A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



of Thorney,'^ and in 1346 the abbot of Thorney 

 and Roger Hurst held half a knight's fee in Kings- 

 thorpe and Remington of the two fees which William 

 Maufe formerly held of Peterborough.'* In 1270 

 probably the Lovetots' manor of Kingsthorpe was 

 held by Alan de Chartres in right of his wife Joan. 

 They granted it to Hervey de Borham, Archdeacon of 

 Salop,'* who in 1256 conveyed it with lands in Heming- 

 ton and Armston to the abbot of Thorney." It seems 

 that Thorney Abbey acquired the lands of both fees 

 which it held through several mesne lords of the 

 abbot of Peterborough. 



In 1540 messuages and over loo acres in Kings- 

 thorpe vrith land in Remington and Luddington, 

 and in 1544 a small property in Armston and Kings- 

 thorpe, all belonging to the late monastery of Thorney, 



ScALK OF Feet 



Plan of Polebrook Church 



were granted to Sir Edward Montagu."' Togetiier 

 they seem to have made up the Montagu manor of 

 Kingsthorpe which followed the descent of Barnwell 

 St. Andrew. 



The Church of ALL SAINTS con- 

 CHURCH sists of chancel 29 ft. 8 in. by 15 ft., 

 clearstoried nave 45 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft., 

 with north and south aisles and porches, north and 

 south transeptal chapels, and tower 9 ft. 8 in. square, 

 surmounted by a spire at the west end of the south 

 aisle. All the above measurements are internal. 

 The whole of the building is faced with rubble, and 

 has plain parapets throughout. The roofs of the 

 aisles and chapels are leaded, while the nave is covered 

 with small grey slates and the chancel with blue 

 slates. All the walls are plastered internally. 



The church seems to have consisted at first of a 

 chancel and nave with an ' axial ' tower between 



them, as at Barton Seagrave. Late in the 12th cen'.ury 

 the north aisle was added to the nave, and a transeptal 

 chapel constructed on this side, for which an arch 

 was maae in the north wall of the tower. The chancel 

 arch, if not the whole chancel, was also rebuilt. 

 The present aisle and chapel, however, belong to the 

 next century, and are part of a general reconstruction 

 and enlargement, possibly when the church was 

 granted in 1232 by Robert le Fleming to Peterborough 

 Abbey. This reconstruction included a lengthened 

 chancel and the entire rebuilding of the west wall 

 of the church, which was continued southward as the. 

 base of a tower which was now added. East of the 

 tower a south aisle was built, opening into the nave 

 by an arcade of two bays. During the 14th century 

 a small transeptal chapel was added on the south 

 side. The nave clearstory was added 

 later, when the roof was flattened. 

 The church was restored in 1S43. 



The chancel retains in the south 

 wall, towards the west end, a plain 

 priest's doorway with a round arch, 

 now blocked externally, which seems 

 to belong to the earlier and shorter 

 chancel. The south wall is lighted by 

 three lancets with internal splays. 

 These break the external string-course, 

 and appear to have been altered after 

 their first making. The westernmost 

 was lengthened downwards into a 

 low-side opening, partly blocked, the 

 lower part of which, beneath a tran- 

 som, was rebated for a shutter opening 

 outwards. In the east wall is a group 

 of three lancets, the middle one being 

 higher than the others, and all being 

 treated very plainly on the outside, 

 with separate labels. The east part of 

 the north wall was covered by a vestry, 

 some traces of which remain in the 

 walls of the modern vestry on the site. 

 West of this are two lancets. That 

 on the east is shorter than those in 

 the opposite wall, and was left un- 

 altered when they were lengthened. 

 The western has a low-side extension like that of 

 the window opposite, also partly blocked. The chancel 

 is without buttresses and the parapets are carried on 

 13th century corbel tables with grotesque heads. At 

 the south-east angle are three scratch dials." 



The north chapel, which measures internally 

 32 ft. by 17 ft. 6 in., is a remarkable feature in the 

 plan, being actually longer and wider than the chancel. 

 It has a plain string-course carried round it, which is 

 lowered on the north wall. In the east wall there are 

 two two-light openings with flowing tracery, inserted 

 in the 14th century. Tlierc is a modern four-light 

 window, with a four-centred head, in the north wall. 

 An original lancet remains in the west wall. The 

 gable cross is of the 13th century," to which date also 

 the cross above the east window of the church seems to 

 belong. The parapets of the chapel are on corbel 

 tables, with masks which, except five, arc plain. 



12U Cent, earlv 

 C.1I80-90 



131 Century 



I liU CilNTURY 

 D .\ ioDERN 



" Pytchlty, op. cit. (io n. 

 " Bridget, op. cit. ii, 420. 

 " Feet of F. Northanti. ca»e 174, 

 file 41), no. 895, Chjrt. R. 135, m. 26. 

 '• Feet o( F. Northanti. caie 174, 



file 50, no. 1)02 j Biircleuch Deeds, A. 26, 

 C. 7. 



"• Pat. R. 31 Hen. VIII, pt. 6, m. 31, 

 32 ; 36 Hen. VIII, pt. 6, m. I ; Chart. R. 

 135, m. 26. 



106 



" The peg hole of one is 12 in. from 

 the .ingle, and of the others 12 in. and 

 2 ft. 8 in. 



" The gable itself has been rebuilt. 



