Building record 387/1/1 - Holy Trinity Church

Church built in the 14th and 15th centuries, the chancel was rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries. The church was restored, and the chancel again rebuilt and extended one bay to the east in 1901-1904, by G. Christopher Carter. Built of ironstone ashlar and coursed ironstone rubble, with lead roofs. The church consists of a chancel, north chancel chapel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch and west tower.

{3} Charwelton was liable to pay churchscot to Fawsley even in the C16th. Thus originally part of Fawsley parochia. Not mentioned in 1086. St Oswald's priory at Nostell, Yorkshire received Charwelton church soon after the priory's foundation in c.1114. Biddlesden Abbey, Buckinghamshire, owned land in the parish and was certified as one of the lords of Charwelton in 1316. It sought exemption from tithe for its demesne.

{6} Church. C14th and C15th, chancel rebuilt C17th and C18th; church restored, and chancel again rebuilt and extended one bay east 1901-1904, by G. Christopher Carter. Ironstone ashlar and coursed ironstone rubble, lead roofs. Chancel, north chancel chapel, nave, north and south aisles, south porch, west tower. East end has 2-light Perpendicular window with relieving arch of red tiles and hood mould extended out over relief carvings of angels with symbol of the Holy Trinity in relief below window. Flanking niche just below apex of stone coped gable with kneelers; wooden cross at apex. Small leaded windows to eastermost bay either side, and two 2-light mullion windows to south side with round headed tile relieving arches. Fine ornamental lead guttering, rainwater pipes and heads dated 1904. North chancel chapel, continuous with north aisle, has 4-light Perpendicular east window and north-east window of 2 lights, both with hood moulds. Aisle window of 3 lights to east of chamfered north door, single light to west of door, all with hood moulds. South aisle has east and south-east 3-light Perpendicular windows with square heads and hood moulds and 3-light west window. 2-storey gabled south porch has double-chamfered door and 1-light window above both with hood moulds, small rectangular leaded windows east and west, and staircase projection to west side corbelled out at first floor level. Porch has chamfered stone rib vault within. Double-chamfered south door, double-leaf door with wickets for ventilation; similar to north door. Nave has clerestory of 4 Perpendicular windows north and south of 2 lights with straight heads and hood moulds. Aisles, porch and clerestory have plain parapets with gargoyles to clerestory. Battlemented 3-stage west tower with angle buttresses. Double-chamfered west door with hood mould and label stops, and 2-light Decorated windows above and to bell-chamber openings, all with hood moulds. Interior: chancel with commandments painted by Eric Gill, 1904, either side of altar reredos. Mid C18 baluster altar rail. Round-headed arch to north chancel chapel now vestry. Mid C18 communion table with marble top in vestry. Double-chamfered chancel arch. Nave has arcades of 3 bays. Decorated north arcade with tall piers without capitals, their moulding is continuous with those of arches. Lower south arcade with octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches. South aisle has single pointed arch pisci and part-glazed plank door with chamfered hinges to parvise stair right of door. Double-chamfer tower arch with hood mould and label stops. Octagonal limestone font on square stem, both carved with flowers, leaves and geometric emblems of the Trinity. Jacobean pulpit. Lectern of Spanish chestnut carved by Reverend A. Hemsted of Preston Capes,c.1900. Fine series of brasses, wall monuments and alabaster chest tomb with effigies to members of Andrews family, C15 and C16. Original perspective by G.C. Carter hangs in tower showing unexecuted stone parapet.

{3} Charwelton was liable to pay churchscot to Fawsley even in the C16th. Thus originally part of Fawsley parochia. Not mentioned in 1086. St Oswald's priory at Nostell, Yorkshire received Charwelton church soon after the priory's foundation in c.1114. Biddlesden Abbey, Buckinghamshire, owned land in the parish and was certified as one of the lords of Charwelton in 1316. It sought exemption from tithe for its demesne.

{10} Undated photo;

{14} In 1970, all four of the nave south clerestory windows had medieval glass in their eyelets, but at the time of writing (1995) only one retains any traces.

{15} A Church of Holy Trinity.
A stone church with lead roofs and plain parapets (chancel with cast lead guttering dated 1904) consisting of chancel, N. chapel, nave and clerestory aisles, S. porch and W. tower.
The church is mainly Perpendicular. The chancel has been restored. The nave arcades have 3 bays, the clerestory 4 bays of 2 light cusped windows. The timber roofs were restored C.19. The Perpendicular font in the N. aisle has an octagonal bowl on a carved base. The pulpit is early C.17 and there are some good brass 'spiders' in the chancel. The S. porch has a stone vaulted roof and a parvise over. The W. tower of 3 stages has a battlemented parapet and pinnacles. Monuments. In the N. chapel an alabaster altar tomb to Sir Thomas Andrew Knt, 1564, with a bearded recumbent effigy flanked by effigies of two wives. The tomb has panelled sides, a cartouche in each side panel and in the end panel the kneeling effigies of eight sons and four daughters. On the W. wall of the N. aisle, an arcaded panel of 6 bays with Thomas Andrue, 1590, his two wives and children kneeling in front, the cornice supported on caryatids and crowned with a coat of arms and scrollwork, flanked by busts in niches with coat of arms at base. Base of monument carved with inscription panel under. Brasses in nave. An elaborate brass to Thomas Andrews, merchant, 1496. A similar brass to Thomas Andrewe, Junior, his wife and 11 children, c.1500, and a third to Thomas Andrews, 1541, and his wife. In the floor of the chancel are slabs to the Adams and Knightley families.

{17} Sketches and notes of Coats of Arms, sketches and notes of brasses, watercolour of church dated June 1842;

<1> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.147 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<2> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.39-41 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<3> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.301-4 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<4> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, (part checked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<5> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.255 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<6> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/54 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<7> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F05 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<8> Coleman C., Charwelton Village and Church, (unchecked) (Guide). SNN104905.

<9> Charwelton Parish Records, (unchecked) (Document). SNN104904.

<10> Photographs of buildings in Charwelton (Photographs). SNN112089.

<11> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<12> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<13> 2001, Alabaster Chest Tomb with Three Effigies to Sir Thomas Andres and His Two Wives: The Church of the Holy Trinity, Charwelton, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN101550.

<14> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 36 (Book). SNN101533.

<15> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Report). SNN112993.

<16> Historic England, Undated, Holy Trinity Church, Charwelton, BF107266 (Archive). SNN115771.

<17> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/60/1-17, 28 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 3:57PM