WILLYBROOK HUNDRED 



APETHORPE 



stone, while the rest of the building has rubble walls 

 with wrought dressings, and appears to be all of one 

 date, c. 1475. 



The chancel has an east window of four trefoiled 

 lights with a four-centred head, the central mullion 

 having been cut away to make room for some 1 8th-cen- 

 tury glass. In the north wall are two windows of three 

 trefoiled lights under four-centred heads, and on the 

 south the chancel opens to the south chapel with an 

 i arcade of three bays, having pointed arches with 

 renaissance detail dating from the building of the 

 chapel in 1 621. The chancel arch, c. 1480, is 

 pointed, of two chamfered orders, with octagonal 

 moulded capitals and half-round shafts, which with 

 the east responds of the nave arcades have been cut 

 away, doubtless for the fitting of a screen. 



The south chapel, built 1621, has one window on 

 the east, and two in the south, each of four trefoiled 

 lights under a four-centred head, and above them a 

 deep cornice of moulded plaster work enclosing texts 

 of Scripture. On the north side, in the spandrels of 

 the arcade, are cherubs' heads and hanging drapery in 

 plaster. The nave is of three bays, the arcades having 

 narrow piers with small engaged shafts east and west, 

 octagonal capitals, and stilted bases, the arches being 

 of two chamfered orders. Above is a clearstory of 

 three windows a side, each of three trefoiled lights 

 with a four-centred head. 



The remaining windows in the church are like those 

 in the north wall of the chancel, and all have been 

 shortened by the blocking of the lower parts of the 

 main lights with masonry. In the north aisle are two 

 windows on the north, and one at the east and west ; in 

 the south aisle two on the south and one on the west. 



Both nave doorways have plain four-centred heads 

 with continuous mouldings, and the contemporary south 

 porch has a four-centred outer archway with shafts in 

 the jambs, and a niche over it. Externally the church 

 has flat lead roofs and plain stone parapets throughout. 



The tower is interesting as being a 17th-century 

 version of a mediaeval type common in the neighbour- 

 hood, being dated 1633 on a panel over the west 

 window of the ground stage. 



It has a short stone spire with r\vo rows of crocketed 

 spirelights, and a line of dogtooth, not very success- 

 fully imitated, below an embattled parapet at the base 

 of the spire. The four belfry windows have round 

 arches under square heads, enclosing two uncusped 

 pointed lights. In the second stage is a simple tre- 

 foiled light on the west face, and in the ground stage 

 a west window of two trefoiled lights under a round 

 head. Below it is a plain doorway. The tower arch 

 is pointed, of two orders, with a large cyma moulding 

 at the springing, and over the arch are the arms of 

 Charles II in a gilt frame. 



The nave and aisles preserve their late 15th-century 

 roof timbers, the nave roof being low pitched, with a 

 moulded ridge and brackets to the principals resting on 

 stone corbels, while the roofs of the chancel and south 

 chapel have moulded ties and purlins which are prob- 

 ably of the date of the building of the chapel, c. 1621.' 



The pulpit is of the 1 8th century, with wood in- 

 laid panels, and across the tower arch is a screen, con- 

 temporary with the tower, with a central door with an 

 arched head. The upper part of the screen has a row 

 of turned balusters, the lower part being panelled. 



The east wall of the chancel is covered with good 



^ A stone corbel belonging to the former roof of the chancel 

 remains at its north-east angle. 



18th-century panelling behind the altar, but the seats 

 and pews in the church are of recent date. 



On either side of the chancel arch are stone corbels 

 for the rood-loft,and at the east end of the north aisle 

 is part of a stone image bracket. 



The font has a carved marble bowl on a stone 

 baluster stem of 18th-century date. 



In the east window of the south, chapel is some 

 interesting glass dated 1 62 I , with four main subjects — 

 (l) the Fall of Man, (2) the Crucifixion, (3) the 

 Resurrection, (4) the Last Judgement. Scrolls with 

 inscriptions in English are introduced : ' Poore frends 

 farr ofe,' and ' Create enimies neare,' in the Cruci- 

 fixion ; ' Thy deade men shall live,' in the Resurrec- 

 tion ; and in the Last Judgement ' More honor to 

 kneele in heaven then to be kneeled to on (earth).' 



There is also a little heraldic glass of the same date 

 in the chapel. In the east window of the chancel is 

 a representation of the Last Supper, with the glass- 

 painter's name, 'I. Rowell, Wycomb Bucks fecit 1 73 2.' 



On the sill of the north-west window of the chancel 

 is an alabaster effigy, said to be that of Sir Richard 

 Dalton, 1442, and in the east wall of the chancel are 

 two mural monuments — to Rowland Woodward, un- 

 dated, but of the 1 7th century, and John Leigh, 1627. 



In the south chapel is the fine monument of Sir 

 Anthony Mildmay, 1617, and his wife. Lady Grace 

 Mildmay, 1620, set up by Sir Francis Fane, their 

 son-in-law, in 162 1. It is of alabaster and black 

 marble, and the two effigies lie on a panelled altar 

 tomb under a circular canopy carried by rectangular 

 piers at the east and west. Alabaster curtains hang 

 from the canopy on either side, and the whole is 

 surmounted by a circular upper canopy or cupola 

 pierced with windows and domed at the top. There 

 are shields of arms on the upper canopy and round 

 the cornice of the lower, and at the four corners of 

 the tomb are standing female figures of Piety, Charity, 

 Wisdom, and Justice. Above are three seated figures, 

 Hope at the west. Faith at the east, and Charity on 

 the central cupola. 



In the churchyard, near the south porch, is the base 

 and part of the shaft of a cross ; another piece of the 

 shaft is used as a step at the west doorway of the 

 tower. It has a foliage pattern and appears to be of 

 the 14th century. 



There are four bells, the treble being of 1629, and 

 the second uninscribed and undated. The third is by 

 Thomas Norris, of Stamford, 1 67 1, and the tenor is 

 an early 16th-century bell from the Newcombes' 

 foundry at Leicester, inscribed : — 



NOMEN MAGDALKNIe] CAMPANA MELODIK GERET. 



The second word has been cut out. 



The church plate is all of one date, 1735, and 

 consists of a silver cup with cover paten, a flagon, and 

 two alms-dishes. Each piece is engraved with the 

 arms of Thomas Fane, 6th earl of Westmorland, and 

 inscribed : ' Belongs to Apethorpe Church, in the 

 county of Northampton, 1736.' 



The first book of parish registers contains baptisms 

 from 1676 to 1800, marriages from 1687 to 1789, 

 and burials from 1682 to 1802. The second, mar- 

 riages from 1754 to 1812, the third, baptisms from 

 1800 to 181 3, and burials from 1807 to 18 13. 



Dame Grace Mildm.ay, by her will 



CHARITIES dated 12 December, 161 8, devised a 



rent-charge of j^ I o a year for preaching 



four sermons at Apethorpe on certain feast days, and 



549 



