Building record 5616/1/1 - Church of St. Nicholas

Church. C12th to C14th and C19th. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone and ironstone with Colleyweston slate and lead roofs. Nave, chancel, south aisle, south porch, vestry and west tower.

{1} Church. C12th to C14th and C19th. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone and ironstone with Colleyweston slate and lead roofs. Nave, chancel, south aisle, south porch, vestry and west tower. South elevation of chancel of 2-window range of 2-light windows with Y-tracery, parts renewed. Gabled roof with Colleyweston slates and ashlar gable parapets. 3-light east window with intersecting tracery. North elevation of chancel has one central single-light C12 window and one square-head low side window to right. Blocked doorway to left of centre and 2 recesses to far left. South aisle of 2-window range of 2-light window with Y-tracery, parts renewed. Lean-to roof has plain ashlar parapet. Single-light west window. Centre gable porch has roll moulded and chamfered outer arch and C12 inner doorway with one order of colonettes, stiff leaf capitals and zig-zag decoration around the arch. C19 vestry attached to east end of south aisle has 2-light south window in gable end and square-head east do r. North elevation of nave of 2-window range at lower level with 2-light window with Y-tracery to left is set in blocked C12 arch and C12 single-light window to right. Central north door has C12 tympanum with diapering. Clerestory of 3-window range of 2-light square-head windows, restored C19. Shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets. West tower of 3 stages, unbuttressed. Single-light C12 west window in lower stage . Fragment of C14 tracery in south face of second stage and C12 two-light bell chamber openings to each face of upper stage. Those to north, east and west each have plain tympanum and remains of one order of shafts. That to south has C14 tracery in place of the tympanum. C14 quatrefoil frieze with corbel table below and castellated parapet above, with short corner pinnacles. Gargoyles at mid point of each face. Interior: south nave arcade of 3 bays. C12 semi-circular arch to east is single stepped with stiff leaf capitals to respond; and originally gave access to a transept. 2 outer arches are C13 also semi-circular, double chamfered with octagonal pier. C13 double chamfered chancel arch with octagonal responds and C12 semi-circular tower arch with plain responds. Former east window of south aisle has intersecting tracery and now forms a screen to the vestry. Wide C14 double chamfered pointed arch. C19 nave and chancel roof structures, south aisle retains some earlier timbers. Piscina with trefoil head to right of altar and fine Easter Sepulchre to left with a ched recess to lower stage supporting 2 aumbries and a stone book rest. Late C19 choir stalls with a frieze of animals are a memorial to the Rev. Waller who was with Dr. Livingstone in Africa. Monuments: various C19 tablets to north wall of chancel. Remains of inscribed tablets in floor of chancel to Ekins family. Stained glass: early C20 stained glass to all lower windows of nave and aisle and chancel east window. 2 south aisle windows are probably by Kempe, that to right has fragment of earlier glass in the tracery.C12 octagonal font with Jacobean cover. Hatchment above tower arch.

{7} Twywell has a good clock and 'scratch' or mass dials

{8} Choir stall frieze: one of the two decorated stalls contains a frieze of African wildlife including elephants, lions etc, the other includes graphic scenes of slavery on the continent. Also in the church: a small number of items associated with slavery including iron pincers for cutting slaves' shackles; three small stones fixed to the south chancel window said to come from Calvary and presented in 1880 to the Rector.

{9} Undated photo;

{11} [Former list description] The stone church with dressed stone parapets and surrounds to windows consisting of chancel, S. chapel, nave and clerestory, S. aisle and W. tower is mainly Norman and Early English but is said to be Saxon in origin. The chancel and chapel are Early English with E. window and piscina of this date. In the N. wall of the chancel is an Easter sepulchre and aumbry.
The S. arcade of the nave is Transitional with 3 baus, the 2 west bays in alternate bands of ironstone and lime stone. The clerestory is C.15 with four windows on S. wall and three on N., the W. window with a Norman lancet under.
The tower arch is Norman and the octagonal font Early English with a C.17 cover. At the end of the aisle is a 3-light traceried window with a door in centre light.
The S. door is Norman restored, of 1 order, shafts with carved caps, arch with zig zag ornament and outer billetted mould with mask in centre. The N. door, probably Transitional, is rectangular, curved upper angles with rosettes at foot and round arched hood mould over, the tympanum filled with fish scale decoration.
The lower part of the tower is Norman with ironstone quoins, billet mould below string of bell-chamber and corbel table above, under C.15 band panelled with quatrefoils and battlemented parapet; windows in lower stage are Norman lancets. The Rev. Horace Waller, Rector 1874-1895 was with Dr. Livingstone in Africa, and the C.19 choir stalls are carved with African scenes.

{13} Very little medieval glass. The shield in the nave south-west window probably represents the arms of Edward, created Earl of Rutland in 1390, although precise identification is uncertain.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 12/145 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G07 p.78 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.436-37 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.250-52 (plan illus.) (Series). SNN10247.

<5> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.262-63 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

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

<8> Cadman, G., 2005, Church of St. Nicholas, Twywell (Note). SNN106982.

<9> Photographs of buildings in Twywell (Photographs). SNN113617.

<10> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN56541.

<11> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR) Dist. of Oundle and Thrapston R.D. Northants. April 1963 137 (Report). SNN112993.

<12> Historic England, St Nicholas' Church, Twywell, BF044032 (Archive). SNN115164.

<13> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 280 (Book). SNN101533.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 1:19PM