Building record 1653/3/1 - Church of St. Mary

Church. Mid C12. Early and mid C13, C14, chancel reconstructed C19. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone and ironstone with lead and Colleyweston slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, north and south porches and west tower.

{1} Church. Mid C12. Early and mid C13, C14, chancel reconstructed C19. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone and ironstone with lead and Colleyweston slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, north and south porches and west tower. South elevation of chancel of 3 bays; 2-window range with one 4-light, tall Perpendicular window with 4-centred head to left and one 2-light C19 window to right. Small C19 south door to centre bay. 2-stage ashlar buttresses between bays. Gabled roof with ashlar gable pa apets and finials. C19 triple lancet east window. North elevation of chancel of one-window range with C19 two-light window. C19 vestry attached to right of one-window range of similar north and east window. Lean-to roof with ashlar parapets and lateral ashlar stack. South aisle of 5 bays; 4-window range with three 4-light Perpendicular windows with 4-centred heads to right and one 3-light window with segmental head to far left. 2-stage ashlar buttresses between bays and lean-to roof with ashl r parapets. 3-light Perpendicular east window and 3-light west window. Second bay from left breaks forward as a lean-to porch with attached minor transept. C14 style outer arch with roll moulding and cluster shafts. Inner doorway of similar style with trefoil head, roll moulding with leaf decoration and niche above. C14 or C15 panelled and studded door with tracery. Quadripartite rib vault. North aisle of 7 bays, 6-window range with central 2-light square-head window and flanking 3-light Perp ndicular windows with 4-centred heads. Lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapets and gargoyles at corners. 2-light west window. C14 gabled porch to right. Roll moulded inner and outer arch openings with corner shafts to inner doorway. Nave clerestory of 5-window range, probably of 2 builds with break between windows 3 and 4 to east. 2-light square-head windows, some with renewed tracery. Shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapets. Mid C13 west tower of 3 stages with sub-division to lower stag . Shallow 2-stage angle buttresses to lower stage only. Carved face at corner apex of each pair of buttresses. Lancet to west face of this stage and similar lancet to north face of second stage. 2-light bell-chamber openings with one order of shafts. Trefoil frieze corbelled out with carved heads and plain parapet above. Ribbed pinnacles at corners. C14 ashlar broach spire rising behind the parapet and having 3 tiers of lucarnes. Interior: 6-bay north arcade and 5-bay south arcade. North arca e of c.1200 of unmoulded round arches. Circular piers, 3 to west have leaf capitals and one to east has nailhead decoration. The 2 bays to the east originally separated the former chancel from the former chapels. C13 and C14 south arcade with 3 double chamfered arches with circular and octagonal piers to the west and 2 arches to east with double hollow chamfers and a circular pier. Chamfered and pointed chancel arch and similar former chancel arch and arches to former chapels at mid point of ave. Triple chamfered tower arch. Minor transept to left of south door: double chamfered arch and quatrefoil pier built into the wall. There is a similar blocked arch to the left of the adjacent aisle window, all of which is said to be part of an aisled south transept, never completed. Some tie beams and purlins to nave and south aisle roofs are original, remainder are C19. Arched opening combined with south west window of south aisle originally gave access to a parvis room. Arch-head tomb re ess in south aisle. Piscina and triple sedilia to right of chancel altar. 3 and 4 bays of blind arcading with detached cluster shafts, to north and south walls of chancel. Organ pipes above are set in C19 arched opening. Stair turret to former rood loft has access in north east corner of south aisle. Octagonal font with central column and 5 detached shafts restored C19. C19 stone screen at chancel steps and C19 furnishings. Monuments: Sir Walter Trayli died 1290 and wife; chest tomb under 4-cen red arch, to left of chancel arch, has 2 recumbent wooden figures. Charles Arbuthenot died 1850, marble tablet in south aisle. Partially legible early C19 tablet, to north wall of south aisle. Relict built into north aisle pier is said to be the embalmed heart of Roger de Kirton or Walter Trayli. Stained glass: fragments of medieval glass in north-east window of south aisle. Late C19 and C20 glass to chancel south-east and east windows, 2 north aisle windows and south aisle east and south-eas windows. The latter 2 are probably by Kempe.

{8} Woodford has a Saxon tidal dial from when the Nene was navigable that far

{10} Undated photo.

{12} Ground plan of church by Milne & Hall Architects, 1889.

{13} New windows were inserted into the nave aisle walls in the C15. The surviving medieval glass, which has been collected in the tracery of a north aisle window, is all of this period. Some of it is probably in situ.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 13/156 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G07 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.258-61 (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<4> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<5> Drawings, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN56549.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.267-69 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<6> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.465-66 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

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

<8> Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group, 1996-2013, Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group Newsletter, vol. 109 p. 7 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN55360.

<9> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.247+250-51+55 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Woodford (Photographs). SNN114290.

<11> Historic England, St Mary's Church, Woodford, BF055028 (Archive). SNN115162.

<12> Lambeth Palace Library, Incorporated Church Building Society Archive, ICBS09186 (Digital archive). SNN115761.

<13> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 295-8 (Book). SNN101533.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 1:17PM