Building record 495/1/1 - Church of St. Mary

The church is mainly of early 14th century date, with some 15th century alterations. It was restored circa 1860 and again in 1891-2 by Bodley and Garner. Built of coursed squared ironstone and ironstone ashlar with some limestone dressings, the roofs are of lead. The church consists of a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, north and south porches and a west tower.

{1} Early C14, restored c.1860 and 1891-92 by Bodley and Garner. Coursed squared ironstone and ironstone ashlar with some limestone dressings; lead roofs. Chancel, nave, north and south aisles, north and south porches, west tower. 3-bay chancel has 5-light C19 Perpendicular style window, 2-light windows with Y-tracery to south, 2 similar windows to north and C19 vestry to north-east. Nave has clerestory with four 2-light Perpendicular windows with segmental heads north and south. North aisle has 3-light east and west windows with reticulated tracery to north, one to west of porch, two to east. Many-moulded north door has 3 orders of shafts and foliage capitals to left, plain to right, within gabled north porch with double-chamfered doorway. One-light cusped windows east and west. South aisle has 4-light east windows with Curvilinear tracery either side of porch, and 3-light west window with reticulated tracery. South door has many-moulded arch ornamented with fleurons innermost, then ballflower and stem with leaves suggesting trailing vine outermost; 3 shafts and foliage capitals; crocketed ogee hood mould with finial. South porch has chamfered and shallow hollow-chamfered doorway, inner arch resting on polygonal capitals and responds; one-light blocked windows east and west. Sundial above doorway. 3-stage west tower has 2-light Decorated window (renewed), small one-light cusped windows to north, south and west, and 2-light Decorated bell-openings . Tower and south aisle diagonal buttresses and buttresses between bays of chancel and aisles, all off-set. Plain stone coped parapets throughout except for north porch which is stone coped only, the tower having renewed pyramidal pinnacles to each corner. All windows have hood moulds some with fine carved head label stops. Interior: chancel has 3-bay sedilia with cusped ogee heads and crocheted hood moulds, a many-cusped tomb recess to north-east and chamfered priest's door to north roof, choir stalls and organ-case of 1891-2 by Bodley and Garner. Chancel arch has double wave-moulded arch the innermost on polygonal responds. C14 rood screen. Nave has 4-bay arcades with sunk chamfered arches on circular moulded capitals and circular piers with wide fillets. Tie beam roof of 1755. Piscina at east end of north aisle (south side) and south-east end of south aisel. Octagonal C13 Purbeck marble font, with 2 blank pointed arches to east side, on renewed stem and colonettes; C19 timber cover with ogee volutes supporting finial. C17 communion table in south aisle. Pulpit of 1808, octagonal, on base of 1892. Royal Arms of George III, oil on canvas, in tower together with painted Charity Board and funeral hatchment. West gallery of uncertain date, much renewed 1892 with staircase with turned balusters giving access to roofs. Glazing mostly clear glass with many old crown glass quarries; some medieval stained glass fragments including, a Pelican in her Piety in north-west nave window and deer in south aisle. Stain glass east window of chancel (1906), east window, south aisle (1921) and other south aisle windows by Burlison and Grylls. Wall monument to Thomas and Dorothy Spencer, set up 1606, of alabaster with English marble columns with Corinthian capitals framing inscription. Brasses of 1613 to Adam Robyns and 1605 to Timothy Dod. (Buildings of England: 1973, p.210; Christopher Dalton, The Church of St. Mary, Everdon (Guide) 1975, revised 1982).

{10} Undated photo.

{12} The church of St Mary at Great Everdon is mainly early 14th c., with 15th c. alterations. It was restored c. 1860 and again in 1891-2.

{14} Includes perpective drawing and plans dated 1820, by William Litchfield.

{15} Two medieval glass shields in two chancel windows are the sole survivors from an extensive series, of which eleven still existed in the early C17. They represented local families.

{16} Sketches of coffin lids, sketch and measurements of communion ware dated 1888, sketch of circles on buttress dated 1897, other info on church taken from Baker's History, drawing and photo of gravestone dedicated to David Richard St Paul designed by Dryden, rubbings;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 22/71 (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.210-11 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN77383.

<5> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 42 p.80-2 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<6> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<7> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<8> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.367-68 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<9> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.59-60 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Everdon (Photographs). SNN111697.

<11> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<12> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, MHLG list, Daventry Rural District, 1957 (Report). SNN112993.

<13> Historic England, Undated, St Mary's Church, Everdon, BF107309 (Archive). SNN115776.

<14> Lambeth Palace Library, Incorporated Church Building Society Archive, ICBS00214; ICBS00214a; ICBS00214b (Digital archive). SNN115761.

<15> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 61-2 (Book). SNN101533.

<16> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/105/1,3-5,7,8,10,14-18 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 3:50PM