Archive for the ‘Daventry District’ Category

Holy Cross - Byfield Holy Cross - Byfield

Built of Limestone with sandstone dressings this is mainly a C14/C15 church in the Decorated style. The upper part of the tower is in the Perpendicular style with battlements and a recessed spire.

Holy Cross - Byfield Holy Cross - Byfield

Detail Presentation of the Lord Nunc dimittis Song of Simeon tower Detail stained glass song Simeon holding Jesus in his arms

The church contains a number of staimed glass windows by the major designers of the age. Including the work above by Tower (1928) of Simeon taking Jesus into his arms.

Stained glass by Kempe (1897) - Byfield Stained glass crucifixion Hardman Byfield Stained glass by Powell and sons

Other windows contain a Christ in Majesty with St Thomas, St Anne, and St George by Kempe, a Crucifixion by Hardman, and a work by Powell & sons depicting Mary Magdalen, the mother of James, and Salome at the tomb.

St. Thomas by Kempe St. Anne teaching the virgin to read by Kempe St George by Kempe

Lower panels of south aisle east window by Kempe, these are represenations of St Thomas, St Ann and the Virgin, and St George.

detail east window by Burlison & Grylls East window by Burlison & Grylls - Byfield detail east window by Burlison & Grylls

The east window is by Burlison & Grylls which tells the Easter story in nine panels.

St. Mary - Staverton St. Mary - Staverton

Early C14 in the Perpendicular style also with Perpendicular C14 tower and a Decorated style C15 North chapel. The building is made of coursed ironstone and ironstone ashlar.

Faith, Hope, Charity East window by Burlison & Grylls Walking on Water

The east window is an unusual composition featuring the Annunciation and Crucifixion by Burlison & Grylls of London. Two of the windows in the South aisle “Faith Hope & Charity” and “Jesus walking on the Water” are probably by Heaton Butler & Bayne.

Brass monument to  Thomas Wylmer Brass monument to  Thomas Wylmer

In the north chapel is a brass monument to Thomas Wylmer (d1580). This is a standing monument with Ionic columns, metope frieze framing brass plate with kneeling figures.

Medieval stone carving Medieval corbel head

The west wall of the nave has a large grotesque carving of head with tongue sticking out c1300. Corbel heads from the same period are on the columns of the south aisle bays.

14
Nov

Badby – St. Mary.

   Posted by: churches Tags: ,

St. Mary - Badby St. Mary - Badby interior

An early C14 church with the addition of a clerestory in C15. The tower rebuilt in the C18.

At the beginning of the C11 Badby and the neighbouring village of Newnham belonged to Evesham Abbey. After the dissolution of Evesham Abbey in 1539, the manor that comprised Badby and Newnham was given to Edmund Knightley of Fawsley.

Arms of Evesham Abbey, and Henry Tudor Monogram of Thomas Newbold

The eastern window in north aisle retains glass c1500 containing the Arms of Evesham Abbey, the Royal House of Tudor, and a monogram of Thomas Newbold Abbot of Evesham from 1491-1514.

War memorial stained glass window C15 font pedestal badby 16

A memorial window to those that died in the 1914-18 war features St. George and St. Michael. The pedestal of the font is C15 whilst the bowl is late Victorian. A mid C20 window memorial window depicting King david and Cecilia is dedicated to William Warner.

Chancel East window Chancel East window South aisle east window

The chancel east window contains Victorian stained glass set into a C14 frame. The south aisle east window, by Ward & Hughes, is dated 1881 and was installed during the Victorian restoration.

All Saints, Norton All Saints, Norton

All Saints parish church Norton has a C13 tower, the rest of the church is mostly in the Decorative style of C14.

Font, All Saints, Norton Font, All Saints, Norton
Font, All Saints, Norton Font, All Saints, Norton

The font near the entrance is C13 with recut protruding faces.

Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton

Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton

The stained glass in the north and south aisle windows contain shields and single figures of the St. Edmund, St. Stephen, St. David, St. Patrick, and St. Andrew of unknown the date and maker. However, the east window in the chancel is dated 1847 and signed by Thomas Willement known as “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”.

Jacobean monument - All Saints, Norton Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton

Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton

The north aisle contains a rustic monument to Elizabeth Verney (d1633) of a kneeling figure. The south aisle has a large alabaster memorial to Elizabeth Knightley (d1602).

Monument - All Saints, Norton Monument - All Saints, Norton Monument - All Saints, Norton

The chancel contains two C17 monuments to memebers of the Breton family. A large pink and white marble monument to Nicholas Breton (d1658) and his wife, and a wall tablet to Nicholas Breton (d1624). On the north wall of the chancel is a monument by William Behnes dedicated to Charlotte Botfield. The life size sculpture is that of her son mourning his mother.

Mass dial- All Saints, Norton Sundial- All Saints, Norton

Outside on the south wall of the church is a painted sundial and an early medieval mass dial, a crude form of sundial used to determine when to ring the bells for mass, scratch into the stonework.

Ashby St Ledgers Ashby St Ledgers

The parish church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Leodegarius dates from 1100, but is mostly an C14-C15 construction. Saint Leodegarius was a French Benedictine Bishop who became abbot of St. Maxentius in 653.

The gabled south porch and most of the pews in the nave are early 14th century.

The crucifix above the rood screen was designed and made by Liz Holden from Long Buckby in 1995. The rood screen itself dates from 1500 and was installed by George Catesby as a thanks offering for the return of the Estate to the family two years earlier in 1498. The estate had been confiscated in 1485 following the execution of William Catesby, a principle councilor to Richard III, who had been captured by Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth (22 August 1485).

The Catesby’s next came to prominence when Robert Catesby (1573 – November 8, 1605), became the originator of the plot to blow up James I and Parliament in 1605.

Nave, Ashby St Ledgers ashby st ledgers 48 (by Walwyn) ashby st ledgers 12 (by Walwyn)

The triple level Jacobean pulpit and box pews behind it are early 17th century. The pews in front are medieval, the lower level rests were for elbows, as the congregation would not have had books. The clerk would sit in the lower part of the pulpit, whilst the vicar conducted the service from the middle tier and the preacher at the top. The chancel was extensively remodeled during the C18 and C19.

ashby st ledgers 37 (by Walwyn) ashby st ledgers 25 (by Walwyn) ashby st ledgers 27 (by Walwyn)

The south wall contains a fresco of 1325 depicting the flagellation of St. Margaret. The west wall has a 16th century fresco commemorating the Black Death. The figure of Death holds a spade and pick. The north wall has a large 15th century fresco of St. Christopher.

ashby st ledgers 53 (by Walwyn) ashby st ledgers 50 (by Walwyn)

Above the chancel arch are medieval wall paintings depicting "The Passion" these frescos are 14th and 15th century. They were uncovered during restoration work in 1927 and are the most extensive cycles in the UK. The section on the south wall depicts the crucifixion and the Marys at the tomb, that on the north wall the entry into Jerusalem.
ashby-st-ledgers-church.co.uk/index.html

ashby st ledgers 24 (by Walwyn) ashby st ledgers 14 (by Walwyn) ashby st ledgers 33 (by Walwyn)

The plain font is Norman with a medieval wooden cover. The C19 chancel window has scenes showing the nativity, Risen Christ, and three Mary’s at the tomb. In the north aisle is a full length brass figure of Sir Richard Catesby 1553, wearing tabard with Catesby Arms.

ashby st ledgers 65 (by Walwyn) ashby st ledgers 57 (by Walwyn)

The rood screen has 4 traceried openings, coving with fan vaulting, and dado with blind tracery and original painted decoration.

Sculpture of St Leger at Chartres Cathedral.