HUXLOE HUNDRED 



WOODFORD 



aisleless early I2th century church vvitli nave and 

 chancel of equal breadth, to which about 1200 a 

 north aisle and chancel chapel were added. The tower 

 also is of this period. In the 1 3th century a new chan- 

 cel of great length was built east of the older chancel, 

 which was thrown into the nave, the old chancel arch 

 being replaced by a new one ; at the same time 

 the north aisle was widened and a south aisle with 

 porch of two stories added. A lateral chapel, witli 

 narrow east and west aisles, was also planned just 

 east of the porch projecting from tlie soutli wall of 

 the church. This was probably completed, but only 

 its west aisle remains, the rest having been taken 

 down in the 15th century when the aisle walls on 



imposts, but that at the east end has been cut away. 

 The arcade prob.ibly occupied the whole extent of 

 the north wall of the early cliantcl, wliich was after- 

 wards joined up to the new work built from the east. 

 The chancel is of three bays with coupled angle 

 buttresses of two stages and a modern east window 

 of tiiree lancets." The nortli and south windows of 

 the eastern bay in tlieir present form*- are also modern, 

 dating only from the restoration, but the chancel is 

 substantially of 13th-century date, the south wall 

 retaining a keel-shaped string at sill level and a 

 priest's doorway in the middle bay with continuous 

 moulded head and jambs. The piscina and triple 

 sedilia are also original. They form a single compo- 



I2ffl Century 



C.I200 



C1250-80 



C3 142! Century 

 H(I5I!J Century 

 □ Modern 



Plan of Woodford Church 



both sides were largely rebuilt or new windows 

 inserted. The spire and north porch are additions of 

 the early 14th century. 



The original nave was 46 ft. long, and its eastern 

 limit is still marked by compound piers in both 

 arcades and by the 13th-century transverse arch 

 between them. The north arcade is of four bays, with 

 three round arches and a narrow pointed one at the 

 west end, all of a single square order, springing from 

 cylindrical piers with moulded bases and sculptured 

 capitals, and from moulded imposts at either end. 

 The capitals differ in character ; that of the western 

 pier has on two sides a face with foliage issuing from 

 the mouth, but on the others the foliage is of con- 

 ventional stiff-leaf character. The eastern arch is 

 considerably wider than the others, the spacing of 

 the arcade being thus very irregular. Beyond the 

 compound pier, which has half-round responds on its 

 north and south faces, is the arcade of the old chancel, 

 which consists of two round arches similar to the 

 others springing from a cylindrical pier with moulded 

 capital and base ; the work is rather later than that 

 just described, the capital having nail-head ornament, 

 but followed closely on it. The responds have moulded 



sition of four uncusped pointed arches, the seats 

 being on one level and divided by detached shafts 

 with moulded capitals and bases. The piscina has a 

 plain bowl and hollow-chamfered recess, with a small 

 shaft in its east jamb. The north wall below the 

 window is blank, but farther west, in the middle bay, 

 is a pointed doorway now opening to the modern 

 vestry.*^ The western bay is occupied by a 13th- 

 century wall arcade of three uncusped hollow-cham- 

 fered arches on clustered shafts of quatrefoil section 

 with moulded capitals and bases and single jamb 

 shafts. In the south wall opposite is a similar arcade 

 of four arches opened out and restored in 1867, the 

 arch next the priests' doorway being very narrow, but 

 there is no indication that the arcading extended 

 farther east on either side. Within the western arch 

 of the north arcade is a trefoil headed low-side window, 

 originally fitted with one vertical and four horizontal 

 iron bars, one of which remains.''' The western window 

 in the south wall is a 15th-century insertion of four 

 lights with Perpendicular tracery. The 13th-century 

 chancel arch is of two chamfered orders, the inner 

 springing from half-round responds with moulded 

 capitals and bases. The ritual chancel extends about 



** The former window was of four lighti 

 with interiecting mullions. 



" They are of two trefoiled lighti 

 •imilar to the west window of the north 

 aisle. Formerly the north window was of 



two lights with forked mullion and that on 

 the south a three light perpendicular 

 insertion : Cbi. Arcbd. Nortbampt. 85. 



*' It probably opened originally to a 

 sacristy covering the middle bay. 



259 



^* Assoc. Arcb. Sac. Reps, xxix, 457. 

 The window is now blocked on the out- 

 side by the organ : the opening is 3 ft. 5 in. 

 high by 18 in. wide, and the sill is z ft. Sin. 

 above the floor. 



