A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



arches within, of which those on the north and south 

 still remain. In the first half of the 14th century the 

 chancel was repaired, its east wall rebuilt, a chapel 

 added on the north side, and the aisles and arcades 

 of the nave (of three bays) completed ; the aisles 

 were afterwards continued eastward on the site of the 

 transepts,** the work being finished about 1350-60. 

 The chapel south of the chancel was finished in its 

 present form later in the century, the church then 

 assuming the plan it retained till the middle of the 

 19th century. In 1613 the tower fell, demolishing 



outer order, the greater part of the hoodmould, and 

 the moulded bases of the shafts only are original, 

 the rest being a modern reconstruction. The 

 doorway is of three orders all with chevcron ornament, 

 the two outer on shafts with enriched cushion and 

 scalloped capitals, the inner continuous : the hood- 

 mould is enriched with a reticulated pattern. The 

 smaller round-headed north doorway is of two un- 

 moulded orders, but the jambs and imposts are 

 modern. The new east and west arches of the tower 

 represent the original openings in dimensions if not 



"^^ 



Porch ^ 



-^^r 



JI 



,>^^^ 



<? 



Outer North Aisle ^ 



3" v::;q : :'":s$':':::]o 



■ 12™ Century illSUi Century late 



□ 121!! Century late ^142 Cent. first half 

 ISIB Century early ^142! Cent. third quarteu, 

 Ei3c.l512 



^ ? 1616 (doubtful) 

 □ Modern 



S(m,fofFeet 



Plan of St. Giles' Church, Northampton 



or seriously injuring the north arcade of the nave, 

 but both were rebuilt three years later.** In 1853-5 

 the nave and aisl'^s were restored and extended west- 

 ward two bays,*' an extra north aisle added, the 13th 

 century fillings removed from the east and west 

 tower arches, the whole of the church west of the 

 tower re-roofed, its windows renewed and tlie porches 

 rebuilt.** The chancel was restored in 1876.*' 



Of the 1 2th century church little remains but the 

 lower part of the tower and the west and north 

 doorways, both very much restored, which were 

 re-erected in their present positions at the time of the 

 extension. In the west doorway some stones in the 



in details,** but several voussoirs and the line of the 

 eastern jamb of the blocked 12th century north arch 

 have been exposed towards the aisle. 



The projecting staircase turret at the north-east 

 angle of the tower, entrance to which was from the 

 transept, appears to have been added later in the 

 century,*' after the completion of the cross-plan and 

 may at first have been intended to be external. On 

 its east face are three narrow windows, the lowest 

 round-headed, now overlooking the chancel, and the 

 stairway is vaulted with a winding barrel vault of 

 plastered rubble. The round-headed doorway on 

 the west side is of a single square order vrith quirked 



•• The tnniepti probably itood till 

 thii time : if the width of the aiilo wai 

 conditioned by the length of the tnn- 

 iepti they muit have been very ihort. 



•• Nothing ii known of a clearstory 

 until thii lime: Serjeantton, l/nl. 0/ 

 Cb. of St. Cilti, Norihampt. 114. Prof. 

 Hamilton Thompion'a account of the 

 fabric hai htre been uied. 



" Before iti extension westward, the 

 nive was 49 ft. in length. 



'" The restoration, begun in August 

 1853, was carried out under the direction of 

 Mr. F. F'. Law, architect, after a report by 

 Sir Gilbert Scott. The church was re- 

 opened in November 1855. 



" Begun in lummar of 187;, rc-opcned 

 Oct. 1876. Thctowcrwtsrtpairedin 1914. 



52 



*" Scrjcantson, op. cit. 109. They 

 arc of three ordcri, the two inner with 

 chcveron moulding on shafts and the 

 outrr Bquarc with hnod mould. The 

 tower han a Hat wooden ceiling immedi- 

 ately above the archci. 



•' Mr. SerjeantBon'i concluiioni arc 

 here foUnwed, op. cit. iio. 



