Building record 780/1/1 - All Saints Church, Flore

Church mainly of 13th century date, with some 14th century work, and the south porch and east end of the chancel were added in the 15th century. The building was repaired in 1796 and the interior restored and reseated in 1876-7. Built of coursed squared ironstone, with lead roofs. The church consists of a chancel, north chancel, vestry, nave and north and south aisles, south porch and west tower.

{1} Church. Mainly C13 with C14 work, south porch and east end of chancel C15, repaired 1796 and interior restored and reseated 1876-7. Coursed squared ironstone, lead roofs. Chancel, north chancel, vestry, nave and north and south aisles, south porch and west tower. 3-bay chancel has 4-light Perpendicular east window with buttress below and offset diagonal buttress to angles, one 3-light Perpendicular window to north and vestry. This has small pane leaded east window with rectangular chamfered surround, a 2-light Perpendicular west window with straight head, and angle buttress. Plain stone coped parapet and semicircular stepped stone-roofed projection in angle between south-west corner and chancel. To south, chancel has 3-light Perpendicular window to south-east, priest's door to left with chamfered stone surround and pointed arched head framed by outer arch on shafts with stiff-leaf capitals, large nailhead decoration to arch and hood mould continued to right as string course; to south-west a 3-light low side window with intersecting tracery and arched lights with cut spandrels below transom. Nave has clerestory with 3 leaded windows to north and south; 2 lead rainwater heads and pipes either side with heads to south dated 1798 and 1796. North aisle has 3-light east window with flowing tracery and two 3-light north windows with intersecting tracery to east of north door, a 2-light window with cusped tracery to west of door and to west end, and diagonal buttresses to angles. North door has inner arch with sunk quadrant moulding and hollow-chamfered outer arch. South aisle has 3-light east and south-east windows with reticulated tracery and buttress in between, a 3-light window with renewed intersecting tracery to east of porch, 2-light windows with renewed Decorated tracery to west and west end; diagonal buttresses to angles. Fine south door has moulded inner arch with carved stone head above. 3 outer arches with outer and inner arches and sunk quadrant mouldings, middle arch hollow-chamfered, on 2 shafts either side with stiff leaf capitals to left, vine-leaf capitals to right. Stones of arches are of alternating limestone and ironstone. South porch has renewed doorway with blocked 1-light window above framing fine carved stone head, diagonal buttresses and 2-light, straight-headed windows north and south. Aisles overlap 3-stage west tower with diagonal buttresses to west angles, a many-moulded west door, a one-light west window to middle stage, 2-light Decorated bell openings, battlemented parapet, and chamfered slits lighting spiral stair to north-west side of door succeeded by cross slits at bell-stage level. All windows and doors except for clerestory have hood moulds some with good label stops. Interior: chancel has double piscina and single seat sedilia and tie beam roof painted c.1960 by Stephen Dykes Bower. Rood screen of 3-light divisions. Nave has 3-bay arcade with double-chamfered arches on piers with triple shafts to 4 sides with one foliage capital and north-east respond otherwise plain. Flat plastered ceilings to nave and aisles with small ribbed cupola to middle of nave ceiling. Piscina with cusped ogee arch and hood mould with label stops and finial at south-east end of south aisle. C19 stained glass east windows to chancel and aisles. Hanoverian Royal Arms over tower arch; oil on canvas. Painted commandments, Lords Prayer and creed boards in vestries. Cut down box pews. Early C19 wall monuments. Brasses to Thomas Knaresburgh d.1450 and his wife d.1498; Henry Michell d.1510 and wife; Alice Wyrley d.1537. (Kellys Directory 1898; Buildings of England: Northants, p.219).

{5} Minor details of the foundations of the north nave wall were recorded.

{6}Work on sub floor of church involved moving timber joists and boards to increase ventilation. Base comprised sand, rubble and pieces of stone up to 300 x 300x 300mm removed. One piece of dressed stone was removed and placed (temporarily in church porch).

{7}Church. Mainly 13th and 14th century. South porch and East end of chancel 15th century, repaired 1796 and interior restored and reseated 1876-7.

{10} Inspection of ground work within the Nave. Whole of Nave and probably aisles as well, though no flooring lifted there, had beed taken down during the Victorian restoration by about 0.5m below the current floor level and a void left beneath timber floors. The stone/tile flooring also lies over makeup probably of the same depth. The Victorian timber and tile/stone reflooring had been conducted over the whole of the Nave and Aisle. As a result it seems likely that all medieval floor deposits have been removed over the whole Nave and Aisles. This seems to include the former Nave walls on the line of the arcades. The stair to the rood loft on the north side is said by the architect to have continued to the roof gutter level as steps were identified there when works were conducted to the gutters there. The same might be true of the stair to the south side but this was not seen in the works.

{13} Drawings of medieval coffin lid dated 1897;

{14} This stone was mounted in the front of the nave of All Saints Church in 1907, when it received publicity. It had been found under the chancel floor when this was lowered in 1870 and left outside the Priest's Door. The Sexton and historian Daniel Robinson writing in 1899 stated it was a Saxon "Gospel Stone" which predated the earlier church on this site, but C.A. Markham declared it to be a thirteenth century coffin llid.

{15} Photo

{16} (SP 64195984) All Saints Church.

{18} Various sketches of effigies, windows etc;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 9/88 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F06 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<3> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Series). SNN100368.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.219 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<5> Ivens R J., 2005, Archaeological Watching Brief at All Saints Church, Flore, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN105236.

<6> RUMBOLD M., 1996, SMR Report Form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN49353.

<7> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.508-10 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<8> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 41 p.63-64 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<9> 1889, The Archaeological Journal (46), 46/157 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN13625.

<10> Foard, G., 1999, Flore Church: Inspection of Ground Works Within Nave, (checked) (Note). SNN50302.

<11> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.157 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77327.

<12> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.254 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<13> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish Files (checked) (Archive). SNN115.

<14> Smith, J., 1998, Comments on Items in the Sites and Monuments Record for Flore, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN106767.

<15> Smith, J., 2001, Carved Stones at Flore and Brockhall Churches, (checked) (Photographs). SNN107664.

<16> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 6" 1958 (Map). SNN112944.

<17> Historic England, Undated, All Saints Church, Flore, BF107315 (Archive). SNN114597.

<18> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/115/1-10 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2024 3:34PM