Building record 1884/4/1 - St. Mary's Church

Mid 12th-13th, 15th and 16th centuries, and restored late 19th century. Squared coursed limestone with limestone ashlar tower and lead roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, north chapel, north transept and south porch.

{1} Church. Mid C12th, C13th, C15th and C16th, restored late C19th. Squared coursed limestone with limestone ashlar tower and lead roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, north chapel, north transept and south porch. South elevation of chancel is a 3-window range of tall, 3-light, Perpendicular windows with 4-centred arch heads. Priest door to right and 2-stage buttress to corner. Shallow gable roof with castellated ashlar parapet and finial. 5-light Perpendicular east window with 4-centred arch head. North elevation of chancel is one-window range with 2-light window with Y-tracery. Arched recess below window. 4-light Perpendicular east window to north chapel has 4-centred arch head. North elevation of north chapel is a one-window range with a blocked square-head opening. Lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapet. C19 vestry attached to north chapel has one 2-light north window, and doorway in return wall, both with carved label stops. South aisle of 4 bays, 3-window range of 3-light Perpendicular windows with 4- entred arch heads. Lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapets. Similar 3- and 4-light west and east windows. 2-storey porch to left of centre, is c.1583 for Pickering family. Roll-moulded outer arch with semi-circular responds and similar restored inner doorway with cluster shafts. Restored 2-light square-head windows to south and east faces of first floor. Shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapet and finial. North transept has 3-light Perpendicular window with 4-centred arch head, in north elevation. Shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapet. North aisle is a 2-window range. 4-light Perpendicular window, with mouchettes and 4-centred arch head, to left, and 3-light Decorated window, with intersecting tracery, to right. Lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapets. 2-light square-head west window. Nave clerestory of 5-window range of 3-light Perpendicular windows with 4-centred arch heads. Shallow gabled roof with castellated ashlar parapets and finial. Fine C15 west tower of 4 stage with plinth. 3-stage set-back angle buttresses to lower 3 stages. Plinth with quatrefoil frieze and with double quatrefoil frieze above. West doorway with crocketed ogee head and quatrefoils and mouchettes in the spandrels. Flanking pointed-head niches with cusping and C19 statues. Quatrefoil frieze between each stage. 3-light west window in second stage has panel-tracery and flanking niches, with pinnacles over, and C19 statues. Blind 2-light west window, with transom, in third stage is flanked by similar niches. Similar blind window in east face and similar windows in north and south faces have brick infill arranged to form lattice panels. Pairs of 2-light bell-chamber windows with transoms, to each face of upper stage have similar lattice brick panels. Double diamond and quatrefoil frieze above with panelled and crocketed pinnacles at corners. Similar diagonal pinnacle at mid point of each side with ogee head and crocketed castellations between. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade of ouble-chamfered arches. North arcade is C13 with circular piers and nailhead decoration to the capitals. South arcade is early/mid C14 with circular piers and stiff-leaf decoration to the capitals. Double-chamfered chancel arch with polygonal responds and triple-chamfered tower arch with hollowed responds and castellated capitals. 2-bay arcade of double-chamfered arches to north side of chancel is similar to north arcade of nave. Double-chamfered arches to north transept and north chapel have b acketed responds. Priest door in south wall of chancel has C12, reset, arch head with zig-zag decoration. Trefoil-head piscina to left of altar and C19 copy to right. Squint with gabled head and cusping alongside; priest door between. C19 and C20 roof structures with remains of Perpendicular arched-braced trusses, with corbels, in north transept. C19 font and pews and early C20 screen and pulpit. Monuments: low tomb recess in south aisle with decorated slab. John Creed died 1701; plain tablet below south aisle east window. Sir John Pickering died 1703 and family, inscribed tablet, north wall of north chapel, with flanking pilasters, pediment and urn. Major Richard and Mrs. Jemima Creed died 1704 and 1705, tall inscribed tablets to left and right of south aisle east window. John Pickering died in infancy 1712, plain chest-tomb in north chapel. Theophilus Pickering died 1710, painted panel in north chapel depicting bust with flanking pilasters, by Elizabeth Creed, sister of the dece sed. Gilbert Pickering died 1721 and wife, inscribed panel below previous monument. John Dryden, poet, and his parents, painted panel in north transept, c.1722 also by Creed. Various members of Pickering family, C18 inscribed tablet with scroll surround, north wall of north chapel. Colonel John Creed died 1751, inscribed tablet with pediment and obelisk over, south wall of south aisle, by Edward Bingham. Mrs. Elizabeth Creed, white marble urn on black base in south aisle window sill, by J. and J. Coles of Thrapston and Huntingdon. Hugh Richard, plain oval late C18 tablet on west wall of south aisle. 2 late C19 tablets with Gothic surrounds to south wall of chancel. Various inscribed tablets in floor including matrices for brass. C19 wall paintings in chancel. C19 stained glass to all chancel windows, panel in south aisle east window, and belfry window. The room over the porch, which is no longer accessible, was originally the private pew of the Pickering family.

{2} Church. Mid 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th centuries. Restored late 19th century.

{7} Architectural description and development, documentary research notes, plan and photographs. hurch remained a rectory throughout the medieval period. It was first recorded in 1224, but some of its fabric suggests an earlier C12th date.

{10} Seven undated photos, also photo dated December 1993.

{12} Ground plan of church by Bryan Browning, 1842.

{13} The only remains of the medieval glass are in the east window of the nave south aisle, but extensive figural glazing could still be seen in this part of the church in the early C18.

{14} [Former list description] Church of St. Mary
Dressed stone, nave and chancel with battlemented parapets, aisles plain parapets. Consists of chancel, north chapel, nave with clerestory, aisles, south porch and west tower. The chancel, probably C13 alterations to older building, has a Norman door on south wall with zig zag ornament to arch and later priest's door inserted. On north wall is an arcade of 2 bays leading to north chapel. The piscina with shelf over is C13 and the walls are painted with C18 decoration by Mrs. Creed.
The C13 nave arcades have 3 bays, caps of south arcade carved with oak leaves. The clerestory with four 3-light windows and the roof arc c1450.
The tall tower arch has clustered shafts with crenellated caps and the C15 font stands under the arch. south porch is C15.
The tower has plinth with two tiers of quatrefoil panelling and 4 stages with band of similar panelling and 4 stages with band of similar panelling below each string. The 3rd stage has tall 4-light mullioned and transomed windows with arched and cusped heads to lights. The bell-chamber has larger coupled similar
windows. The parapet is panelled and pierced with large crocketted pinnacles in centre of each side of tower between.
On west side of tower the door and openings in 2nd and 3rd stages are flanked by image niches.
Monuments. In the north chapel monuments to the Pickering and Creed families and their connections include
1.) Sir Gilbert Pickering, 1735, stone and marble with upper part painted on wood by Mrs. Creed to other members of his family.
2.) Sir John Pickering, 1703, and his family. An arched panel with two cherub's heads over flanked by Ironic half engaged columns, Sievva marble shafts, white caps and bases, supporting open pediment with urn Pinial, curved apron below with white cartouche of arms.
3.) A small white marble wall mounment on slight curve surrounded by swags of fruit and flowers with scroll head and cartcuche of arms. Base of acanthus leaves and cnetre scallop shell.
4.) A painted wood monument to Erasmus Dryden and Mary Pickering, his wife, the parents of John Dryden. A segmental headed panel flanked by pilasters supporting open scroll pediment with
central bust. Painted by Mrs. Creed.
At the east end of the south aisle are Creed monuments. In the opposite angles of east wall are two matching monuments, tall black panels with pie-crust bases over apron, cornice heads, urn and coats of arms. The L.H. to Major Richard Creed who died of woulds after the Battle of Blenheim, with trophy of arms on apron. The R.H. to Mrs. Jemima Creed, 1705, with floral apron.
Between these two and under B. window is the alter tomb of their father with pie-crust top.
A wall monument to Col. John Creed, 1748, another of Marlborough's Officers, by E. Bingham of Peterborough.
In the south wall is a tomb recess.

{16} Sketches and notes;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 14/200 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G08 p.94-95 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.146-47 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<4> Anon, A Short Guide to The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Titchmarsh, (unchecked) (Guide). SNN55765.

<5> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.432-33 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.385-88 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<7> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<8> Clarke G., 1850?, Titchmarsh Church, (unchecked) (Illustration). SNN104705.

<9> Flesher J., 1800?, Titchmarsh, (unchecked) (Illustration). SNN104706.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Titchmarsh (Photographs). SNN113613.

<11> Lee M., 2004, Henry Penn, Bellfounder, 1685-1729, p.41-53 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109357.

<12> Lambeth Palace Library, Incorporated Church Building Society Archive, ICBS01942 (Digital archive). SNN115761.

<13> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 277 (Book). SNN101533.

<14> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE (HHR) District of Oundle and Thrapston R.D. Northants. April 1963 (Report). SNN112993.

<15> Historic England, Undated, St Mary's Church, Titchmarsh, BF055026 (Archive). SNN115833.

<16> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/273/1 (Archive). SNN115.

<17> Leigh D.J., 2011, An archaeological watching brief at The Church of St. Mary, Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire January-February 2010 (Report). SNN108155.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 12:56PM