A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



facing west being probably occupied by a doorway 

 and shallow porch. During the restoration the 

 foundations of a south porch were found, slightly 

 exceeding the present porch in dimensions, which 

 may have been a later 1 2th century addition covering a 

 doorway then inserted.* 



The piers of the arcade are plain masonry cylinders 

 averaging 3 ft. 9 in. in diameter, but their capitals 

 and bases differ. The four western piers have cir- 

 cular scalloped capitals, with plain circular chamfered 

 abaci and moulded bases on low square plinths. 

 In the two easternmost piers the abaci are square, 

 the capitals merely shaped, \vith plain angle orna- 

 ments, and the high square plinths are of two stages, 

 while the intermediate piers (at the north-east 

 and south-east angles of the octagon) have divided 

 square abaci and capitals with scalloping on each 

 face. Nearly all traces of the groined roof of the aisle 

 were removed during the alterations at the end of 

 the 14th century, but there is evidence of the general 

 direction of the sustaining ribs, whilst a single Norman 

 wallshaft, with capital, still remains to the north of 

 the west entrance.*" Of the original round arches 

 of the arcade and the triforium above them, nothing 

 is left, the present acutely pointed arches of a single 

 chamfered order and the wall above them being part 

 of the late 14th century reconstruction. A stone 

 bench originally ran all round the circumference of 

 the Round, but, save for a small portion to the north 

 of the entrance to the chancel, it has now disappeared. 



The 1 2th century chancel was placed somewhat 

 irregularly with its axis about 2 ft. to the north 

 of that of the circular nave, and incHning slightly 

 to the south. Considerable portions of its north 

 and south 1* walls, about 36 ft. in length, through which 

 the later arcades have been cut, have been retained, 

 and in the north wall over the later arches, are the 

 remains of three original round-headed windows, 

 uncovered during the restoration. Of these the 

 westernmost is the least injured, its west jamb 

 being still in position as well as eight of the voussoirs,** 

 but of the others only portions of the heads remain. 

 The chancel, therefore, appears to have been lighted 

 by three windows on each side placed high in the wall 

 in the usual way, and there was probably a small 

 doorway in the south wall.*' Considerable portions 

 of the original external corbel tables still remain 

 at the top of the walls facing the aisles, consisting of 

 moulded stones and grotesque heads, though that 



on the south side has been raised and tlie position 

 of the heads changed.'* Sufficient evidence came to 

 light during the restoration to prove that the 12th 

 century chancel was not square ended, though the 

 exact position of the apse could not be definitely 

 traced.*' At the west end the walls are built up 

 against the Round without bonding.*' 



About 1180-90 a pointed*' doorway of two un- 

 moulded orders and hoodmould, on single nook-shafts 

 with water-leaf capitals and moulded bases, was inserted 

 in the north wall of the Round, necessitating the 

 removal of one of the windows, and a lancet was 

 substituted for the one next to it on the west, the 

 splay of which is directed obliquely to the east in 

 order to light the doorway. The addition of an aisle, 

 or chapel, to the chancel was effected about the same 

 time by the piercing of its north wall** with two 

 pointed arches of two chamfered orders, which spring 

 from a cylindrical middle pier to which is attached 

 on each of its cardinal faces a cluster of small circular 

 shafts, and from half-round responds, with small 

 flanking shafts to the outer orders. The arches 

 have hoodmoulds on both sides, and the character 

 of the pier and its moulded capital and base is fairly 

 well advanced, but the separate carved capitals of the 

 responds are of earlier transitional type with incurved 

 volutes and foliation. The chapel was dedicated to 

 St. Thomas of Canterbury*' and St. John Baptist, 

 and on each side of its east window was a carved 

 image bracket supported respectively by the heads of 

 a bearded king and a bishop with low mitre. These, 

 in a more or less mutilated state, arc now at the east 

 end of the north chancel aisle, to where also the 

 window has been moved. It consists of three plain 

 graded lancets beneath a containing hoodmould and 

 appears to be rather later in date than the arcade ; 

 in the same wall, south of the altar, is built a 13th 

 century round-headed piscina, which no doubt 

 formerly belonged to the original north chapel.'* 



The outer north aisle appears to have been added 

 about 1275, the new arcade consisting of three arches 

 of two chamfered orders with hoodmould on each side, 

 on clustered piers and half-round responds with 

 moulded capitals and bases."* Attached to the 

 eastern respond is a pillar piscina the marble shaft 

 and basin of which are copied from 13th century 

 fragments found during the restoration. 



It has been suggested that the nearness of occupied 

 secular buildings on the south side of the 12th century 



' The position of the buttresses, which 

 formerly were continued to the ground, 

 preclude the idea that the porch wai 

 part of the original design of the Round : 

 Cox and Scrjcantson, op. cit. 40. 



'^ The original wall-shafts were double : 

 a sectional stone of this double-shafting, 

 as well as a double capital, is preserved 

 amongst the Norman fragments in the 

 church. During the restoration a con- 

 siderable number of fragments of these 

 shafts, capitals and ribs came to light ; 

 ibid. 36. 



" This was the opinion of Cox and 

 Scrjcantson, but the decreased thickness 

 of the south wall (30 in. as again&t 4^ in. 

 on the north side) may indicate that the 

 original wall was removed when the aisle 

 was added. 



"The bottom of the jamb i( about 

 8 ft. above the floor, some 2 ft. below the 

 springing of the later arch. 



" This is suggested by a small sculptured 

 stone shaped like a tympanum now pre- 

 served in the Round, which may have 

 formed the head of this doorway. It is 

 too small for the west entrance of the 

 Round. The sculpture is of the ruder 

 sort of Norman work and apparently is 

 intended to represent the contest between 

 good and evil for a human soul. A reptile- 

 headed demon with long tail lays hold of 

 the right arm of a human figure, on \Those 

 left is a smaller and younger figure. The 

 tympanum is figured in Cox and Serjeant- 

 son, op. cit. 39. 



" On the north side the corbel table 

 is in its original position 21 ft. from the 

 ground : ibid. 39. 



" Ibid. 39. 



'• Ibid. 40. 



" Internally it is round headed. 



■' The arcade begins about 7 ft. cast of 

 the Round, as docs also the later south 



46 



arcade. Before the enl.irgement there 

 was an approximately equal length of 

 wall at the cast end. 



" Trom this it has been conjectured 

 that the chapel was added, or begun to 

 be built, by the second Simon of Scniis 

 carl of Northampton who died 1 184. in 

 order to provide a fit altar for the com- 

 mcmor.ition of the murdered archbishop : 

 Cox and Serjcantson, op. cit. 42. 



"* There is a 13th-century image bracket 

 built into the wall at the west end of the 

 outer north aisle, the mouldinga of which 

 are worked diagonally on to a foliated 

 Bvipport : its original position was probably 

 in an uii^le of the original north aisle : 

 ibid. 43, where it is figured. 



" When the outer aisle was pulled 

 down in the 17th century the arcade was 

 built up and covered over. It was 

 opened out at the time of the restora- 

 tion. 



