Burton Latimer, St Mary's - Northamptonshire
Church of St Mary, Church Street, Burton Latimer
Grade I Listed
List Entry Number: 1372364
BURTON LATIMER SP9075 CHURCH STREET 1337-0/21/24 (South side) 18/01/50 Church of St. Mary GV I Parish church. C12 origin, enlarged and tower added C13, C15 alterations and porch, tower and spire rebuilt and church restored 1864-8 by Slater and Carpenter, porch restored and organ chamber and vestry constructed 1882, "chapter house" added C20. Coursed limestone rubble with some ironstone banding and ashlar dressings and spire. Steeply-pitched C19 graduated stone slate roof to chancel, other roofs concealed by parapets and not visible (though probably of lead). Aisled nave, chancel, west tower and spire, north porch. Tower has setback buttresses at north-west angle and a castellated stair-turret at south-west angle. Doorways to north and south. Plinth. Moulded set-offs beneath triple arcade, blind to north and south and to west at a lower level and containing a single central lancet, and beneath paired 2-light Decorated bell-openings to each side (the tracery apparently an addition) Castellated parapet with grotesque spout-heads. Recessed octagonal spire with 2 tiers of lucarnes on the cardinal faces, capped by finial. Nave has C19 castellated parapet on moulded eaves (of ironstone to north) and 6 2-light Perpendicular clerestory windows beneath 3-centred hoods. Aisles have plain parapets, and 3 3-light Perpendicular windows with 4-centred heads, linked by cill bands. North aisle has a buttress at the east end. South aisle has plinth and 4 buttresses and a richly-moulded round-headed doorway with a low-level relieving arch (raised by a buttress) to the right of it. Chancel has buttresses, plinth and cill-bands, C19 moulded eaves, coped gables and cross finial. 3 attenuated late C13 windows to north and south, of 2 trefoiled lights, with pointed trefoils and cusped circles in the heads, and a C19 5-light "Decorated" east window designed to correspond. Projecting C19 organ chamber of ironstone with limestone dressings to north and a matching vestry to south now linked to the C20 octagonal "chapter house". Gabled north porch has plinth, string course diagonal buttresses, parapet with gargoyles at the angles and a niche (now containing a statue of the Virgin and Child, presented in 1928) above the moulded pointed-arched doorway. The inner north doorway is chamfered, with a simple hood and heavily studded double doors dated 1510 and inscribed with the names of "Ihon Campyon and Ihean bys wyf". Interior: the 6.5 bay nave arcade shows evidence of 3 main buildings phases. From the C12 are the 3 western piers of the south aisle, circular in plan with ironstone bands and scalloped capitals carrying abaci, and round arches, progressively more richly moulded towards the east: the westernmost with plain arches and abacus, then a roll-moulded and then a zig-zag arch on abaci with incised carving on the north face. The third complete arch from the west in the north arcade is also round and roll-moulded, and carried on a square pier with nook-shafts, which suggests a C12 transeptal chapel. In the early C13, a north arcade was created, with pointed, simple-stepped arches on (from west), a circular pier and a square one with 4 attached demi-shafts both with stiff-leaf capitals. Later in the C13, the tower was built encroaching upon the westernmost bay of the nave, which was then extended by 3 bays to the east, with double-chamfered arches on quatrefoil piers. The lofty tower arch is triple-chamfered with responds in the form of clustered shafts with ironstone banding, the chancel arch double-chamfered and plainer. The roofs to nave and aisles are Perpendicular (though restored), with cambered tie- beams, carved bosses and, to the north aisle, arch-braces carried on corbels. The chancel roof is C19. The church contains wall-paintings of 2 periods - fragment of a C14 cycle of St. Catherine on the north aisle wall, and late C16 figures representing the tubes of Israel, in scrolled cartouches, in the spandrels of the nave arcade. C19 stained glass. Traceried Perpendicular screen, restored. Plain octagonal Perpendicular font and, in the porch, an earlier font retrieved this century from the Rectory garden. Brass of Margaret Bacon, d.1626, and baby, in tall stone frame surmounted by 3 obelisks, in south aisle. Fragments of 2 other brasses - one to the Boyvill farmily (nine daughters and a shield remain) at the east end of the nave, and in the chancel another shield, probably part of a monument to Edmund Bacon, d.1626. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: pp.131-2; V.C.H.: Vol.III: pp.183- 5; Architectural Notices of the Churches of Archdeaconry of Northam: 1849).
Listing NGR: SP9031475017
historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1372364
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Church of St Mary, Church Street, Burton Latimer
The main entrance to the churchyard is through wrought iron gates dedicated to the memory of the Revd. Ronald Williamson Sharpley ( Rector 1937 -1967 ). Ancient lime trees formerly surrounded the churchyard but these had to be removed nearly forty years ago owing to their dangerous state. Attractive spruces now allow the church to be seen to greater advantage. Against the churchyard wall to the left of the Manor House gate, is the date stone from the old rectory “A.D. 1750″. A number of grave stones that were either leaning or had fallen over were removed to this wall in 1970. The church consists of a tower and spire, nave, north and south aisles, chancel and north porch, all constructed of local stone. This is also true of the more recent additions of the vestry and Chapter House. The tower is three storeys high. It has two doorways: The door on the north side is decorated (14th Century) and is the entrance to the tower, the one on the south side leads to the tower stairs. The tower itself is in the Early English style (13th Century) the spire is a 14th Century addition. When the spire was rebuilt in 1862 the cost was around £4000, in 2004 major work was carried out on the present structure at a cost of £40000 – and this was a fairly modest job to ensure the future safety of this landmark. The aisles and clerestory are Perpendicular (15th Century) although evidence of earlier building exists. All the aisle windows are of three cinque-foiled lights, under a four centred arch. The clerestory has six two-lighted windows on either side, under three centred arches. The parapets were embattled when the church was restored between 1862 and 1868. Numerous worn gargoyles look out from their vantage places. The south door is round-headed and of 13th Century construction. On the south wall, on a window frame are the remains of a medieval scratch dial. The wrought iron gates to the north porch were a gift from the Norton family in memory of their parents Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Norton, local shoe manufacturers. The north porch is Perpendicular with angle buttresses. Above the entrance is a niche containing a statue of the Blessed Virgin and Child. This was presented to the church by the local school children in 1921. It probably replaced one destroyed during Cromwell’s Commonwealth . The massive oak doors bear the date 1510 and an almost indecipherable inscription: JHON CAMPYON AND JHONE HYS WYF To the right of the door built into the stone seat is a font from the 13th Century or earlier.
OTHER FEATURES
The font in front of the tower is 16th century and was moved to its place near to the tower in the1860s and brought forward to its present position in 1972. Originally it stood against the third pier between the nave and the south aisle. Unfortunately, the original canopy which according to record displayed traces of painting and gilding has long since disappeared. The old cover was decorated in a pattern of stars of various colours on a dark ground.
By the second pillar near the north door is a beautiful carved Elizabethan poor box dating from 1601 when the Poor Law was passed. This law compelled each parish to raise funds for the support of the aged poor. Very few of these boxes survived. On the third pillar of the north aisle is a carved grotesque face. This is a Green Man – a very popular feature in many churches.
The nave altar and dais were installed in 1969. The Rood Screen, although much restored, is in essence 15th century and occupies its proper place under the chancel arch. The canopy was added in the 1860s when the old painting and gilding were renewed except for one small strip that was intentionally left untouched to show the original faded colouring. The carved oak reredos behind the high altar was erected in 1897 at a cost of £120. It was designed by Dunstan Powell, the grandson of the famous designer and architect Augustus Pugin. The oak altar and panelling were installed at the same time; the former cost £40 and the latter £110.
The organ was made by Nicholson and Lord of Walsall and installed in the 1880s. It is a fine example of a Victorian pipe organ. Although it has been looked after with care over the years, it has recently had a complete overhaul. This is an expensive job on an instrument like this, and we are indebted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for giving us the generous sum of £10 000 to add to that raised by the church.
The fine oak chest near to the altar rail is dated 1629. Until 1992 it contained parish archives dating back to the 15th century and registers from 1538. The earliest of these was a parchment scroll 22ft. long and 6½ins. wide. Apart from a few missing years during the Civil War, the registers are complete from 1538 to the present time. The contents of the chest are now housed with the County Records Office. Among these records is an illuminated Mass Book from the 14th century. It contains prayers for a blessing on the staffs and shields of those about to undertake a duel and for those proposing to go on a pilgrimage. There are also masses for the dead and for marriage. The book would have been lost had not its pages been used to bind the Churchwardens account book for 1559! The pages were rebound by the British Museum.
The east end of the south aisle is known as the War Memorial corner, containing a memorial window as well as marble tablets to the fallen in both world wars. On the window ledge of the south wall is a medieval piscina. This was formerly located in the chancel.
www.stmarysburtonlatimer.co.uk
See Also:-
www.burtonlatimer.info/churches/St Mary'shistory.html
Burton Latimer, St Mary's - Northamptonshire
Church of St Mary, Church Street, Burton Latimer
Grade I Listed
List Entry Number: 1372364
BURTON LATIMER SP9075 CHURCH STREET 1337-0/21/24 (South side) 18/01/50 Church of St. Mary GV I Parish church. C12 origin, enlarged and tower added C13, C15 alterations and porch, tower and spire rebuilt and church restored 1864-8 by Slater and Carpenter, porch restored and organ chamber and vestry constructed 1882, "chapter house" added C20. Coursed limestone rubble with some ironstone banding and ashlar dressings and spire. Steeply-pitched C19 graduated stone slate roof to chancel, other roofs concealed by parapets and not visible (though probably of lead). Aisled nave, chancel, west tower and spire, north porch. Tower has setback buttresses at north-west angle and a castellated stair-turret at south-west angle. Doorways to north and south. Plinth. Moulded set-offs beneath triple arcade, blind to north and south and to west at a lower level and containing a single central lancet, and beneath paired 2-light Decorated bell-openings to each side (the tracery apparently an addition) Castellated parapet with grotesque spout-heads. Recessed octagonal spire with 2 tiers of lucarnes on the cardinal faces, capped by finial. Nave has C19 castellated parapet on moulded eaves (of ironstone to north) and 6 2-light Perpendicular clerestory windows beneath 3-centred hoods. Aisles have plain parapets, and 3 3-light Perpendicular windows with 4-centred heads, linked by cill bands. North aisle has a buttress at the east end. South aisle has plinth and 4 buttresses and a richly-moulded round-headed doorway with a low-level relieving arch (raised by a buttress) to the right of it. Chancel has buttresses, plinth and cill-bands, C19 moulded eaves, coped gables and cross finial. 3 attenuated late C13 windows to north and south, of 2 trefoiled lights, with pointed trefoils and cusped circles in the heads, and a C19 5-light "Decorated" east window designed to correspond. Projecting C19 organ chamber of ironstone with limestone dressings to north and a matching vestry to south now linked to the C20 octagonal "chapter house". Gabled north porch has plinth, string course diagonal buttresses, parapet with gargoyles at the angles and a niche (now containing a statue of the Virgin and Child, presented in 1928) above the moulded pointed-arched doorway. The inner north doorway is chamfered, with a simple hood and heavily studded double doors dated 1510 and inscribed with the names of "Ihon Campyon and Ihean bys wyf". Interior: the 6.5 bay nave arcade shows evidence of 3 main buildings phases. From the C12 are the 3 western piers of the south aisle, circular in plan with ironstone bands and scalloped capitals carrying abaci, and round arches, progressively more richly moulded towards the east: the westernmost with plain arches and abacus, then a roll-moulded and then a zig-zag arch on abaci with incised carving on the north face. The third complete arch from the west in the north arcade is also round and roll-moulded, and carried on a square pier with nook-shafts, which suggests a C12 transeptal chapel. In the early C13, a north arcade was created, with pointed, simple-stepped arches on (from west), a circular pier and a square one with 4 attached demi-shafts both with stiff-leaf capitals. Later in the C13, the tower was built encroaching upon the westernmost bay of the nave, which was then extended by 3 bays to the east, with double-chamfered arches on quatrefoil piers. The lofty tower arch is triple-chamfered with responds in the form of clustered shafts with ironstone banding, the chancel arch double-chamfered and plainer. The roofs to nave and aisles are Perpendicular (though restored), with cambered tie- beams, carved bosses and, to the north aisle, arch-braces carried on corbels. The chancel roof is C19. The church contains wall-paintings of 2 periods - fragment of a C14 cycle of St. Catherine on the north aisle wall, and late C16 figures representing the tubes of Israel, in scrolled cartouches, in the spandrels of the nave arcade. C19 stained glass. Traceried Perpendicular screen, restored. Plain octagonal Perpendicular font and, in the porch, an earlier font retrieved this century from the Rectory garden. Brass of Margaret Bacon, d.1626, and baby, in tall stone frame surmounted by 3 obelisks, in south aisle. Fragments of 2 other brasses - one to the Boyvill farmily (nine daughters and a shield remain) at the east end of the nave, and in the chancel another shield, probably part of a monument to Edmund Bacon, d.1626. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: pp.131-2; V.C.H.: Vol.III: pp.183- 5; Architectural Notices of the Churches of Archdeaconry of Northam: 1849).
Listing NGR: SP9031475017
historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1372364
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Church of St Mary, Church Street, Burton Latimer
The main entrance to the churchyard is through wrought iron gates dedicated to the memory of the Revd. Ronald Williamson Sharpley ( Rector 1937 -1967 ). Ancient lime trees formerly surrounded the churchyard but these had to be removed nearly forty years ago owing to their dangerous state. Attractive spruces now allow the church to be seen to greater advantage. Against the churchyard wall to the left of the Manor House gate, is the date stone from the old rectory “A.D. 1750″. A number of grave stones that were either leaning or had fallen over were removed to this wall in 1970. The church consists of a tower and spire, nave, north and south aisles, chancel and north porch, all constructed of local stone. This is also true of the more recent additions of the vestry and Chapter House. The tower is three storeys high. It has two doorways: The door on the north side is decorated (14th Century) and is the entrance to the tower, the one on the south side leads to the tower stairs. The tower itself is in the Early English style (13th Century) the spire is a 14th Century addition. When the spire was rebuilt in 1862 the cost was around £4000, in 2004 major work was carried out on the present structure at a cost of £40000 – and this was a fairly modest job to ensure the future safety of this landmark. The aisles and clerestory are Perpendicular (15th Century) although evidence of earlier building exists. All the aisle windows are of three cinque-foiled lights, under a four centred arch. The clerestory has six two-lighted windows on either side, under three centred arches. The parapets were embattled when the church was restored between 1862 and 1868. Numerous worn gargoyles look out from their vantage places. The south door is round-headed and of 13th Century construction. On the south wall, on a window frame are the remains of a medieval scratch dial. The wrought iron gates to the north porch were a gift from the Norton family in memory of their parents Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Norton, local shoe manufacturers. The north porch is Perpendicular with angle buttresses. Above the entrance is a niche containing a statue of the Blessed Virgin and Child. This was presented to the church by the local school children in 1921. It probably replaced one destroyed during Cromwell’s Commonwealth . The massive oak doors bear the date 1510 and an almost indecipherable inscription: JHON CAMPYON AND JHONE HYS WYF To the right of the door built into the stone seat is a font from the 13th Century or earlier.
OTHER FEATURES
The font in front of the tower is 16th century and was moved to its place near to the tower in the1860s and brought forward to its present position in 1972. Originally it stood against the third pier between the nave and the south aisle. Unfortunately, the original canopy which according to record displayed traces of painting and gilding has long since disappeared. The old cover was decorated in a pattern of stars of various colours on a dark ground.
By the second pillar near the north door is a beautiful carved Elizabethan poor box dating from 1601 when the Poor Law was passed. This law compelled each parish to raise funds for the support of the aged poor. Very few of these boxes survived. On the third pillar of the north aisle is a carved grotesque face. This is a Green Man – a very popular feature in many churches.
The nave altar and dais were installed in 1969. The Rood Screen, although much restored, is in essence 15th century and occupies its proper place under the chancel arch. The canopy was added in the 1860s when the old painting and gilding were renewed except for one small strip that was intentionally left untouched to show the original faded colouring. The carved oak reredos behind the high altar was erected in 1897 at a cost of £120. It was designed by Dunstan Powell, the grandson of the famous designer and architect Augustus Pugin. The oak altar and panelling were installed at the same time; the former cost £40 and the latter £110.
The organ was made by Nicholson and Lord of Walsall and installed in the 1880s. It is a fine example of a Victorian pipe organ. Although it has been looked after with care over the years, it has recently had a complete overhaul. This is an expensive job on an instrument like this, and we are indebted to the Heritage Lottery Fund for giving us the generous sum of £10 000 to add to that raised by the church.
The fine oak chest near to the altar rail is dated 1629. Until 1992 it contained parish archives dating back to the 15th century and registers from 1538. The earliest of these was a parchment scroll 22ft. long and 6½ins. wide. Apart from a few missing years during the Civil War, the registers are complete from 1538 to the present time. The contents of the chest are now housed with the County Records Office. Among these records is an illuminated Mass Book from the 14th century. It contains prayers for a blessing on the staffs and shields of those about to undertake a duel and for those proposing to go on a pilgrimage. There are also masses for the dead and for marriage. The book would have been lost had not its pages been used to bind the Churchwardens account book for 1559! The pages were rebound by the British Museum.
The east end of the south aisle is known as the War Memorial corner, containing a memorial window as well as marble tablets to the fallen in both world wars. On the window ledge of the south wall is a medieval piscina. This was formerly located in the chancel.
www.stmarysburtonlatimer.co.uk
See Also:-
www.burtonlatimer.info/churches/St Mary'shistory.html