Building record 893/2/1 - Church of All Saints

Church built in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, the chancel was rebuilt in the early 18th century, and again the 19th century. The church was restored and the chancel floor relaid in 1898. Built of ironstone ashlar, coursed squared ironstone and ironstone rubble, with some limestone dressings and copper roofs except for the tiled roofs of the chancel and south porch. The church consists of a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, north porch/vestry, south porch, and west tower.

{1} Church. C13, C14 and C15, chancel rebuilt early C18, and again C19; church restored and chancel floor relaid 1898. Ironstone ashlar, coursed squared ironstone and ironstone rubble, some limestone dressings, copper roofs except for tiled roofs of chancel and south porch. Chancel, nave, north and south aisles, north porch/vestry, south porch, west tower. Chancel has 3-light Perpendicular style C19 east window, south-west door with moulded surround and plank door, stone eaves and stone-coped east gable with kneelers. Nave has clerestory with 2-light chamfered stone mullion windows with leaded lights, moulded stone surrounds and hood moulds to north and similar windows to south alternating with 2-light arch-mullion windows, with plain parapet to north and battlemented parapet to south. North aisle has 2-light Decorated east window, 3-light Perpendicular windows to north and 2-light Decorated west window with top circle enclosing 3 trefoils. C19 vestry in position of a north porch with 2-light Decorated style north window. South aisle has 2-light Decorated east window. 3-light Decorated windows to south with curvilinear tracery and 3-light Perpendicular west window. Scratch dial to left of south-west window. C13 south door with shafts and capitals, one with faces, bearing many moulded arch; hood mould with label stops and head at apex of arch. Double-leaf 10-panel C18 door. South porch has hollow-chamfered doorway and 2-light cusped window to west side. Both aisles have early C18 lead rainwater heads and pipes. Painted sundial at south-west end of clerestory. 3-stage west tower has set-back buttresses to first stave, lancet window above and to south side, 2-light Decorated bell openings and battlemented parapet. Most windows have hood moulds, some with label stops. Interior: single-bay chancel has plaster barrel vault roof with moulded ridge and wall plates. C19 stain-glass east window of 1847 by Willement. Double-chamfered chancel arch. Nave has fine 6-bay arcades with quatrefoil piers and capitals and one sunk quadrant moulding to south, 2 sunk quadrants to north, some partly double-chamfered. Piscina at east end of north aisle with many-moulded triangular head to east end. South aisle with ogee head. Double-chamfered tower arch concealed by early C19 west gallery and 2-storey mid C18 west screen behind organ with round-headed arches with keyblocks, topped by former reredos with painted and gilded commandment, Lords Prayer and Creed boards with segmental dentilled arch over central commandment panel and moulded cornice with central segmental arch. C20 nave roof, C17 tie beam roof to north and south aisles. Tie beam in vestry inscribed Repaired 1699. Complete scheme of C19 stained glass with single figures and armorial panels to aisle windows. Late C17 communion table at east end of north aisle. Octagonal Jacobean pulpit. C18 panelled box pews cut-down to converted to open pews. Fine set of funeral hatchments. Royal Arms of Queen Anne dated 1709, oil on board, in tower. Good set of monuments including: brass to William Knight d.1501 and his wife Katherine d.1504; painted alabaster monument with recumbent praying effigy in coffered arch flanked by black marble Corinthian columns and outer obelsiks and topped by armorial panels, to Lady Elizabeth Seymour d.1602, 2nd wife of Sir Richard Knightley; wall monuments to Dudley Knightley d.1602, Nicholas Breton d.1624 with broken pediment flanked by cherubs, Ann Breton d.1635 of similar proportions with broken segmental pediment framing wreathed skull and flanked by obelisks with diamond bosses supported by cherub's heads; large wall monument to Anne Verney d.1633 with kneeling figure in round-arched niche with broken segmental pediment flanked by angels supporting arms; Nicholas Breton d.1658 and his wife Elizabeth with busts of each and framed by composite columns supporting broken segmental pediment: Charlotte Botfield d.1825 by William Behnes with life-size figure of mourning son. (Buildings of England: Northants, p.359; Kellys Directory for Northants, 1898; Norton All Saints and Village guide (no date).

{8} The condition of high level stonework is very bad; and below ground rainwater disposal is not functional and urgently needs repair. The condition of the windows is poor with broken glass and deteriorating stonework. The interior is damp.

{11} Undated photo;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 5/163 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F06 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.359-60 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.78-80 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

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

<6> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.256 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<7> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.420-23 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<8> Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk: East Midlands Register 2016, p. 50 (Report). SNN110747.

<9> Historic England, 2018, Heritage at Risk: East Midlands Register 2018, p. 57 (Report). SNN111434.

<10> Historic England, 2017, Heritage at Risk: East Midlands Register 2017, p. 57 (Report). SNN111090.

<11> Photographs of buildings in Norton (Photographs). SNN112953.

<12> Historic England, All Saints Church, Norton, BF107377 (Archive). SNN114851.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 3:47PM