St James's Church, Thurning, Northants
Virtually every little village in Northamptonshire has its own medieval stone-built church, and I often wonder what proportion of our national wealth went into the building of churches in that period. Often nothing is left of the original village that must have surrounded the church when it was built, and we can often only guess at its size or how many people must have lived there.
This is the Grade II-listed parish church of St James at Thurning, a tiny village a few miles from Oundle. Its earliest parts date from the 12th century though much of the building (other than the little spire) is 14th century and later. At the 2011 census fewer than 100 people lived in the parish. When I first drove into the village my immediate thought, having seen the spirelet, was that the church must date from the 19th century. In fact the tiny spire (which I think looks rather out of place) dates from 1880 when much of the church including the west wall was also rebuilt.
There is a detailed history of Thurning and the church at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/northants/vol3/pp109-113. If anyone is interested in history this is worth reading.
St James's Church, Thurning, Northants
Virtually every little village in Northamptonshire has its own medieval stone-built church, and I often wonder what proportion of our national wealth went into the building of churches in that period. Often nothing is left of the original village that must have surrounded the church when it was built, and we can often only guess at its size or how many people must have lived there.
This is the Grade II-listed parish church of St James at Thurning, a tiny village a few miles from Oundle. Its earliest parts date from the 12th century though much of the building (other than the little spire) is 14th century and later. At the 2011 census fewer than 100 people lived in the parish. When I first drove into the village my immediate thought, having seen the spirelet, was that the church must date from the 19th century. In fact the tiny spire (which I think looks rather out of place) dates from 1880 when much of the church including the west wall was also rebuilt.
There is a detailed history of Thurning and the church at www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/northants/vol3/pp109-113. If anyone is interested in history this is worth reading.