Building record 4032/1/1 - Church of St. Michael

Church built in the 13th century, with 15th and 17th century additions. Built of regular coursed limestone with ashlar tower and porch and 20th century artificial slate roof. The church consists of a nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower and south porch.

{1} Church. C13, C15 and C17. Regular coursed limestone with ashlar tower and porch and C20 artificial slate roof. Nave, chancel, south aisle, west tower and south porch. South elevation of chancel, C15, of one-window range with 3-light window with arch-head lights. Small side lancet to left. Gabled roof with stepped and castellated parapet. 3-light square-head east window has arch- head lights and wood lintel. North elevation of chancel of 2-window range of 2-light square-head windows. South aisle of 3-window range of 2- and 3-light square-head windows. Steep gable roof forms catslide with the nave roof and has ashlar gable parapet, part stepped at apex. Gabled porch to centre has double chamfered outer arch and roll moulded inner arch. North elevation of nave of 3-window range with two 4-light square-head windows, with arch-head lights to right and C14 two-light window to left. South door to right of centre. Gable roof with stepped parapet. West tower c.1618 of 2 stages with deep roll moulded plinth at base. Shallow 3-stage buttress at western corners. 2-light square-head bell-chamber openings to each face of upper stage. Castellated parapet. Interior: 5-bay south arcade to nave is arranged in bays of 2 and 3 with section of wall between. Double chamfered arches with octagonal piers. Double chamfered 4-centred chancel arch with octagonal responds. Nave ceiling is a plastered tunnel vault with plain tie beams. C20 chancel roof. Arched tomb recess behind pulpit. Late C18 panelled pulpit has C19 family pew attached to rear. Vestry screen has two original panels probably C17. Perpendicular chancel screen restored C19. Communion rail with turned balusters. Piscina with trefoil head to right of altar. Monuments: Arthur Brooke died 1620, north wall of chancel; inscribed brass plaque is in stone tablet with reeded pilasters, dentilled cornice and scrolls with obelisks over; plain tomb chest below. Mary Supple died 1782, south wall of chancel, bow fronted stone tablet on brackets. Sir Richard Brooke de Capell Brooke died 1829, marble tablet by Francis of London with draped urn. Other tablets to de Capell Brooke family. 5 hatchments in chancel roof and one above family pew in nave. Inscribed brass plaque in south wall of chancel. Octagonal font. C19 misericords in chancel incorporate earlier work said to originate from Pipewell Abbey. Stained glass: north chancel window has fragments of medieval glass. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.235). Pair of headstones. One is dated 1681, other is similar C17. Limestone ashlar. Scull decoration. Partially legible inscriptions.
{7} "At one point Great Oakley church was slightly damaged by the bombing..."

{8} Undated photo.

{10} Ground plan of church by William Slater, 1858.

{11} There is a matching pair of angel heads in the chancel north-west window. Not the work of a local craftsman, possibly by one of the foreign glass-painters established at Southwark Cathedral from the late C15.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 7/2 (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.235-6 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.326-27 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<5> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 42 p.5-6 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<6> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, (unchecked) (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<7> WILSON J., 1996, Twentieth Century Northamptonshire, Change and Continuity in Northamptonshire Communities, (unchecked) (Book). SNN43517.

<8> Various, Various, Photographs of buildings in Corby (Photographs). SNN111596.

<9> Historic England, Undated, St Michael's Church, Great Oakley, BF107279 (Archive). SNN113257.

<10> Lambeth Palace Library, Incorporated Church Building Society Archive, ICBS05208 (Digital archive). SNN115761.

<11> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 93 (Book). SNN101533.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 4:14PM