Building record 4821/1/1 - Church of St. Michael & All Angels

Late 12th-early 14th centuries, restored 18th-19th centuries. Squared coursed limestone and limestone ashlar with lead and Collyweston slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, south porch and west tower.

{1} Church. Late C12, C13 and early C14, restored C18 and C19. Squared coursed limestone and limestone ashlar with lead and Colleyweston slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, south porch and west tower. South elevation of chancel, restored C18, is a 2-window range of lancets. C19 gabled vestry, projecting between windows, has south elevation of 2-window range of lancets with a niche between. Small lean-to building between vestry and east wall of south aisle. Chancel has gabled Colleyweston slate roof r sing behind plain parapet with 2 gargoyles. C18 two-light east window with pointed head and roundel. String course above window rises to follow line of gable above window. Plain ashlar pilasters at corners. North elevation of chancel is similar to south elevation with 2 lancet windows. South aisle of 3 bays, 2-window range, with 2 two-light windows to right; both with restored tracery. C13 south doorway has 2-centred arch head and roll mouldings. Single-stage buttresses between bays and lean- o roof with plain ashlar parapet. 3-light east window with Y-tracery and cusping. North aisle of 3 bays, 2-window range, of 2-light windows with restored tracery. 2-stage buttresses between windows. Lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapet. 3-light east window with restored geometrical tracery and carved label stops and 2-light west window with restored tracery. C13 gabled porch in bay to right has roll-moulded inner and outer doorways with 2-centred-arch heads. Vaulted porch ceiling, restored 19/early C20. Nave clerestory of 2-window range of 2-light square-head windows. Shallow-gable roof with plain ashlar parapet. Late C12 west tower of 3 stages with 2-stage clasping buttresses. Lancet window to west face of first stage and C12 triple arcade with detached shafts to north face. Lancets to south and west faces, one is blocked. Lancets, to staircase, to each face of upper stage. Opening to east face has centre shaft and opening to north face has square head. Saddleback roof, with ashlar gable parapets and finial, is probably C13. Interior: 3-bay nave arcade of double-chamfered arches with quatrefoil piers. Semi-circular responds to north side and polygonal responds to south side. C13 north arcade with nailhead decoration to capitals and c.1300 south arcade with some stiff-leaf capitals. Double-chamfered chancel arch with bracketed responds with green-man and similar corbel. Double-chamfered tower arch with polygonal reponds. C18 plain tunnel-vaulted chancel ceiling and C1 roof structures to nave and aisles. 2 small relieving arches with keyblocks at floor level in vestry. Trefoil head piscina in south aisle. C13 circular font decorated with stiff leaves and supported on 4 shafts. Perpendicular bench ends in aisles. Fragments of C17 panelling in chancel and south aisle. Late C18 fielded-panelled pulpit. Wooden plaque in north aisle has inscription: 1686 John Waver, John Peric, churchwardens. 2 hatchments in belfry. Fragment of medieval glass in east window of outh aisle. Late C19 and early C20 stained glass in all chancel windows, probably by Kempe, and east window of north aisle. Monuments: John Andrewe died 1629, brass plaque in floor of nave. Brooke Bridges died 1702, north wall of chancel by E. Stanton, inscribed marble tablet with pilasters, segmental pediment and 3 cherubs heads at base. C18 marble tablet on opposite wall has broken pediment and illegible inscription. Various C19 inscribed tablets to the Hunt family of Wadenhoe House.

{4} Wadenhoe Church has a tower of late 12th century, and is mainly of 13th-14th century date, with restorations in the 18th century and 1901. Dedicated to St Giles.

{9} St Michael's has a 12th-century west tower of three storeys and a gable, with blind arcading on the north side and much-remodelled bell-openings. The north bell-opening is a 14th-century replacement. The tower also has small plain 12th-century windows in the second storey (west and south faces) and the third (south face).

The east bell-opening appears to show the earliest form, and despite the cushion capital it must date from the last quarter of the 12th century. The south and west openings are not much later, and it is unusual that they should all be different. The blind arcade to the N of the tower defies explanation

{10} Undated photo;

{11} [Referring to source {4}.] Dedication "St Michael All Angels".

{12} [Former list description] A stone consisting of chancel, nave and clerestory, aisles, N. porch, and W. tower with saddle-back roof.
The chancel is C.13, the nave with arcades of 4 bays and the aisles are late C.14, the tower is C.12, the font is C.13 and the pulpit C.18. The church was restored in 1901. This church stands apart in fields high above the river Nene and is approached from the south end of the village by a field path.

{14} No antiquarian records of medieval glass have been located for this church and the fragments in the east window of the south aisle have excaped notice. The fragments date to c1340-75.

{15} Photo dated July 1966;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/220 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

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

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.390-91 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<4> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.149-152 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<5> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 630 (Book). SNN111989.

<6> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<7> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN59619.

<8> ELLISON M., 1997, PHOTOGRAPHS, (unchecked) (Photographs). SNN52279.

<9> King's College, London, 2017, A corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland, site 718 (Website). SNN110894.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Wadenhoe (Photographs). SNN113721.

<11> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 FDC 06-NOV-69 (Notes). SNN112950.

<12> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE (HHR) District of Oundle and Thrapston R.D. Northants. April 1963 (Report). SNN112993.

<13> Historic England, St Michael and All Angels Church, Wadenhoe, BF055027 (Archive). SNN114712.

<14> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 281 (Book). SNN101533.

<15> Miss June Swann, 1960s- 70s, Miss June Swann Photographic Archive (Photographs). SNN116665.

Record last edited

Mar 5 2025 10:41AM