Building record 46/1/1 - Church of St. Michael

Parish Church. The church was built in the 14th century, only the tower of this building remains, the rest was rebuilt in 1723-5 by Edward Wing. The church was restored in 1863. Built of limestone ashlar and squared coursed limestone. The church consists of a nave and chancel in one with a west tower.

{1} Parish Church. C14 tower, the rest rebuilt 1723-5 by Edward Wing. Restored 1863. Limestone ashlar and squared coursed limestone. Nave and chancel in one with west tower. North and south walls treated symmetrically are of 2- storeys and 7 bays. 2 end bays break forward and are framed by pilasters. 3 centre bays defined by pilasters and a pediment. Doorway with flat moulded hood on scroll brackets and 10-panelled door. Sundial above south doorway. Arched ground floor windows, segment headed windows on first floor except that above the doorway which is arched and breaks into the pediment above. The east wall of 3 bays has a pediment and 3 arched windows, the lower section of that to the north forms a doorway. West tower of 4 stages has a crenellated parapet and pinnacles. Bell openings of 2 traceried lights with transoms and square hoods. West window of 3 lights with flowing tracery and central niche for sculpture. C14 west doorway with continuous moulding. C18. Six panel double doors. Inner doorway C18 six panel. Interior: West gallery C18 with paired Tuscan columns. Box pews and pulpit. C18 font, fluted bowl on a baluster. Wood carving of the Crucifixion, French C17. Monuments include, Chest tomb to Cartwright family, erected 1654, black and white marble. Panelled sides with shields. Marble wall tablets to Matthew Hutton died 1711 by Edward Stanton, framed with baroque scrolls and draperies. To Thomas Chapman, died 1684, architectural frame with Corinthian columns, scroll pediment and urn and similar tablet to Rhoda Chapman, died 1686, both attributed to William Stanton. (Buildings of England : Northamptonshire, p.97; H. Colvin, Biographical Dictionary of English Architects, 1978, p.905).

{9} - (SP 51453306) St Michael's Church

{11} Plan of church demolished in 1723 superimposed by the plan of the replacement finished in 1725;

{12} Undated photo;

{13} - The watching brief identified a homogeneous deposit of graveyard soil containing occasional fragments of disarticulated human bone. No articulated remains were encountered, neither were any significant features or deposits relating to the medieval and post-medieval church

{14} - The church was rebuilt in 1725 and only the Decorated tower remains of the original Medieval building.

{15} The church is as described by authority 14; in normal use.

{16} [Former list decription] Church of St Michael.

A Church of St. Michael

The original church was built between 1340 and 1360 and of this only the western tower remains. In 1723 the church was pulled down and rebuilt in 1725 from designs by Edward Wing, the local master-carpenter, there is a photo of his plan in the vestry. The match-boarded coiling was put in in 1863. Tower stone, 3 stages with parapet and pinnacles. On the lower level it has diagonal buttresses with niches for statues, a good W. door with a window above of two lights flanking a niche and with curvilinear tracery. In the upper stage, probably early Perpendicular, are windows each of two louvred lights with good tracery. The remainder of the church is of coursed stone with ashlar pilasters etc and lead roof. South front has projecting flanking bays with corner pilasters, cornice and parapet. The lower window is arched with string at springer level, the upper is segmental headed. The centre part has 5 bays, the 3 centre flanked by Pilasters and crowned by pediment. The centre bay has a 1- panelled double door with architrave surround and cornice on console brackets and approached by 3 semi-circular moulded stone steps. Above is a
tall window with arched bend carried up into the tumpanum of the pediment. The flanking bays are similar to those in projections.

North front similar without steps to door. The interior has its original W. gallery of Doric columns upporting entablature and penalled balustrade and is approached at either end by staircases with moulded handrails, slender turned balusters, two to each tread, and cut spandrels. The box pews are also original. The church originally had a coved plaster ceiling. The Cartwright monuments are in the S. transept and on the piers between the nave windows and are mostly early C.18 and C.19 In the chancel flanking the altar are two roughly similar monuments to Thomas Chapman of London, 1685, on the L.H. and other Chapmans on the R.H. Each has Corinthian columns, entablature and scroll pediment with cartouche of arms crowned by
a coronet. The stand on carved brackets a second cartouche forms an apron. On the N. wall is a small cartoucho to Joseph Hasse, B.D., 1738 and a wall tablet to -- Hutton, early C.18, with drapery, urn finial and cartoucho of arms.

<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"), F01 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.138-41 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.96-7 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<5> COOPER N.J., 1984, Aynho: A Northants Village, (unchecked) (Article). SNN42457.

<6> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 41 p.72-73 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<7> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.550-6 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<8> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP53SW14 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<10> Colvin H., 1995, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects (1660-1840) (Book). SNN54451.

<11> Wing, E, 18th century, The old and new plan of St Michael's Church at Aynho (Document). SNN111631.

<12> Photographs of buildings in Aynho (Photographs). SNN111880.

<13> Tom Gouldbourne, 2023, Archaeological Watching Brief at St Michael's Church, Aynho, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN115737.

<14> PEVSNER N., 1961, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p87 (Series). SNN113374.

<15> Allanson, C D, 1976, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 CDA 05-OCT-76 (Notes). SNN112955.

<16> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR) District of Brackley Rural District, September 1960; p.3 (Report). SNN112993.

<17> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of South Northamptonshire, 18/03/1985, p. 18 (Report). SNN112993.

<18> Historic England, Undated, St Michael's Church, Aynho, BF107240 (Archive). SNN116279.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 9:36AM