Building record 425/2/1 - Church of St. Nicholas

Church. C.1300 to c.1350. Squared coursed limestone, lias and granite with ashlar dressings with lead and slate roof laid to diminishing courses. Aisled nave, chancel and west tower. This church has the most extensive collection of medieval glass in the county.

{1} Church. C.1300 to c.1350. Squared coursed limestone, lias and granite with ashlar dressings with lead and slate roof laid to diminishing courses. Aisled nave, chancel and west tower. Chancel: South elevation of 3-window range of 3-light windows with Intersecting tracery; that to right is blocked. North elevation similar with blocked window to left retaining its tracery. 5-light east window with Intersecting tracery has roundel above. Gabled roof with ashlar gable parapets and large rectangular ribbed finials at eaves. South aisle of 3-window range; the centre window of 3-lights has Intersecting tracery and the windows to left and right of 3 lights have Rectilinear tracery. Similar east and west windows, that to west is blocked. South porch to left has cusped outer arch and ashlar gable parapets. South aisle has lean-to roof with ashlar gable parapets and ball finials at the corners. North aisle of 3-window range of 3-light windows; the 2 to the left have Rectilinear tracery and that to right has Intersecting tracery. North door to right. Similar east and west windows. Lean-to roof with ashlar parapets and with corner to finials. The aisle and chancel have 2-stage buttresses between the windows. Nave clerestory of 5-window range of 2-light square-headed windows has gabled roof. West tower of 3 stages with clasping buttresses at the corners, 2-light window in lower stage. 2-light bell chamber opening with Y-tracery in the third stage. Stair turret to north-east corner. Castellated parapet, now rendered, has crocketed corner pinnacles partially rebuilt on arched brick supports. Interior: Double-chamfered chancel arch. 5-bay nave arcade of double-chamfered arches with tall piers having a continuous chamfered moulding. Piscina in south aisle has crocketed gable, adjacent is a low stone bench with quatrefoil decoration. Nave and aisle roofs probably C14 with carved tracery to tie beams of nave roof and wall shafts supported on carved brackets. Font, C14 with tracery decorations. Pulpit incorporates part of the rood screen. Screens: Rood screen with Perpendicular base and top reset from Lutterworth, Leicestershire; tower screen also Perpendicular. Choir stalls have panelled fronts one with misericord; C16 linenfold panelling behind; C18 wrought iron communion rail. West gallery on Tuscan columns supports early C17 organ reputedly from the Royal Chapel, Whitehall. Stained glass: Chancel east window early C14 depicting the Virgin, Saints, Abbots and the Crucifixion. Also early C14 the chancel side windows depicting 10 apostles and 2 saints; north window also has Christ and the Virgin. North-aisle east window c,1330-40 depicting the Virgin, Crucifixion and Saints. Also c.1330-40 the south-aisle east window, the south-east window tracery head, the north-west window the adjacent north-east window and the large spires in the chancel north window. In the south-east window glass c.1500 depicting the Virgin and St. John the Evangelists and in the 2 windows adjacent to the west the Visitation and various saints. South aisle windows probably early C16 depicting figures. East window c.1558 depicting members of the Cave family and Henry VII and Elizabeth of York came from Stanford Hall probably C19. Monuments, south aisle: Defaced effigy of a priest C14 on chest tomb in arch recess decorated with quatrefoils and flanked by buttress. Between north aisle and nave Sir Thomas Cave, died 1558; alabaster chest tomb with 2 recumbent figures decorated with shields roundels, putti and kneeling figures. North aisle: Sir Ambrose Cave, died 1568. Chest tomb decorated with 3 roundels; shield above flanked by Corinthian columns supporting a pediment. North aisle: Henry Knollys and wife Margaret Cave c.1600; 2 effigies at different levels with kneeling daughters flanking flat arch over. North chancel: Sir Thomas Cave died 1613. Chest tomb with 2 recumbent effigies, kneeling children, strapwork cartouche and flanking columns. Adjacent is Richard Cave died 1606, kneeling child. North aisle: Dorothy St. John died 1630; small chest tomb with black top decorated with shields and garlands. South chancel: Sir Thomas Cave died 1733 alongside Sir Verney Cave died 1734, bust and obelisk. South aisle: James Callan died 1751, small sarcophagus with Rococo volutes and obelisk over. South chancel: Sir Thomas Cave died 1778 but early C19 profile in oval medallion. North chancel: Sir Otway Cave died 1830, relief depicting 3 figures, one on a couch reputedly by Kessells. North aisle west Robert Ottoway Cave died 1844, figure on couch by Westmacott. South aisle west: Third Lady Braye died 1862, recumbent and kneeling figures by Mary Thorneycroft. North aisle: Edmund Verney c.1896 has free standing figure to left. 17 hatchments. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.407).

{3} Present church is the 3rd building on the site - it replaces previous Saxon & Norman churches. Work began on the church in 1307 & the nave, aisle & tower were entirely rebuilt. The chancel was retained but the windows were enlarged. Work on the reconstruction of the tower was interrupted in 1349 by the Black Death which caused the death of the workmen, and the tower had to be left for completion later.

{4} C13th building. Some of stained glass windows date from the reigns of Edward III & Henry VII & are of outstanding interest. Cave family monuments are also present at the church.

{5} & {7} A programme of archaeological buildings recording accompanied the extensive repair of the north aisle roof of St Nicholas Church, Stanford-on-Avon. The works revealed that the design of C1500, created as part of a programme to totally re-roof the church, had subsequently been massively altered to offset the serious degeneration of many of the timbers. Similarly an early decorative scheme had been overpainted, possibly in the late 17th century. Further alterations & repairs throughout the roof have been carried out up to the present works.

{9, 20} Dendrochronological dating places construction of this building at 1349-1482.

{12} Two undated photos, also photo dated 12.10.1978.

{21} The medieval glass at this church is the most extensive and rewarding ensemble in the county, indeed it forms one of the most important collections in any English parish church. The surviving glass belongs to six phases or groups dating between the early C14 and the mid-C16 centuries. Most of it was executed for the church, although little of it is in situ. A comprehensive conservation programme was undertaken by the Barley Studio in 1987. Wherever possible the Georgian glass and surviving medieval lead were retained and every window is protected by isothermal glazing. The programme was completed in 1997.

{22} A. Church of St. Nicholas

The stone church with slate roof consists of chancel, nave and clerestory, aisles, south porch and west tower. The tower of 3 stages has a battlemented parapet and corner pinnacles. The church is mainly early Decorated and contains fine glass ranging in date from C14 to C16. Most of this has been releaded, some has been confused in the rearrangement. The glass in the large east window is of two dates, the upper part is C14 and consists of figures of bishops, Royal portrait heads and in the centre The Virgin and Child under a canopy. The lower part is C16 and contains portraits of members of the Cave family who bought
the manor at the Dissolution and the arms of Plantagenet, Mowbray de Bohun, Wake etc.
The altar is covered by old embroidered velvet, probably a cope. The altar rails are C18, wrot iron with scroll standards and central gate. The priest's door has its original ironwork. The lower part of the chancel screen is Perpendicular and original, the upper part came from Lutterworth church. The nave has arcades of 5 bays, the roof is Perpendicular. The pulpit was constructed from part of the the Lutterworth screen. The font is Perpendicular as is the screen across the tower arch. The aisle windows contain old glass of various dates.

In the south aisle is a carved piscina. The organ bought from Magdalen College, Oxford about 1649 originally came from Whitehall Palace. The church was restored in 1910-12. The monuments include
In the chancel
1.) Thames Cave and his wife Margaret Cecil, recumbent alabaster effigies on an altar base with seven children in front, in front of an arched panelled background with inscription in strapwork border,
all under an entablature with panelled soffit supported on black Corinthian columns.
2.) Adjoining to west, Richard Cave, eldest child of Thomas, who died in 1606 in Paduo. A tall plinth with kneeling effigy under a pyramidal canopy with pannelled soffit and coat of arms on face.
3.) An altar tomb on N. wall.
4.) Sir Thomas Cave, Bart., d. 1733, aged 39. An arched panel with springers and key block, flanked by engaged Ionic columns supporting entablature with bolection frieze and dentil cornice and segmental
pediment with central cartouche of arms. Columns flanked by side scrolls and standing on brackets, central bolection apron above wide plinth with urns at sides.
5.) On S. wall, Sir Verney Cave, 1734. A pyramidal background in front of which stands a sarcophagus surmounted by a bust and flanked by urns, all standing on plinth with carved side scrolls and central
inscription, carved and bracketted base, central coat of arms supported on segmental apron.
In nave
6.) Thomas Cave, 1558, and Elizabeth Danvers, his wife. An alabaster altar tomb with recumbent effigies and panelled sides with coats of arms in panels, the east end panel with figures of six sons and eight
daughters and the west end panel with coat of arms with cherub supporters.
North aisle.
7.) Ambrose Cave, 1568. A central panel with arms over an inscription flanked by Corinthian columns supporting entablature and pediment, all on a plinth with coats of arms in round panels. C.16-17 wrot iron
railings in front.
8.) Adjoining, Margaret Cave, daughter of Ambrose Cave, and her husband Henry Knolles; she lies on her side with her elbow on a pillow, he is on a shelf above with flanking daughters, in arched niche with rectangular surround with cornice supported at corners by sections of frieze and architrave on Corinthian caps with drops below. All on pannelled base.
9.) A panelled surround, C.14, to tomb recess with recumbent effigy.
10.) Mr. James Calcutt, 1751 and his wife, 1769. Sarcophagus on columns in front of panel with large side scrolls and entablature broken forward over brackets with floral drops and crowned by pyramid and side urns. Inscription on plinth below.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 6/98 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G03 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<3> THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST NICHOLAS STANFORD-ON-AVON, (unchecked) (Leaflet). SNN45515.

<4> Stanford Hall, (unchecked) (Pamphlet). SNN42834.

<5> SODEN I, 1997, SMR REPORT FORM, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN49325.

<6> Chapman A, 1996-7, Stanford-on-Avon; St Nicholas Church, (unchecked) (Note). SNN104094.

<7> Soden, I., 1996, Archaeological Buildings Recording at St Nicholas' Church Stanford-on-Avon Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN104724.

<8> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.407 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<9> Giggins B.; Conlon R., 2011, Towcester and Potterspury Dendrochronology Assessment, (checked) (Report). SNN107444.

<10> MARKS R., The Medieval Stained Glass of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN109366.

<11> Moir J.; Moir M. (Editors), 1995-2005, Vernacular Architecture, Vol. 28/p. 130 (Journal). SNN102633.

<12> Photographs of buildings in Stanford on Avon (Photographs). SNN113180.

<13> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.580-83 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<14> , ST NICHOLAS' CHURCH STANFORD-ON-AVON, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN57773.

<15> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 42 p.26-29 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<16> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN57775.

<18> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.258 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<19> Hyam, A., 2004, An Archaeological Watching Brief at St Nicholas Church, Stanford on Avon, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN104581.

<20> Howard, R E, Laxton, R & Litton, C, 1996, Tree-ring analysis of timbers from the north aisle of St Nicholas' Church, Stanford-on-Avon, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN115107.

<21> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 177-271 (Book). SNN101533.

<22> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of Daventry Rural District (Feb 1964) (Report). SNN112993.

<23> Historic England, Undated, St Nicholas' Church, Stanford, BF044027 (Archive). SNN115796.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 1:29PM