Building record 3034/1/1 - Church of All Saints, Laxton

Church built in the 12th century and altered in the 13th century and in 1659. The chancel was rebuilt, the north aisle added and the church restored circa 1865, this work was carried out to the designs of Lord Carbery. Built of squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and spire, and lead and Collyweston slate roofs. Ths church consists of an aisled nave, chancel, west tower and south porch.

{1} Church. C12, C13 dated 1659, chancel rebuilt, north aisle added and church restored about 1865 to designs of Lord Carbery. Squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and spire. Lead and Collyweston slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, west tower and south porch. South elevation of chancel of 2-window range of 2-light windows; window to right is C14 reset, the other is similar C19. Priest door, between windows, has single-chamfered arch-head. 2-stage angle buttress at corner. Gabled roof with ollyweston slates and ashlar gable parapets and finial. C19 cast iron gutter with cast iron gargoyle, to right. C19 three-light east window with roundel and mouchettes. Flanking 2-stage buttresses. Bulls-head above window is mid C19, carved by Lord Carbery. North elevation of chancel is similar to south elevation with a 2-window range of C19 windows. Evidence of re-fenestration between windows. C19 cast iron gutter, with gargoyle to left. South aisle of 3 bays, 2-window range. C19 three-light windows to centre and right, one has Perpendicular style tracery, the other Decorated style tracery. 2-stage buttresses between windows and to corners. Centre buttress has datestone 1659 on return. Lean-to roof with plain parapet. C19, two-light east and west windows. C19 chimney to south-west corner. Gabled porch with C19 double-chamfered outer doorway. Inner doorway has one order of C12 shafts with capitals decorated with volutes. C19 stepped and moulded arch over doorway. North aisle of -window range of C19 three-light windows similar to south aisle. 2-stage buttresses between windows and at corners. Lean-to roof with plain parapet. C19 cast iron gargoyle to left of centre. C19 two- light east window and C14 two-light west window with panel tracery. C19 cast iron gargoyle to left of window. Central gabled eared dormers with 2-light square-head windows to centre of each side of nave roof. Gabled roof with Collyweston slates. Late C13 west tower of 3 unbuttressed stages. 2-light west window in lower stage. Slit window in north face of second stage. 2-light bell-chamber openings to each face of upper stage have central shafts and cinquefoil circles above. Broach spire rises from simple corbel table. 2 tiers of lucarnes. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade of double-chamfered arches with quatrefoil piers and cluster shaft responds. South arcade is late C13 and north arcade is C19. C19 stepped and chamfered chancel arch with flat, chamfered, responds. Double chamfered tower arch with corbelled responds. C19 roof structures. Reset trefoil head piscina to right of altar. Pulpit with large scroll supports in early C18 style was carved by Lord Carbery mid C19. C19 octagonal font. Monuments: Thomas Phillips, d.1661; small wreathed wall plaque in south aisle with blank device above. Late C18 and early C19 floor tablets to Carbery family in chancel. George Freke Evans, d.1829; similar floor tablet. William Charles Eighth Baron Carbery, d.1894; marble plaque to north wall of chancel explaining his restoration of the church. Late C18 wall tablet to north wall of chancel. Lord Carbery of Laxton Hall was an amateur carver who prepared designs for the mid/late C19 works to the church. There are several blank corbel blocks in the church which he may have intended to carve himself. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: p289; RCHM: An Inventory of Architectural Monuments in North Northamptonshire: p107)

{9} The S nave doorway, under a porch, is 19th century, but contains reused 12th century material and is described;

{10} Undated photo.

{11} Still in use for ecclesiastical purposes.

{12} All Saints Church, Laxton, was extensively restored in 1868 and has much the appearance of a new building, but parts remain of Early English date.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/153 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G11 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 106/site 1, Fig 141, Pl. 20 (Series). SNN77384.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 289 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

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

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p. 321-22 (Book). SNN77326.

<7> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<9> King's College, London, 2017, A corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland (Website). SNN110894.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Laxton (Photographs). SNN112600.

<11> Harper, F R, 1961, Field investigators comments, F1 FRH 3-AUG-61 (Notes). SNN113016.

<12> 1878, Transactions of The Leicester Archaeological Society, p. 101-2 (Series). SNN28799.

<13> Historic England, Undated, All Saints Church, Laxton, BF107356 (Archive). SNN116098.

<14> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire I (North-East), BF112020 (Archive). SNN113295.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 12:02PM