Building record 662/1/1 - St.John the Baptist's Church

Church of medievial origin, rebuilt in 1870-1 by Ewan Christian incorporating some of the medieval structure. Built of coursed squared limestone and ironstone, with limestone dressings and slate roofs with ornamental ridge tiles. The church consists of a chancel, vestry, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and north-west tower.

{1} Church. Rebuilt 1870-1 by Ewan Christian incorporating some of the medieval structure. Coursed squared limestone and ironstone with limestone dressings and slate roofs with ornamental ridge tiles. Chancel, vestry, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and north-west tower. 2-bay chancel has 3-light Decorated style east window with hood mould; quatrefoil window in stone-coped gable above. Vestry to north with one-light east window with pointed trefoil head and single lancet window to north. Aisles overlap chancel. Nave and aisles are under one roof. North aisle has 3-light window to north with reticulated tracery whose head is in a gable, flanked by smaller 2-light Decorated style windows, another similar window further west, all with hood moulds. South aisle has similar composition to south and 2-light east window with quatrefoil in head. South porch has double-chamfered doorway with hood mould, one-light windows east and west with cusped heads and stone-coped gable with kneelers. South door within has quadrant moulding and hollow chamfer and hood mould. West front has 3-light Decorated style window, flanked by 2-light windows with quatrefoils to heads, all with hood moulds and low offset buttresses either side of central window. 2-stage north-west tower has polygonal stair turret projection to south-west with small rectangular chamfered windows lighting stair, quatrefoil windows at top and ridged stone roof. Doorway to north with semi-circular responds, moulded capitals and wave-moulded arch. North door within, similar to south door. 2-light bell-openings with quatrefoils in heads and hood moulds, corbel table, spire with one tier of lucarnes and pyramidal corner pinnacles. Interior: chancel has a piscina to north with cusped ogee head, another to south with pointed-arched head, both probably medieval and re-used. Nave has 4-bay arcades, medieval to north, with octagonal piers, moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches. C17 moulded octagonal font. C19 communion rail with fine wrought-iron supports. Stained glass east and west windows, that to east signed Mayer of Munich. Wall monument to Joseph Key d.1783 with incised slate inscription in stone surround. Incised slate wall monument to Reverend Richard Smith d.1778, another to Reverend John Jones d.1793. Incised slate wall monument in stone surround recording parish charities and their donors erected 1737. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.75; Kelly's Directory for Northamptonshire,1928.)

{3} Church originally consisted of chancel & nave running continuously under common roof; also north aisle & south porch; west bell turret; thickness of west end wall of nave suggests gable bellcote; dimensions recorded by Bridges confirm plan form of pre-restoration building in parallel with Upton Church & possibly C12th or early C13th date; 4-bay north arcade probably C14th date; church extensively rebuilt by Ewan Christian in 1869-71; added south aisle & porch & north-west tower & spire; plan

{5} Described church as having vestiary rather than aisle on north side; also solitary bell hung on arch at west end rather than in turret

{6} South doorway of Norman date; C13-14th lancet windows

{7} Drawing of Font

{8} Undated photo;

Description from record 662/1:
{1} Traditionally a chapelry of Towcester; created as a separate parish in 1737

{3} South view of church & churchyard

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 14/6 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

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

<3> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, (checked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.75 (checked) (Series). SNN1320.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.278 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<6> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 42 ff.36-37 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<7> BUCKLER, 1826, Church of St John the Baptist, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN42296.

<8> Photographs of buildings in Abthorpe (Photographs). SNN111844.

<9> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 75 (Book). SNN111989.

<10> GI 438, (unchecked) (Document). SNN48677.

<11> CLARKE G., DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN42297.

<12> FLESHER J., DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN42298.

<13> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.267-69 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77328.

<14> Historic England, Undated, St John the Baptist's Church, Abthorpe, BF107230 (Archive). SNN115895.

Record last edited

Jan 31 2025 10:02AM