A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



filled up and plastered over, have been opened out 

 and restored.' The fine open timbered roof is of 

 six bays and has curved moulded principals carried 

 down as wall pieces and resting on moulded and 

 battlemented corbels ; the wall plate is also battle- 

 mented. The bell-cote has a trefoiled opening, and 

 canopied niches facing north and south ; it contains 

 a bell by Thomas Eayre, of Kettering, 1737.' The 

 chapel is divided from the hall by a pointed arch 



on the soutli-west,^'' seems to be in part contemporary 

 with it, and although large alterations obscure any 

 real evidence of date, the thick walls point to a corrobo- 

 ration of this idea. A room at the north end, now the 

 study, has a ceiling with good moulded oak beams 

 and cornice together with indications of a large open 

 fireplace. 



About 18 ft. west uf the north-west angle of the 

 church tower stands the School House, a beautiful 



HiGHAM FrRHhRs: The Squark 



of two moulded orders, the inner on half-round 

 responds with battlemented capitals, and by a modern 

 wooden screen. The floor of the chapel is raised 

 2 ft.'io in. above that of the hall, to allow for a vaulted 

 crvpt or bonc-house,access to which was by an external 

 doorway on the north side. The chapel was for long 

 in a ruinous condition,* and in its present state is 

 largely a restoration. The cast window is of three 

 lights with moulded jambs and elaborate modern 

 tracery ; the north and south windows' arc of two 

 lights with vertical tracery and ogee crnckctcd hood- 

 moulds. The piscina has a square bowl and trefoiled 

 head with crocketed hoodmould. 

 The vicarage house, which adjoins the Bcdchouse 



15th-century structure. It is of three bays divided 

 by buttresses, with a window of three lights in each 

 bay and one of five lights at the east and west ends. 

 The cast window and those on the north side have 

 long been blocked. The building, which measures 

 internally 36 ft. 6 in. by 16 ft. 6 in., is faced with 

 ashlar, and has a moulded plinth, string at sill level, 

 and pierced battlemented parapet above a cornice 

 ornamented with roses and other flowers. The 

 buttresses, which at the angles are set diagonally, 

 are of three stages and arc carried up above the flat- 

 pitched leaded roof as crocketed pinnacles. The 

 windows arc all four-ccntrod, with hoodmoulds and 

 cincjuefoilcd lights, those at the east and west having 



• The lockcri arc z ft. wide by .ibout 

 3 ft. high and itand 18 in. above the floor. 

 ' Cbuichti^ /Ircbd. Noribamfit. 26. 

 ' An engraving of 181 1 ihowi it tooflcii, 



the e.iit window without tracery and the 

 •ill broken. It wai * unroofed and quite 

 ruinoui ' in 1849 : ibid. 27. 

 • In Bridget' time * the imperfect 



264 



portrait! of »aint« and kings' remained 

 in thcBe windows : op. cit. ii, 178. 



*" It« north-east anple is joined to the 

 louth-weit angle of the Bedehouie. 



