a schoolroom in the C17. It has windows of 3 and 4 arched uncusped lights under square heads, and a doorway with a 4 centred arch, in the west wall. Decorated and perpendicular windows of 2 and 3 lights in south aisle. C13. South doorway has responds each with a pair of detached shafts. Porch rebuilt 1871 (date stone) in gable re-using C13 and C14 work. West tower of 3 stages has castellated parapet and 2 light Perpendicular bell openings with square. On south face of central stage is a sundial with Egerton coat of arms and date 1654. Also a plaque with names of church windows recording repairs to tower. C12 west doorway with plain round arch. In North aisle are 2 Decorated 2 light windows with reticulated tracery (renewed) in North wall. Similar 3 light window in East wall, and Perpendicular west window of 2 lights with square hood for Turret with stairs to former road loft between north aisle and chancel. Perpendicular clerestory windows of 2 cusped lights with square hoods. Interior: early C13 south arcade, 3 bays with pointed double chamfered arches and round piers, one capital carved with stiff leaf, the other moulded. Similar North arcade has capital with primitive stiff leaf carving, the other moulded. The lead corbels in the clerestory are Perpendicular. Plain C12 tower arch. Monument to George Rush died 1806. Signed by Charles Regnart of London. Free standing sarcophagus with life size white marble figure in loose robe reclining with slippers on feet and Bible in hand. According to R. Gunnis the masterpiece or Regnart. The effgy is "one of the most remarkable and unusual in England during the early nineteenth century." The wall tablet now dissembled to Henrietta and Catherine Rush died 1801, with mourning women by urn. Stone wall tablets in chancel; 1684 and 1694, inscriptions in oval frames of scrolls with cherubs and swags of fruit. (Buildings of England, Northamptonshire. P.212; R Gunnis, Dictionary of British Sculpture, revised Edition p.317).

{3} St Michael's church contains remains of the original Norman building, and has had many subsequent additions and alterations.

{9} Description of Romanesque features of church tower.

{10} Two undated photos;

{11} [Former list description] Chequer stone, lower part of tower with bands of ironstone, load and slate roofs. The W. tower has 3 stages of which the 1st is Transitional with a round headed tower arch. The upper stages are probably Perpendicular, the string between the 1st and 2nd stages is carried through to form the string of the parapet of the clerestorey.
The tower parapet is battlemented. On the S. side is a clock, coat of arms, names of church wardens and the date, 1654. The nave is C13-14, the clerestorey Perpendicular and at the E. end of the S. aisle is a late C.14-15 chapel. The S. porch was originally C.14.
The church was restored in 1871. The monuments include one to William Hawtayne, Rector, 1694, with scrolls and swags on a black ground, two mid C18 wall monuments to the childern of the Rev. William Egerton, and in the S. aisle memorials to the Rush family, mostly early C19, including a sarcophagus with an effigy to George Rush, 1803, the effigy signed C. Regnart, Sculp., Cleveland Street, Fitzroy Square, London.

{12} The church is as described by Pevsner and is in normal use.

{14} Drawing and measurements of communion ware, also notes on arms and inscription on church tower;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 5/91 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F01 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.212 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.170-71 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<5> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.624-26 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<6> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 41 p.75-76 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

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

<8> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<9> King's College, London, 2017, A corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland, Site 792 (Website). SNN110894.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Farthinghoe (Photographs). SNN111720.

<11> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR) District of Brackley Rural District ,September 1960 (Report). SNN112993.

<12> Allanson, C D, 1976, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 CDA 08-OCT-76 (Notes). SNN112955.

<13> Historic England, Undated, St Michael's Church, Farthinghoe, BF107311 (Archive). SNN114223.

<14> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/109/1,3 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 9:32AM