Building record 4140/1/1 - Church of St James the Great, Station Road

Church built in the early 12th century, the 13th century chancel was re-modelled in the 18th century and the north transept and clerestory were restored in the 19th century. Built of regular coursed and squared limestone and ironstone part rendered, with ironstone ashlar to the west tower. The roofs are of lead, aluminium and Collyweston slates. The church consists of a aisled nave, chancel, west tower and south porch.

{1} Church. Early C12, C13 chancel re-modelled C18, north transept and clerestory restored C19. Regular coursed and squared limestone and ironstone part rendered with ironstone ashlar west tower. Lead, aluminium and Colleyweston slate roofs. Aisled nave, chancel, west tower and south porch. South elevation of chancel of 2-window range, refenestrated C18. Single-light square-head windows with plain ashlar surrounds. South door between windows. Steep gabled slated roof. 4-light Decorated east window with reticulated tracery. North elevation of chancel has one similar window to far right. Central lean-to projection is organ chamber. Hipped roof porch to left of centre gives access to Hatton family vault under chancel. South transept has C19 Perpendicular style south window with single lancet on right return. Shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets. North transept has C19 triple lancet north window. Steep gabled and slated roof with ashlar parapets. South aisle of 2-window range with late C18 2-light Gothick window to centre, set in earlier opening, and C17 four-light square-head mullion and transom window to right. Lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapets. C14 two-light square-head west window with renewed tracery. Limestone ashlar porch, probably C19 with chamfered outer arch and shallow gabled roof. C18 panelled inner door. North aisle of 2-window range of C12 two-light square-head windows, with tracery. Lean-to roof with plain ashlar parapets. Small single-light window, now blocked, in west wall. Nave clerestory of 4-window range of C19 foiled circles and cusped spherical triangles. One C14 two-light window to east end of both elevations. Shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets. Perpendicular west tower of 4 stages with sub-division to first stage. Shallow clasping buttresses. 2-light west window in first stage. Single-light window to south face of second stage. 4-light bell-chamber openings with transoms, to each face of fourth stage. Castellated limestone ashlar parapet with gargoyles at corners and crocketted pinnacles with panelled bases. Wooden cupola with bell. North aisle overlaps base of tower. Interior: 4-bay nave arcade. Centre 2 bays are early and mid C12 with semi-circular roll moulded arches with circular piers with square abaci with scalloping, decorated on south side. Eastern arches north and south sides are C13 double chamfered with circular pier and responds to north, and octagonal pier and responds to south. Western arches to north and south are C14 narrow pointed double chamfered. Double chamfered chancel arch with C18 panelled responds. Triple chamfered tower arch with octagonal responds. Evidence of early C12 window openings of aisless church in chancel walls. Half arches at junction of aisles with transepts have bracketed responds. Inside corner of south transept has single arcades intersecting at corner comprising a blank trefoil head to chancel wall and roll moulded arch with 2 orders of shafts to adjacent east wall. Dog-tooth decoration over both. Some original roof timbers to aisle and south transept roofs, others are C19 structures. C18 box pews with curved sides at chancel approach, C18 fielded panelled pulpit with inlaid glory decoration. C18 fielded panelled choir stalls and wall panelling to chancel, matching communion rail with turned balusters. Monuments: Leigh Clarke died 1657, tablet with oval inscribed panel south wall of chancel, brass tablet adjacent to Henry Clark died 1664. The Ladies Hatton, 1684, by William Stanton. 2 identical tablets to either side of altar have draperies and cherubs head at base. Viscount Hatton died 1706, south wall of chancel is grey sarcophagus with 2 white cherubs on volutes with inscribed obelisk between. Robert Graham, C18 tablet with cornice and coat of arms to north wall of north aisle. Fragment of medieval wall painting to right of east window. C19 stained glass to one light of north aisle window. Various medieval niches. Perpendicular octagonal font. Hatchment above south door. (Buildings of England: p.241).

{4}Two photographs showing the interior south wall of the chancel.

{5} Wooden fluted pilasters retrieved from pew platform in south aisle where in use turned upside down as supports; removed during 1960s. Churchwarden salvaged wood & placed it in crypt where they remain; suggests that they may have come from Kirby Hall originally.

{7} The opportunity for recording the exposed interior fabric of the chancel at the church of St James the Great, Gretton, was provided by ongoing renovation works which necessitated the removal of panelling which had been masking the lower part of the structure for several centuries. A blocked twefth century sedilia was recorded on the southern side of the chancel together with the remains of three blocked lancet windows dating to the 13th century. On the north side two similarily blocked windows dating were exposed, together with a third low level window possibly re-used as a funerary monument. Both walls exhibited clear evidence of rebuild or lift associated with the windows added in the 18th century.

{9} Undated photo;

{12} Church still in use for ecclesiastical purposes.

{13} [Former list description] C12 and later. Mainly limestone with a C15 tower of sandstone with limestone battlements, pinnacles and gargoyles. Interior - both arcades have three low Norman arches and at the West end a low pointed arch, while at the East end there is a high pointed arch leading to short transepts.
East window late C14. Restored 1894.

{15} Cutting from newspaper of letter written by ex vicar of Gretton church relating to the inscription in the church regarding the Catastrophe at Castle Cornet, Guernsey;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 10/91 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1992, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), K06 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN46686.

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.241 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Foard, G.R., 1999, St. James' Church, Gretton, (checked) (Photographs). SNN51641.

<5> Foard, G., 1995, Gretton Church, (checked) (Note). SNN43415.

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.312-14 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<7> Thorne A., 2001, Survey Of The Historic Fabric At The Church Of St James The Great, Gretton, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN101198.

<8> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<9> Photographs of buildings in Gretton (Photographs). SNN111741.

<10> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958. (Map). SNN112944.

<11> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Ministry of Housing and Local Government List, 1950, p. 14 (Report). SNN112993.

<12> Harper, F R, 1961, Field investigators comments, F1 FRH 24-AUG-1961 (Notes). SNN113016.

<13> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE (HHR) District of Kettering Rural District, February 1950, p. 14 (Report). SNN112993.

<13> Historic England, Undated, St James the Great's Church, Gretton, BF107329 (Archive). SNN113020.

<14> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of Corby, 06/03/1987 (Report). SNN112993.

<15> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/128/2 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 4:11PM