Building record 3244/2/1 - Church of St. Romwald

The Church of St Romwald originally dates to the 13th century, although most of what remains was a rebuild of 1873. It is a simple design constructed of limestone blocks with ironstone dressings and a plain tiled roof. The west end dates to the original phase and has a gabled hipped roof bell tower and a stained glass rose window dating to the 19th century. The church is occasionally wrongly named as during the 19th century there was an aborted attempt to rededicate the church to St John.

{1} Church. C13 west wall, remainder rebuilt in 1873. Squared coursed limestone with ironstone dressings and plain-tiled roof with alternate courses of fishscale tiles. Nave, chancel, west turret and south porch. South elevation of chancel of 2-window range of double lancets. Square headed south door to left with low-side opening to left. Brick relieving arch is probably over site of medieval tomb. Simple corbled cornice. Gabled roof with ashlar parapets. East window is triple stepped lancet. Quatrefoil circle in gable above and 3 blank quatrefoils flanking above. North elevation of chancel is similar to south with low-side opening to right. South elevation of nave of 2-window range of double lancets. Cornice of chancel is repeated as a string course cutting the nave window heads. Gabled roof with ashlar parapets and base of finial. Central gabled porch has double-chamfered outer arch and double-chamfered and hollow inner arch with flanking shafts. North elevation of nave has double lancet to right and single lancetto left. Central north door. West elevation has C13 triple stepped and chamfered door opening with 2 orders of shafts. C13 sexfoil window above has wavy surround. C19 circular opening above. C13 slit to right of door has cusped head. Fragments of earlier projecting masonry to left and right of west door. C13 west turret is built into west gable. Bell-chamber opening to west under wood lintel. Small single light openings to east and west. Saddle back roof. Interior: piscina with dog-tooth decoration. Simple screen. C17 communion rail with turned balusters. C19 stained glass to west window. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.419).

{7} Notes and photocopies of various sources, including Glynne's church notes and a number of drawings.

The church appears to be a two-cell building of the 13th century, although the walls were almost entirely reconstructed in 1872. The stepped relationship of nave to chancel suggests however that the church is of Romanesque origin. In the 13th century, perhaps 1225-50, the present elevations were constructed. In the 14th century the west wall was thickened and a stair inserted perhaps to serve a more substantial, closed bellcote. A sexfoil west window was also introduced. Later a tower was built against the west wall of the nave, but was removed in the post-medieval period, perhaps in the early 17th century. A 'steeple' was recorded in 1637. The present belfry was added in the 17th or 18th century. All the walls, except at the the west end, were taken down in 1872-3 and rebuilt incorporating their original features. The architects were Slater and Carpenter.

{8} Undated photo.

{9} The Church of St Romwald was originally constructed in the 13th century, although now only the west wing dates to this period. Much of the current building was the product of a rebuild in 1873 although it retains much of the original simplcity. The church is of squared coursed limestone with ironstone dressings and a plain tiled roof. The west end has an arched door with a 19th century stained glass rose window above, and a 13th century simple square turret built into a gable above.

{11} The church is inaccurately listed in {4 and 10} as the Church of St John Baptist. There had been attempts to have the church rededicated to St John in the 19th century. Although it is stated that this has now been reversed it is not clear when this happened.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 8/286 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G05 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100394.

<3> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p. 198-199 (Book). SNN77326.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 419-20 (Series). SNN1320.

<5> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p. 65-67 (Series). SNN10247.

<6> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<7> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches, Strixton (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

<8> Photographs of buildings in Strixton (Photographs). SNN113404.

<9> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Wellingborough, 28-MAY-1954 (Report). SNN112993.

<10> Stocker, D, 2006, England's Landscapes: The East Midlands, p. 221 (Book). SNN116286.

<11> http://www.wollastonchurch.org.uk/background.html, 2006, Strixton Church, The Parish of Wollaston with Strixton, Accessed: 11-FEB-2009- no longer available (Website). SNN116287.

<12> Historic England, Undated, St Romwalds Church, Strixton, BF107408 (Archive). SNN116288.

Record last edited

Dec 13 2024 2:50PM