BOROUGH OF NORTHAMPTON 



chancel was the reason of the addition of the outer 

 north aisle,** but however that may be a south aisle 

 was thrown out in the 14th century, when an arcade 

 of two pointed arches of two orders was made, 

 the inner order with a half-round moulding and 

 the outer chamfered, springing from a square pier 

 chamfered at the angles and from responds of similar 

 type with moulded capitals and high chamfered 

 plinths. Eighteenth century repairs and modern 

 restoration have left little original work in the south 

 aisle,*' but a piscina niche with plain pointed head 

 remains in the usual position at the east end of 

 the south wall, and an image bracket supported by 

 a human head is now built into the east wall of the 

 new south chancel chapel. 



The late 14th century alterations to the Round 

 included not only the rebuilding of its upper part, 

 but the destruction of the original west doorway and 

 the wall on either side consequent on the erection of 

 the tower, the insertion of three large three-light 

 pointed windows, two on the south side and one on the 

 north,** the strengthening of the north wall by two 

 large buttresses, the rebuilding of the south porch and 

 insertion of a new doorway, and the reconstruction** 

 of the arches from the Round into the eastern part of 

 the church. The main structural change, however, 

 was the rebuilding of the clearstory in its present 

 octagonal form, the disappearance of the triforium, 

 and the removal of the groined roof of the ambulatory 

 and of the round arches of the arcade. The clearstory 

 has a square-headed two-hght window on each of its 

 cardinal faces, plain parapet and pyramidal leaded 

 roof. 



There is an ascent of five steps** from the Round to 

 the present nave, the arch to which consists of two 

 chamfered orders, the inner springing from half-round 

 responds with moulded capitals and bases, the outer 

 continuous. The arches opening to the aisles are 

 of three chamfered orders, with half-octagonal 

 responds, the two outer orders being continuous. 

 The nave appears to have been re-roofed at this time*' 

 and a small three-light square-headed window*' 

 placed in the west gable over the entrance to the 

 Round. Six wooden corbels supporting the new roof 

 principals have sur\'ived, three on each side, carved 

 with figures plajnng musical instruments — on the 

 north rebec, bagpipe, and portative organ, on the 

 south hurdy-gurdy, kettle-drums, and panpipes. 

 .\nother with harp player is now above the chancel 

 arch on the south side.** 



The south doorway of the Round is sharply pointed 

 and of three continuous unmoulded orders, with plain 

 segmental rear-arch, and the outer doorway of the 

 porch of two continuous chamfered orders with 



hoodmould. There is a descent of three steps from 

 the porch to the floor of the Round, and of two steps 

 from the Round to the tower. The tower arch is of 

 four chamfered orders, the inner on half-octagonal 

 responds with moulded capitals and bases, the others 

 continued or dying into the wall. 



Cut into the wall on the south-east of the Round 

 and probably contemporary with the late 14th century 

 alterations, is a banner-stave locker nearly n ft. in 

 height,** the upper part of which, with pointed head, 

 is carried on through one of the blocked triforium 

 windows. On the outside of the wall, to the west of 

 the porch, is an arched sepulchral recess 8 ft. 5 in. 

 v\idc, probably constructed for some benefactor at 

 the time of the erection of the tower. The two- 

 centred arch is without hoodmould and consists 

 of a single ornamented chamfered order."- 



The tower is divided externally into six stages by 

 stringcourses which run round and mark the begin- 

 ning of each set-off of the diagonal buttresses. Owing 

 to the fall of the ground the western buttresses are of 

 unusual size, having a projection of 10 ft. and a width 

 of over 3 ft. At the south east angle is a vice turret, 

 which is carried up to the level of the base of the bell- 

 chamber windows where it slopes back behind an 

 embattled parapet. The west doorway is of four 

 continuous moulded orders, with hoodmould, and 

 above it is a two-hght window. The deeply-recessed 

 bell-chamber windows are of two trefoiled lights with 

 quatrefoil in the head, round which the upper string- 

 course is taken as a hoodmould. The tower finishes 

 with a battlemented parapet and had originally 

 pinnacles at the angles : on the north and south 

 sides respectively are two gargoyles. The octagonal 

 spire has plain angles and three tiers of pointed 

 lights in the cardinal faces.^* 



At the enlargement in 1860-64 ^^e nave and aisles 

 were increased in length some 6 ft. and an additional 

 arch added at the east end of the main arcades. The 

 new chancel is of two bays, with projecting semi- 

 circular east end and moulded arches on shafted 

 piers to the side chapels,*^ all the work internally 

 being of a rather elaborate character in the style of 

 the late 13th century. There is a turret at the 

 junction of the south chapel and aisle with a stair 

 leading on to the roof. A new altar was erected in 

 l882.« 



The font is modern and stands on three circular 

 steps in the middle of the Round ; it is a memorial 

 to Canon James, who took an active part in the restora- 

 tion, and is copied from the 13th century font in the 

 cathedral of Hildesheim, save that the figures sup- 

 porting the bowl are knights in mail. The font 

 replaced a small circular stone basin, probably dating 



■' Cox and Strje.mtson, op. cit. 43. 



" The window! have been reitored 

 in the style of the 14th century, the middle 

 one being entirely modem. 



•• The mullions and tracery of these 

 window* were removed during the i8th 

 century, probably about 17S1 (Cox and 

 Serieantion, op. cit. 61), .ind in their 

 present form arc modem. 



•• It it possible that the entrances to 

 the aisles may have been now first con- 

 structed. 



•• The difference of level is z ft. 8 in. 



" Cox and Serjeantson were of opinion 

 th»t the south wall of the south aisle 



was also then reconstructed and that a new 

 five-light window was placed in the east 

 end of the chancel : op. cit. 46. This 

 window, with vertical tracery, is shown in 

 a south-east view of the church, 1761. 

 The east window of the south aisle was 

 then square-headed and of three lights. 



" The middle light contains some 14th 

 century glass brought from the destroyed 

 Hospital of St. Thomas, including a 

 scroll inscribed, ' Ave Maria gratia plena." 

 This it the only ancient glass in the 

 church. 



•* Cox and Serjeantson, op. cit. 47-41), 

 where the corbels are figured. 



47 



'" The width is 12 in. and the 

 depth at the base 2 ft. 3 in. The 

 opening has a rebate all round of about 

 3 in. 



" The recess seems never to have been 

 used for burial : reasons for ascribing its 

 construction to Sir Thomas Latimer, who 

 died in 1401, are given by Cox and 

 Serjeantson, op. cit. 124. 



•^ The total height of tower and spire 

 is 116 ft. 



■' The arches are filled with wooden 

 screens erected in 1880. 



'* Designed, at were the screens, by 

 Mr. J. nidrid Scott. 



