Description

GREAT PAXTON CHURCH LANE
TL 26 SW
CHURCH OF HOLY
4/2
TRINITY
14. 5.59
I

c.1050 minster church originally of cruciform plan with tower
over crossing. In late C13 the chancel was rebuilt and in C14
the West tower added. The North and South aisles were rebuilt
in C15. The South porch is C14. The nave and crossing are
important examples of late Saxon work. Exterior: Mainly
pebblestone and rubblestone with Barnack dressings. Late C14
embattled West tower of three stages on splayed plinth. Three
stage angle buttressing and newel staircase in South East
angle. Beast gargoyles to centre of main cornice. C14 West
doorway (reset) and C15 West window. C14 bell chamber openings
of two lights with quatrefoil to spandrel. C11 Nave with
clerestorey of two round headed windows and part of a third
similar window, now sealed. Later parapet and beast gargoyles
to moulded string course at eaves height. C15 parapetted
South aisle. Two stage buttressing and two C15 three light
windows. C14 South porch. Gabled with parapet and coping
surmounted by cross. Diagonal buttressing. Outer arch two-
centred. C15 doorway to South aisle. Two-centred arch of two
moulded orders in square head with carved spandrels. C19 door
with C13 ironwork (reset). Chancel. Plain tiled roof with end
parapet. Two C15 windows and one C13 doorway on South side.
C15 East window. Interior: Late C14 tower arch. Two-centred
and of three chamfered orders with moulded capitals and bases.
Nave shortened in C15 when West tower built and now of two bays
and sealed half-bay at West end. Semi-circular headed double
recessed arches on piers. Each pier has four attached shafts,
divided by rolls or fillets, with abaci and bulbous capitals and
moulded bases. The fillets or rolls to the piers to the West
are keeled. Above the nave arcade is a plain string course. At
the crossing, only the arch to the North transept remains.
Tall, semi-circular headed and on square piers with responds
having attached shafts and rolls or fillets similar to those of
North arcade. The piers to the South crossing are similar to
the North but the arch is C15, two centred and of three
chamfered orders. North of the chancel arch is C15 rood loft
entry. The roof of the nave is C17 and of four bays. Cambered
tie beams, with the easternmost carved with the date 1637. The
chancel arch was also rebuilt in C15 and is similar to that of
the South crossing, but the responds are C11 and have engaged
shafts divided by rolls or fillets similar to those of the
arcade. The capitals, however, were replaced by embattled
dentils in C15. Late C13 or early C14 piscina in South wall,
East end. Hollow-chamfered, two-centred arch. Drain of
octofoil form, projecting forward from face of wall and on
corbel. Sedilia of same date. Two centred, hollow chamfered
arches with cinquefoil heads divided by a round column with
moulded capital and base. Hollow moulded labels with mask
stops. C15 font, octagonal bowl on plain stem.
R.C.H.M. (Hunts), p198, mon. 1
Pevsner (Buildings of England), p254
P.G.M. Dickinson: Gt Paxton

Listing NGR: TL2099864173

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17527952

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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