Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay, North Northamptonshire

Description

TL09SE, TL0593
6/73, 14/73
23/05/67

FOTHERINGHAY
MAIN STREET
(South side)
Church of St. Mary and All
Saints

GV
I

Collegiate church now parish church. Begun as a college about 1370 for Edmund
Langley and founded 1411 by his son Edmund of York. Nave rebuilt for Richard
Duke of York by mason William Hanwood about 1434. Chancel cloisters and college
buildings demolished at the Dissolution. Restored C19. Originally aisled nave,
chancel west tower, north porch, cloisters and college buildings. Limestone
ashlar with some squared coursed limestone to south and east walls, Lead roofs.
South aisle of 6 bays, 5-window range of 4-light windows with 2-centred arch
heads and panel tracery. Bay to far right is blank, with various blocked
openings originally giving access to the cloisters. 2-stage buttresses, between
bays, terminating as crocketed pinnacles decorated with panel tracery. Flying
buttresses, springing from the base of each pinnacle to the nave clerestory, are
curved above and below. 2 flying buttresses, to left of centre, and one to right
are missing. Buttress above east wall is solid with a central 4-centred arch
head opening. Lean-to roof with castellated ashlar parapets. 3-light east window
of aisle, with 4-centred arch head, is set in former archway to chancel. 4-light
west window is similar to south windows. South nave clerestory of 6 bays.
5-window range of 4-light windows with 4-centred arch heads. The bay to the far
right has 2 windows, one of which is only 3-lights. 2 bays to far left are
blank. Shallow gabled roof with castellated parapet and remains of gargoyles.
East wall of nave has blocked chancel arch. 5-light window above has 4-centred
arch head. Flanking 3-stage buttresses and central 2-stage buttress. Shallow
gable roof has plain ashlar parapet to this elevation. North aisle of 6-bay,
5-window range of 4-light windows similar to the south aisle; the window to the
far left is of 3 lights. 2-stage buttresses, between bays, with pinnacles and
flying buttresses, all similar to the south aisle. Lean-to roof with castellated
parapet. East elevation is a blocked archway to the former chancel. West
elevation has a 4-light window similar to the south aisle. Bay to far right of
north aisle has 2-storey north porch. Central 4-light, square-head, first floor
window. Similar 3-light window, now blocked, in return wall to left has blocked
square-head opening below. Single-light window in return wall to right. Outer
doorway, to left of centre, has 4-centred arch head with moulded surround and
semi-circular reveals. Inner doorway has 4-centred arch head roll moulding and
square-head surround. Flat roof, not visible, has castellated parapet. North
nave clerestory of 6 bays, 5-window range, similar to south clerestory.
2-windows to far left forming seperate bays and wider blank area to far right,
appearing as one bay. West tower rises 2 stages from blank end bay of nave
clerestory with an octagonal lantern above. West doorway has moulded and shafted
archway set in square-head surround with quatrefoils and shields in the
spandrels. Panelled doors. Large 8-light window above has panel tracery with
transom. Flanking 3-stage buttresses. Nave parapet continues above this stage.
Stage above has 2-light windows, to each face, with 4-centred arch heads and
hollow reveals. Upper stage of tower has large 4-light bell-chamber openings, to
each face, with king mullions, transoms and 4-centred arch heads. Shallow corner
buttresses terminate as octagonal corner turrets with castellated parapets.
Plain parapet between turrets. The south turrets have remains of armorial
beasts. Octagonal lantern has diagonal shafts at corners decorated with panel
tracery and carved heads, each terminating as a crocketed pinnacle. Tall,
3-light, windows to each face of octagon have 2-centred arch heads, panel
tracery and transoms with cusping. Castellated ashlar parapets between
pinnacles. Central leaded spirelet with weathervane. Interior: 4-bay nave arcade
of tall Perpendicular arches which are moulded with a continuous double hollow
section. Semi-circular responds facing into each archway and plain shafts,
facing into nave and aisles, which are continuous to roof level. Similar shafts
are reflected in the aisle walls. Clerestory windows, above, are set in plain
recesses. Tall tower arch is similar to the nave arcade but with 4-centred arch
head, similar lower arches between tower and aisles. Nave roof has curved braces
and collars with carved bosses at intersection of purlins. Aisle roofs restored
C19 possibly incorporating some original timbers. Fan vaulted tower ceiling
c1529. 2-light, square-head, window to right of altar opens into south aisle.
Various blocked openings to right of south aisle altar. Perpendicular pulpit
with rib vaulted tester with a larger Jacobean tester over. Late C18/early C19
box pews. Early C19 reredos, to east wall, has Gothick panels with the Ten
Commandments, The Creed and The Lords Prayer inscribed. Stained glass: mid C20
armorial shields of House of York, east window of south aisle. 16 C20 painted
shields in nave relate to families having historical links with Fotheringhay.
Fragment of wall painting to right of west window. Perpendicular octagonal font
has medieval carving incorporated into cover. Monuments: matrices of medieval
brasses in chancel and sanctury floor. Edmund Second Duke of York and Richard
Third Duke of York, identical monuments to either side of altar, erected in 1573
by Queen Elizabeth I. Each is of limestone, ashlar, with central armorial
devices with strapwork flanked by pairs of attached Corinthian columns, similar
columns on return walls facing into nave. Entablature, with armorial devices of
House of York, and moulded cornice with central bracketed sections with
semi-circular section above. Thomas Hurland, died 1589: brass tablet in
sanctuary floor, Kath Hutchins, died 1726: Rococo style tablet on centre pier of
north nave archade. Rev. John Morgan, died 1781: tablet to left of south aisle
altar has delicate swags, broken pediment and urn. Various C18 and C19 floor and
wall tablets. The college was established for about 30 persons and its buildings
probably included cloisters, dormitories, chapter house, hall and kitchens.
(RCHM: An Inventory of Architectural Monuments in North Northamptonshire: p64;
Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: p220)

Listing NGR: TL0599593143

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of St Mary and All Saints

A Grade I Listed Building in Fotheringhay, North Northamptonshire

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Description

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