Building record 2164/1/1 - St John's Church, Cranford

Parish church of 12th century origin, the chancel, north chapel and tower to the north aisle were added in the 14th century. The south aisle was added in 1842, it was extended 1880 to house the organ, and restored and reseated in 1887. Built of coursed limestone rubble with a little ironstone ashlar dressings. The nave and aisle roofs are not visible, but the chancel and porch roofs are of Colleyweston stone slates. The church consists of an aisled nave with north and south porches, a chancel with north chapel and a west tower.

{1} Parish church. C12 origin, chancel, north chapel and tower to north aisle C14, south aisle 1842 extended 1880 to house organ, restored and reseated 1887. Coursed limestone rubble with a little ironstone ashlar dressings. Nave and aisle roofs not visible (probably of lead), chancel and porch roofs of Colleyweston stone slates. Aisled nave with north and south porches, chancel with north chapel, west tower. Tower of 2 stages: tall lower stage has ironstone bands, diagonal buttresses with 3 set-offs, blocked west doorway with depressed ogee lintel and lancets to west and south. Bell stage has 2-light Decorated windows with transom and quatrefoiled heads, blind traceried frieze and castellated parapet on moulded eaves. Gargoyles at angles. Nave has parapet and 3 clerestorey windows to each side: spherical triangles flanking a traceried circle, original to north but C19 to south. North aisle and north chapel have buttresses, cill bands and parapet with head spouts. Chapel also has plinth, 3-light square-headed window with hood mould and a similar 2-light window with head stops to hood mould. North aisle has a similar 2-light window either side of a C19 porch. East end of north chapel has a C19 doorway with lancet over. Chancel has coped gable with finial. 3-light east window with intersecting tracery. South side of chancel has a renewed 2-light square-headed window with a rectangular panel above flanked by carved heads (perhaps reused) and incorporating a diamond-shaped stone inscribed IL 1622. East end of south aisle has a similar renewed 2-light window, and south face of aisle has four 2-light C19 Decorated style windows, one to left of porch and three to right. C19 porch has diagonal buttresses, parapet gable and arched entry with head stops to hood mould. Door of overlapping studded boards. Interior: 3-bay both nave arcade, 2 wide round arches of 2 orders carried on a cylindrical pier and triple responds with stiff-leaf capitals, and a small and simpler round arch of ironstone carried on corbels at west end, perhaps reused. Segmental-headed recess in north aisle, containing carved head. Roof left doorway with depressed ogee head - necessitating big buttress in north aisle to support chancel arch of 2 chamfered orders. South arcade of 1842 imitating details of north arcade, built by Reverend Sir George Stamp Robinson as a memorial to 2 of his children. Nave roof has ovolo-moulded tie beams (repaired), purlins and ridge-piece, rafters renewed. North aisle roof retains some chamfered beams, but south aisle and chancel roofs are C19. Chancel has 2-bay north arcade carried on an octagonal pier and semi-circular responds. C19 opening to south with similar details. Low doorway to east end of north chapel, now vestry, which contains oval wall monument to Jane Coo, d.1656, a slate tablet in a richly-carved stone surround. East window contains reused medieval and later glass of diverse origins, and at the top, Victorian glass depicting St. Andrew and St. John with an inscription commemorating the union of the benefices of the 2 Cranford churches. Lower part of Jacobean screen. C16 Flemish panels carved with Biblical scenes reset in C19 pulpit. Plain octagonal font.

{5} Report includes text on architectural development, documentary survey, plan, illustrations and photos. Early history of church is obscure. In the late C12th an unknown benefactor seems to have conferred St John's church on the abbey of St James', Northampton, probably between 1181-1200.

{11}Archaeological examination of the area under the wooden platform for the stalls on the North side of the choir revealed evidence that the chancel floor had been lowered by at least 0.1m. Under this level there was a possible loose fill of a grave and a bed of unmortared stone. The character of the stone was consistent with that of a foundation which may represent an earlier phase of the church.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 18/150 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), K1/4 p.30-31 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN100754.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.167-8 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.191-2 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

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

<6> Clarke G., 1850, Cranford Church, St John's, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN103935.

<7> Flesher J., 1800, Cranford Saint Andrew (wrongly attributed), (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN103936.

<8> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.229-30 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<9> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<10> Anon, A Short Guide to St John's Church, Cranford, (unchecked) (Booklet). SNN103937.

<11> Dix B.(ed), 1985, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1983-4, p154 Cranford (Report). SNN100404.

<12> Ivens R. J., 2005, Archaeological Watching Brief at The Church of St. John the Baptist, Cranford St. John, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Full Report). SNN105138.

<13> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 54-55 (Book). SNN101533.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 11:38AM