Building record 279/2/1 - Church of St Lawrence

Church. 12th-14th century, restored 19th century. Coursed squared limestone, tile roof to chancel, felt to nave. Chancel, nave, south aisle, west tower.

{1}Detailed building recording and watching brief conducted on St Lawrence Church, Radstone. Standing building dated from 11th century through to 17th century with tower being constructed in early 19th century. Possible former medieval north aisle revealed during drainage works. Details from churchwardens' accounts of post medieval works to the church.

{3} Church. C12, C13, C14, restored C19. Coursed squared limestone, tile roof to chancel, felt to nave. Chancel, nave, south aisle, west tower. 2-bay chancel has coupled lancet east window under single hood mould. Lancet windows to north and south with hood moulds, small rectangular window to north-west at low level with chamfered stone surround. Priest's door to south with chamfer, pointed trefoil head and hood mould with serrated inner moulding and window to south-west with 3 pointed trefoil lights in the rectangular chamfered stone surround. Chamfered plinth, diagonal buttresses and stone-coped east gable. Nave has north door with chamfered surround and hood mould, 2-light Decorated windows either side and 3-light window to north-east with reticulated tracery, all with hood moulds.
South aisle has similar 3-light window to east and similar 2-light windows to south and 3-light stepped lancet window to west, all with hood moulds and label stops. South door has many-moulded arch, hood mould and label stops. South porch has chamfered and hollow-chamfered doorway, small 2-light windows north and south with cusped head, and cut spandrels; stone slate roof and stone-coped gable. 3-stage west tower has small one-light window to west with round-arched head, a stone sundial to south side of middle stage, 2-light bell-openings with pointed heads and central shafts to west (blocked) and north, 2-light Decorated bell-openings with hood moulds to south and in gables of saddleback roof; string courses between stages and stone slate roof. Chamfered plinth to nave and south aisle, diagonal buttresses to south aisle, offset buttresses to north. Moulded timber eaves to north, plain stone coped parapet to south wall of south aisle and stone coping to east and west ends of nave and south aisle which are under one roof. Interior: chancel has moulded string course, stencilled reredos, encaustic-tiled sanctuary and C19 scissor-braced roof. Double-chamfered chancel arch with shaft and capital to south, corbel to north. Nave has elegant 3-bay arcade with octagonal piers, and polygonal responds, moulded bases, moulded capitals to west respond to westernmost pillar, very fine octagonal capital to easternmost pillar carved with oak trees and similar east respond to capital. South aisle has stone bench with oak top, piscina to south-east with cusped ogee head, string course at sill level and polygonal brackets either side of east window. Perpendicular nave roof with moulded ridge and chamfered ties and purlins, and lean-to roof to aisle mostly C19. Tower arch has round-arched head and moulded imposts. C17 communion table in south aisle. Circular tub font with arcaded decoration. C19 stained glass windows to east and west windows. Wall monument in chancel to John Blencow d.1666 other C19 wall monuments. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.381)

{6} An archaeological watching brief on alterations to the north nave roof recorded several former roof-lines of the nave. Some structural remnants from the fourteenth centurt roof may have been located. The current roof furniture appears to date from the post-medieval period and has been extensively repaired.

{8} An archaeological watching brief involving the excavation of a narrow trench prior to the laying of electric cables was undertaken at the west end of the church. A series of levelling layers associated with the present tiled floor were found but no earlier floors were identified. On the inner faces of the walls and below the existing floor, the pesence of plaster suggests that the present floor had been raised.

{11} Description of Romanesque features including window openings in tower and, internally, the west arch of the tower and the font.

{12} Undated photo, also two photos dated 26.11.1993;

[13} [Former list description] Stone, chancel roof stone tile, nave lead. Lower part of tower including the tower arch is Norman. The upper part of tower with pitched gabled roof is 14th century.
The nave, South arcade and South aisle are 14th century, and two of the caps of the arcade are finely carved with foliage. Both the nave and aisle have original 14th-15th century roofs.
The south porch is Perpendicular and the font is Norman.

{14} (SP 58784051) Church (NAT)

{16} Notes on the church.

{17} Most of the furnishings date from the 1850s, when the building was restored by the architect Charles Buckeridge. Perhaps at the same time, the internal walls of the nave and aisle have been stripped of plaster.

<1> Soden, I., 1995, Archaeological Buildings Recording and Watching Brief at Radstone Church, Northants, (checked) (Report). SNN2409.

<2> Soden, I., 1995, SMR Report form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN53854.

<3> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 5/58 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<4> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F07 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<5> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.381 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<6> Thorne A., 1998, Buildings Recording at the Church of St. Lawrence, Radston, Northamptonshire January 1998, (checked) (Report). SNN62401.

<7> Chapman A, 1998-9, Radstone, St Lawrence's Church, (checked) (Note). SNN104062.

<8> Webster, M., 1998, An Archaeological Watching Brief at the Church of St. Lawrence, Radstone, Northamptonshire April 1998, (checked) (Report). SNN39557.

<9> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.675 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<10> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.191 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<11> King's College, London, 2017, A corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland (Website). SNN110894.

<12> Photographs of buildings in Radstone (Photographs). SNN112979.

<13> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR)Dist. of Brackley R.D. Northants. Sept. 1960 81 (Report). SNN112993.

<14> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 1:10000 1982 (Map). SNN112944.

<15> Historic England, Undated, St Lawrences Church, Radstone, BF107392 (Archive). SNN114108.

<16> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/225/1 (Archive). SNN115.

<17> The Church of England, Church Heritage Record, Church code: 628019 (Website). SNN116684.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2024 3:18PM