Building record 3592/1/1 - Church of St. Mary the Virgin

Church. C13, C14, chancel rebuilt c.1853. Squared coursed and banded limestone and ironstone with lead and plain-tile roofs.

{1} Church. C13, C14, chancel rebuilt c.1853. Squared coursed and banded limestone and ironstone with lead and plain-tile roofs. Nave, chancel, south aisle, south porch and west tower. South elevation of chancel of one-window range with 2-light window with reticulated tracery. Low side lancet to left and south door to right. Steep gabled roof with ashlar gable parapet and finial. 3-light east window with tracery. North elevation of chancel has vestry attached of 2-window range of C19 two-light square windows and 3-light east window. South aisle of 3-window range of C14 two-light square-headed windows with C19 tracery. 3-light east window has Y-tracery with cusping. Lean-to roof has ashlar gable parapets. Gabled porch to left of centre has double-chamfered pointed arch opening. North elevation of nave of 3-window range of 2-light square-headed windows. South nave clerestory of 3-window range of 3-light square head window with renewed arch head lights. Shallow pitched roof with parapets. Decorated west tower has base of 2 stages with plinth. C15 west door with 4-centred arch head and quatrefoils in the spandrels. 2-light ogee head window above has panel tracery and is flanked by statue niches. Small square windows to each face at base of second stage have four-petalled tracery. 3-stage clasping buttresses at corners terminating in pinnacles having panel tracery, with flying buttresses connecting to an octagonal third stage. Gargoyles below pinnacles. 2-l openings to alternate faces. Shallow buttresses at each corner of octagon terminating with panelled pinnacles with flying buttresses connecting to a recessed spire. Open quatrefoil parapets above and below octagon with similar decoration to flying buttresses. Spire has 2 tiers of lucarnes. Interior: 4-bay south arcade of early C14 double hollow and chamfered arches with octagonal piers. Double chamfered chancel and tower arches. 2-bay north arcade in chancel links to the vestry with chamfered and moulded arches with quatrefoil pier. Double sedilia with piscina in chancel and piscina in south aisle. C19 roof structures. Jacobean panelled pulpit. Plank and panelled door. Font is circular bowl on C19 base. Monuments: nave, north wall, inscribed tablet dated 1748 to the Lord family. Several C19 marble tablets. C19 stained glass to chancel windows and tower window. South chancel window is signed by A. Lusson of Paris and tower window is probably by Kempe. C19 floor to chancel.

{7} Wilby church formerly had a north aisle which was demoilished in 1839 and a new north nave wall built, seemingly on the line of the demolished north arcade. The demolition appears to have been quite thorough with the materials either being reused of sold for funds. The former north aisle would appear to have been of similar size to the surviving south aisle.
Remains of a robbed stone-built drain and a large vertical sided trench representing the 1839 robber trench of the former north aisle wall were seen in the excavation.

{11} Activity associated with the demolition of the north aisle and the robbing of its foundations was seen:
A shallow, elongated put or trench running parallel to the north wall of the church, 2.1m long by 1.3m wide and 0.2m deep. It was extensively truncated by subsequent groundworks associated with the demolition of the north aisle
A hollow within the area formerly occupied by the aisle interior containing brick and tile fragments
A robber trench followed the estimated line of the former north wall of the north aisle. It had near vertical sides and was 1.4m wide and 1.02m deep. It contained limestone and ironstone rubble and a fragment of tile
There was some evidence that clay had been packed into the foundation trench on the exterior of the original medieval wall of the former north aisle following its construction
The architectural fragments recovered comprise three octagonal shaft fragments, one base and three capitals. They are typical for the late Early English/ Geometric Decorated phase of Gothic, c.1290-1320. This would suggest that the two aisles of the church were built at slightly different times.
No in situ remains of the north aisle were encountered in the excavated area.

{13} Undated photo.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 4/309 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<1> Lee M., 2004, Henry Penn, Bellfounder, 1685-1729, p.41-53 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109357.

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

<3> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.463+465-66 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<4> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.258-61 (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

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

<6> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.155-56 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<7> Ivens R J., 2008, Archaeological Evaluation at The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wilby, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN106099.

<8> Ivens R J., 2008, SMR report form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN106822.

<9> Chapman, P. (Ed.), 2010, Archaeology in Northamptonshire, 2008, 36/182, 184 (checked) (Article). SNN107502.

<10> Horne B. (Editor), 2009, South Midlands Archaeology (39), 39/32 (checked) (Journal). SNN106544.

<11> Carlyle, S., 2012, Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Wilby, Northamptonshire: Archaeological Watching Brief, (checked) (Report). SNN109423.

<12> Horne B. (Editor), 2014, South Midlands Archaeology (44), p. 35 (Journal). SNN109842.

<13> Photographs of buildings in Wilby (Photographs). SNN114178.

<14> Historic England, Undated, St Mary's Church, Wilby, BF052993 (Archive). SNN115800.

<15> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 294 (Book). SNN101533.

<16> Richmond H., 1988, Survey of Northamptonshire Parish Churches (Unpublished Report). SNN1195.

Record last edited

Dec 13 2024 2:59PM