Monument record 2166/1 - Former Church at Clopton

Site of the Medieval parish church of Clopton, of probable late 13th Century to early 14th Century date. A shaft of a Saxon cross with interlace was recorded, although its current location was not ascertained upon investigation in 1969. A chapel to the Holy Trinity was allegedly built in 1250 in the churchyard, although there is no other mention of it in later documents.

{1} The medieval church and its churchyard were demolished in 1862. A few gravestones still survived in 1969; a shaft of a Saxon cross with interlace was recorded, although its current location was not ascertained upon investigation in 1969. The building dated to the late C13th/early C14th. Lightning damage in the late C18th was not repaired. TL06117997. There are documentary references to 1250 when a chapel to The Holy Trinity is said to have been built in the churchyard. There is no mention of it in later documents.

{2} A highly decorated medieval coffin and lid from the former church is now housed within the C19th church at the east end of the village. Drawing.

{3} Medieval decorated coffin lids were found whilst pulling down the chancel arch in 1862. Drawing.

{4} The pre-Conquest stone was the shaft of a Saxon cross with interlace. Drawing to BAA 6/6/1883.

{5} The old church of Clopton stood near the new church (TL 06608001). It appears to have been mainly of late 13th or early 14thc date, though one of the stones in the hoodmould of the Chancel arch was a pre-Conquest piece with plait-work, probably part of a cross. The tower and spire were struck by lightning at the end of the 18thc and were not repaired, and the church was pulled down in 1862 when the new Church was built.

In 1250 a chapel to the Holy Trinity is said to have been built in the Churchyard, but no mention of it appears in later documents.

{6} Description of the medieval coffin lid.

{8} The old Churchyard is at TL 06117997, densely overgrown. A few gravestones still remain but none of the Church fabric. The present location of the cross fragment was no ascertained.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL07NE2 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Supplementary File, (checked) (Note). SNN51713.

<3> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish Files (checked) (Archive). SNN115.

<4> 1851, Journal of The British Archaeological Association (Vol.6), p.210 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN47092.

<5> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.128 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<6> Romilley Allen J., 1889, Sculpture of the Norman and Transitional Periods in Northamptonshire, (checked) (Article). SNN108376.

<7> Romilly Allen, 1888, Early Christian Sculpture in Northamptonshire, p.410 (unchecked) (Series). SNN6339.

<8> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 05-SEP-69 (Notes). SNN111907.

Record last edited

Apr 12 2023 10:55AM