Building record 5081/1/1 - Church of St. John The Baptist, The Green

Church of late Saxon or early Norman origin, with a 3 bay nave added circa 1170. The chancel is partly of circa 1220 date with chapels extended eastwards and a crypt added in the late 14th century. The south chapel was in existence by 1180. The windows are mainly of mid 14th century date and the steeple was added in the early 15th century. The church was restored in 1851 and the south porch was rebuilt in 1863.

{1} Remains of original windows in walling of late Saxon or early Norman church. Late Norman nave of 3 bays circa 1170. Chancel partly circa 1220; with chapels extended eastwards and crypt built late C14. South chapel in existence circa 1180. Windows mainly mid C14. Early C15 west steeple. Restored 1851 and, with south porch rebuilt, 1863. Some poppy-head stalls. Jacobean pulpit. Fine carved wall monuments to Edward Reynolds, 1698, to Morgan family, 1680.

{3} Development - The church appears to have been first built early in the 12th century with a nave of a proportion of two squares, on the site of the present nave, and a chancel of one square i.e. with the E. wall running between the double responds. About 1175 the chancel was lengthened by about another square and the N. wall pierced by a two-bay arcade to give access to a chapel. The N. and S. aisles were added to the nave. In the mid 13th century the S. wall of the chancel was pierced by a two-bay arcade, corresponding to that on the N. About 1350 the chancel was lengthened again and a crypt built below the extension. The N. aisle was widened and extended to the E. The same development may have occured at the same period on the S. but, alternatively, the S. chapel might have remained and been extended later. It was probably also in the late 14th century that the 12th century chancel arch was removed and replaced by another erected one bay to the E., between but not bonded in with the central piers of the chancel arcades. The relationship between the new chancel arch and the rood screen is difficult to reconstruct since the upper doorways to the rood loft lie one bay further E. The erection of a clearstorey probably post-dated the moving of the chancel arch since the clearstorey followed the stepped outline of the extended nave.

There were two major restorations in the mid-19th century, in 1850 and 1863. The former was probably associated with the elevation of Kingsthorpe to full parochial status in 1850.

History - The church at Kingsthorpe was a dependent chapelry of St Peter's Northampton throughout the medieval period, only being raised to the status of a separate parish in 1850. The first certain evidence of the existence of a church is in a writ of Henry II, dated 1155-8, commanding Bishop Robert Chesney to determine its dependance or otherwise on St Peter's. The bishop replied that Kingsthorpe was dependant because both burials and baptisms took place at St Peter's. Kingsthorpe is likely to have been the Thorpe mentioned in Bishop Bloet's confirmatory actum to St Andrew's Priory (1107-23) since Henry II's writ mentions conditions in the time of his grandfather. If St Peter's was not in St Andrew's hands in 1155-8 but Kingsthorpe was, this might explain the need for Henry II's writ. The large rural estate of more than four hides centred on Kingsthorpe in 1086 including members at Moulton and Weston Favell, may well be further evidence for the extent of the earlier parochia of St Peter's. [Detailed description of architecture and 19th century restoration. RCHM plan;

{4} The chancel arcade is stylistically simpler and earlier than either of the nave arcades, and of the two last, the N must come before the S. It is assumed that all belonged to an extended campaign of expansion between c.1160 and c.1180. The S nave arcade capitals, the latest of the campaign, should be compared with work at Croughton; not for a workshop connection but for a similar unusual treatment of a fairly common type of capital.

{7} (SP 7467 6311) St John the Baptists' Church. (TU)

{16} Two photos, one dated 1990, the other undated but probably 1990s.

{18} The surviving medieval glass is located in the westernmost window in the nave north aisle.

{19} Notes, sketches, drawings, plans, measurements etc, also extensive article regarding the re-opening of the church in 1863;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 9/59 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), District of Northampton, 22/01/1976, H14 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN1000.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.303/Site 7 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<4> King's College, London, 2017, A corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland, Site 334 (Website). SNN110894.

<5> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<6> Pevsner, N. & Bailey, B., 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire (2nd Edition), p. 339 (Book). SNN109599.

<7> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" (Prov) 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<8> Morris, J. (Ed.), 1979, The Domesday Book: Northamptonshire, f. 219d (Book). SNN109633.

<9> Franklin, M, 1982, Minsters and Parished: Northamptonshire Studies, p. 83-4 (Thesis). SNN113709.

<10> Smith , D M (ed), 1980, English episcopal acta. I : Lincoln 1067-1185, No 195, p. 11 (Book). SNN113708.

<11> Stenton, F M, 1929, Acta Episcoporum, p. 5 (Journal). SNN113707.

<12> Undated, British Library Royal 11 B ix f. 21v, F29v (Manuscript). SNN113706.

<13> Undated, Kingsthorpe Parish Records (Archive). SNN113705.

<14> Undated, St John the Baptist's Church, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, BF044022 (Archive). SNN113711.

<15> Davies, Dr S & Coutts, Dr C, 2021, St John the Baptist Church, Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Monitoring and Evaluation, September 2021 (Report). SNN114769.

<16> Photographs of buildings in Northampton (Photographs). SNN114989.

<17> Lambeth Palace Library, Incorporated Church Building Society Archive, ICBS06019 (Digital archive). SNN115761.

<18> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 157 (Book). SNN101533.

<19> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/168/1-61 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 13 2024 2:53PM