POLEBROOK HUNDRED 



OUNDLE 



from the south aisle into the transept corresponds to 

 these in detail, and the south arcade of the nave, of 

 three bays, has arches of two chamfered orders, and 

 cylindrical columns with deep water-moulds in the 

 bases and elaborately moulded capitals with nail-head 

 ornament in the groove above the lowest projecting 

 member. The west window of the south aisle is 

 composed of five graduated lancets. All the work 

 from the west part of the chancel represents the 

 alterations of the beginning of the 13th century. 

 In the north arcade of the nave, also of three bays, 

 the bases of the cylindrical columns have hollow 

 mouldings of a more cramped design than those on 

 the south, and there are no bands of nail-head in the 

 capitals, while the abaci, instead of consisting of a 

 roll, fillet, and soffit hollow, are formed of a scroll, 

 quirk and small undcr-roll. The arch"* into the 

 north transept from the aisle has a continuous outer 

 chamfer and the responds supporting the inner 

 chamfer are filleted, as are also the responds of the 

 arcade on this side. The west window of the north 

 aisle, wholly renewed on the outside, consists of four 

 lancets of equal height, the head being filled with 

 plate tracery — two quatrefoiled circles below a 

 sexfoiled circle. The westernmost of the two south 

 windows of the south chapel has three quatrefoiled 

 circles in the head. The north doorway has a 

 moulded arch of three orders on jamb shafts with 

 moulded capitals and bases. All this work, with the 

 possible exception of the doorway which appears 

 earlier, is of about the same date as the east part of 

 the chancel, c. 1250-60. 



The transepts project 18 ft. beyond the aisles and 

 beneath the south transept is a small vaulted crypt, 

 or bone-hole, approached by steps from the outside. 

 The five-light north window and the two-light west 

 window of the north transept have tracery formed by 

 the curving and intersection of the muUions, and the 

 three-light east window has geometrical tracery in the 

 head, with very acute-angled trefoil cusping, and a 

 row of ball-flower round the upper portion. The 

 south window of the south transept is also of five 

 lights with excellent geometrical tracery, and the east 

 and west windows are each of two rounded trefoil 

 lights with a large quatrefoiled circle in the head. 

 The five-light east window of the north chapel is of 

 this later period and has geometrical tracery, but 

 it appears to have been lengthened in the 15th century 

 when the plain four-light north window was inserted. 

 The window in the south aisle east of the porch is 

 of five trefoiled lights with geometrical tracery, but 

 that west of the porch and the corresponding window 

 in the north aisle are four-centered 15th century 

 openings of three cinquefoiled lights. The window in 

 the north aisle east of the doorway is of five cinque- 

 foiled lights like the east window of the chapel. In 

 the south chapel is a piscina beneath a cusped ogee 

 arch, and there is another piscina of the late 14th 

 or early 15th century in the south transept, together 

 with an aumbry.*' 



The three arches of the former crossing are of two 

 moulded orders, the outer continuous, the inner on 

 responds with moulded capitals and bases. The 



northern entrance of the rood-loft remains high up 

 in the north wall above the arch to the transept, 

 and near the chancel arch. Close to it is a corbel 

 for the rood beam and above is a small window 

 inserted to throw light upon the rood. There are 

 four three-light clearstory windows on each side of 

 the nave, but owing to the masonry left between the 

 new arches and the nave arcades the eastern window 

 of the clearstory on cither side is not above tlie eastern 

 arches. 



The tower is of two main stages and has a moulded 

 plinth, double angle buttresses, battlemented parapets, 

 and octagonal angle turrets. Tlie first stage is again 

 sub-divided into two, the lower of which has traceried 

 panels. The shallow west porch, with cinquefoiled 

 ogee arch and crocketed gable, is a late example of a 

 local peculiarity of design, the earliest instances of 

 which are the west porches of Higham Ferrers and 

 Raunds.*' On either side of the gable is a canopied 

 niche, and the west doorway has continuous mouldings. 

 Above the porch is a two-light pointed window, with 

 a similar ' blind window ' on either side. The upper 

 stage of the tower has three tall traceried belfry 

 openings forming the middle panels of a row of five 

 on each face, and below the windows is a less lofty 

 range of panels the middle one alone of which is 

 open. The tall lower stage is vaulted, with a large 

 central well hole and the arch to the nave is of three 

 chamfered orders. The spire has crocketed angles 

 and three sets of lights on the cardinal faces. The 

 date 1634 '^ ^^^ ^^ ^°^^ numerals under the lowest 

 light on the south side. The general design of the 

 tower and spire is of much grace and beauty, the 

 predominant vertical lines giving it an apparent 

 lightness which its bulk, in proportion to the building 

 to which it is attached, might seem to preclude. 



The south porch is vaulted and has a chamber 

 above approached by a circular stair from the aisle. 

 The outer opening has a four-centered arch with square 

 label and quatrefoiled circles in the spandrels. Above 

 are three empty niches, with windows between, and 

 the gable has a battlemented parapet. The inner 

 doorway is of the same date as the porch, with panelled 

 jambs. In the porch is a stone coffin. 



The lower portion of a 15th century rood screen 

 remains, with three traceried panels on each side of 

 the opening, and the screens separating the chancel 

 from the chapels, which appear to be rather earlier 

 in the same period, are entire. The fine painted 

 pulpit is apparently of 15th century date, though it 

 used to be known as the ' Reformation pulpit.' It 

 has traceried panels ornamented with gilded leaden 

 stars on a black background, and is picked out in red. 

 The fine brass lectern with eagle book-rest is of 

 mid-i5th century date ; the ' tradition ' that it came 

 from Fotheringhay seems to be unsupported. 



The font now in use dates only from 1909 and is of 

 late gothic pattern, but there is an early i8th century 

 block font with panelled sides under the tower. 



At the end of the gangway in the north transept 

 is a heavy oak chair used by the master of Sir William 

 Laxton's School, on the head of which is the inscrip- 

 tion 'svMPTv APtiMATOnnAiiN lo.vdinensivm a.d. 



•0 When the suir to the central tower apei is north of the middle of the span. "There are other neighbouring 



was removed the arch would be rebuilt " There is also an aumbryin the north examples at Rushden, and Keyston, 



and widened on the south side ; its transept. Hunts. 



97 



