Building record 667/2/1 - No. 17 Church Street (Priory Farmhouse)

House, formerly farmhouse. C15 hall house, remodelled and subdivided horizontally C16, with C17 alterations and additions; extensively renovated C20.

{1} House, formerly farmhouse. C15 hall house, remodelled and subdivided horizontally C16, with C17 alterations and additions; extensively renovated C20. Coursed squared ironstone and coursed ironstone rubble, old plain-tile roof, stone end stacks. Hall house originally, now 3-unit plan. 2-storey, 3-window range. C20 door to left of centre in C20 gabled stone porch. 3-light casement window right of centre, 4-light casements to ground floor left and right. 3-light casements to first floor left and centre, 2-light casement to first floor right. All have timber lintels. Quoins, and stone-coped gable to left with kneelers. Late C17 wing to rear left. Original door and window to rear. Doorway has hollow and ogee chamfers, 4-centred head and hood mould. The window has 2 cinquefoil-headed lights, quatrefoil to head and hood mould. Another blocked arch containing 2-light hollow-chamfered stone mullion window with hood mould. 4-light ovolo-moulded stone mullion window in right gable with hood mould. Interior: 3-bay arch-braced collar truss roof with 2 tiers of wind-braced purlins. Original window has C16 stained glass coat of arms in quatrefoil. C17 ogee-stop-chamfered spine beam and some stop-chamfered joists. Open fireplace with ogee-stop-chamfered bressumer. Another open fireplace with depressed arched chamfered bressumer. Collar truss roof to wing. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, 1973, p.107; P. Woodfield, 'The larger medieval houses of Northamptonshire', Northamptonshire Archaeology 16, 1981, pp.163-165).

{4} The house is located across the road from the church. Of the Medieval period, the north elevation is the most significant and the roof survives with little alteration. The house comprises three and a half bays of Medieval work. It is noted that the house departs from usual Medieval house forms in the absence of any identifiable service building. It is possible that the 16th or 17th century double bay at the west end replaced an earlier service bay. This house is of a higher standard than one would expect of a rural vicarage.

{5} An old house with stained glass window was presumed to be a chapel in the C19th.

{6} Undated photo.

{7} Medieval glass: Shield of the Aleyn family.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 10/37 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F08 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.107 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Woodfield P., 1981, The Larger Medieval Houses of Northamptonshire, p.163-165 (checked) (Article). SNN23550.

<5> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish File: Blakesley (checked) (Archive). SNN115.

<6> Photographs of buildings in Blakesley (Photographs). SNN112037.

<7> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 20-1 (Book). SNN101533.

Record last edited

Dec 18 2023 11:04AM