Building record 600/1/1 - St. Mary's Church

Parish church became part of the Augustinian Priory from the mid C12th until Dissolution.

{2} A fragment of the church of an Augustinian priory founded c.1150. What remains is two bays of the nave and north aisle and the big north-west tower which was added to the north of the aisle in the mid C14th.

{3} The priory, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, was founded in 1147-51, probably for 13 canons, and was dissolved in 1536. A church, land, houses, crofts, a fishpond and a horse mill were among the gifts at its foundation. The church now consists of two bays of the nave and part of the north aisle of the priory church; excavations in 1828 to the east and south of the present building revealed parts of the rest of the nave and north aisle as well as of the chancel. There was no south aisle; the cloister was directly attached to the south side of the nave.

{5} Excavations in 1828 found wall running more than 100ft east of the present church, forming the old choir.

{10} Church. C13, C14 tower, C15 west window, C16 east wall and south wall rebuilt early C18. Ironstone ashlar with some limestone dressings, lead roofs. Nave, north aisle, south-west tower. Tall 5-light arch-mullion east window with small blocked pointed arch window above. To north, blocked many-moulded arch of doorway to demolished cloister, with outer moulding on capital and shaft. South wall of 2 bays, defined by Doric pilasters on high bases joined by chamfered plinth, with plain band running between capitals, above 3-light arch-mullion windows. Mid C14 north-west tower of 3 stages with angle buttresses to just short of belfry stage, and with buttress to first stage in middle of sides, all with crocketted tops. Blank arcading to base, continuing that of west front to north aisle but with cusped heads, no capitals and trefoils in spandrels. 2-light Decorated window above middle buttress on west side and tall 2-light Decorated belfry windows all with hood moulds. Belfry stage has chamfered angles and a double row of ballflower ornaments. Battlemented parapet and large plain pinnacles to angles with simple finials. West front of nave has Early English portal of 4 orders with stiff-leaf capitals, richly moulded arch with nailhead ornament within outer moulding, mostly broken. To left and right 2 bays of blank arcading with clustered shafts, stiff-leaf capitals, moulded heads with inner trefoil arches and narrow hood moulds with label stops. Above west door large 5-light Perpendicular window with flat ogee arch and hood mould with label stops and crocketed finial. Nave front defined by offset buttresses. Square south-west angle turret with incomplete octagonal top. Front of north aisle has 3 bays of blank arcading continuing that of west front but with simpler moulded capitals. 1-light Early English window with outer shafts, capitals and many moulded head. Head to window and of arcading are of contrasting white limestone. Interior: stained glass east window of 1918. Wall painting surrounds head of east window with cherubs holding back crimson draperies to reveal Holy Dove in sunburst above window, c.1710. Balustered communion rail and panelled pulpit of same date. 2-bay north aisle arcade. Arches have 3 hollow chamfers and conical foot-pieces, octagonal piers to east, semi-circular middle pier and polygonal shafted half-pillar to west. Double roll-moulded arch to north-west tower with hood mould. To right blocked door to demolished cloister with shallow pointed arch, roll-moulded. C19 tie-beam roof, lean-to roof to north aisle. Perpendicular octagonal font with blank tracery panels, only one repeated. C18 and C19 wall monuments to Dryden family, 2 C16 brasses. Monuments to John Turner Dryden, d.1797, to John Edward Turner Dryden d.1818, both by Rossi. Funeral achievement of Sir Robert Dryden d.1708 comprising of banner, 2 pennons, helmet and crest, wreath and mantling, tabard, shield, gauntlets, spurs and sword. Fine series of eleven painted funeral hatchments. C17 chamber organ. The nave was originally 96 feet long and followed by long aisless chancel. The Church is a peculiar shape and the surviving portion of an Augustanian priory church). (Buildings of England: Northants, 1973, pp.133,134).

{12} A religious house was established at Canons Ashby in the middle of the 12th century when land, tenements and a church were granted for the foundation of an Augustinian Priory with a Prior and 12 canons. The church and claustral buildings were not built until the 13th century. The present building consists of the west end of the nave of the priory church, two bays of the north arcade and a tower at the north east corner. In the angle between the tower and the north aisle are the scant remains of a north porch. The east end of the nave and aisle date from the dissolution, and the south wall and roof are of 19th century date.
The north arcade and the aisle date to c1275 and mark the abandonment of the symmetrical design. In the mid 14th century the NW tower and the porch were added, this involved the rebuilding of most of the North walls of the aisle and the upper parts of the west wall above the single light window.
Excavations uncovered the foundations of the demolished south wall of the nave and north wall of the aisle. Both walls were 0.6-0.7m wide and of coursed ironstone masonry surviving to a height of 0.5m. The northern footings of the tower were also partially exposed and comprised two superimposed fabrics. The upper courses included ironstone ashlar and were laid upon a 0.2m layer of small ironstone rubble. This in turn overlay a single course of limestone blocks, this could represent the footings of an earlier building.

{13} The Priory was not established until the mid C12th when Stephen de Leye who then held the manor, granted 4 virgates, a mill, various meadow and field land , the church, and “mansions and crofts” in Ashby for the foundation of an Augustinian Priory, with a Prior and twelve Canons. Later Stephen granted an additional half hide in Ashby (probably representing two virgates), whilst his son Robert endowed them with a further eleven virgates in Ashby which his brother High had purchased from Baldwinde Bray. Therefore by 1242-3 the Prior and Robert de Leye each held half of a knights fee in Ashby. Later lords granted further property and rights including one virgate with a messuage, toft, croft and meadow land, licence to build a watermill, meadow land, one virgate etc. By 1295 the Prior held a full knights fee in Ashby of Robert de Grey, the heirs of the Leye family. The de Greys however retained overall lordship of the parish until at least the mid C15th, for the 1455-6 rental refers to the works due for the fee farm of the lord of Ashby, lord Edmund de Grey.
As the foundation grant including the pre-existing parish church it is likely that it was laid out over a small part of the existing village. The priory church, which had also served as a parish church, continued in ecclesiastical use as a chapel after Dissolution, but in a greatly reduced form, the aisles and the eastern part of the nave having been demolished and a new east and south wall constructed.

{15} Aerial photos NCCAP:SP5750/015-19+46-52.

{16} All that remains of the conventual church is a truncated fragment; the fine Early English arcaded west front gives some indication of vanished glories. Excavation in 1828 established foundations running more than 100ft east of the present building.

{17} The western portion of the priory church still stands beside the present road from Banbury to Northampton, and is the only standing building which still survives from the monastic period.

{18} Undated photo;

{28} Large photo;

{29} Drawings, paintings and measurements of tiles, photo, litho and etching of church, also rubbings;

<1> JACKSON-STOPS G., 1984, Canons Ashby (Northamptonshire), (unchecked) (Guide). SNN70500.

<2> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.133-4 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.35 site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.228-29 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<5> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.7-17 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77328.

<6> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP55SE1 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<8> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish Files (unchecked) (Archive). SNN115.

<9> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<10> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 19/39 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<11> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F05 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<12> AUDOUY M., 1991, The Priory Church of Saint Mary, Canons Ashby, p72 (unchecked) (Article). SNN75256.

<13> FOARD G.R., 1982, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire: An Archaeological Report, 1982, p.4 (checked) (Typescript Report). SNN45382.

<14> Giggins B., 1991, Canons Ashby Survey, (unchecked) (Report). SNN108748.

<15> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, (unchecked) (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<16> Steane J., 1974, The Northamptonshire Landscape, p.121 (checked) (Book). SNN5137.

<17> Taylor S.J., 1974, An Excavation on The Site of The Augustinian Priory, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, p.57 (checked) (Article). SNN71340.

<18> Photographs of buildings in Canons Ashby (Photographs). SNN111842.

<19> National Trust, 1992, Archaeological Survey: Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN47558.

<20> Beamish, H.J.H., 1987, Earthworks at Canons Ashby, (unchecked) (Typescript Report). SNN77339.

<21> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.130 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<22> Knowles; Hadcock, 1971, Medieval Religious Houses England and Wales, p.132 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10192.

<23> BL MS Egerton 3033, (unchecked) (Document). SNN48678.

<24> SC/11/495, (unchecked) (Document). SNN108812.

<25> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked0 (Book). SNN10400.

<26> Unknown, 1980-1999?, Canons Ashby (Photographic prints (B&W)). SNN115734.

<27> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 151-3 (Book). SNN111989.

<28> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/54/82 (Archive). SNN115.

<29> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/54/3-33,38,40-45 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Aug 28 2024 10:38AM