A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



a half fee in Middclcotes was held jointly by Maud 

 daughter of Nicholas de Segrave and Richard 'Bydom' 

 of the Earl of Gloucester.' This is referred to in 1373 

 as 'formerly of Maud daughter of Nicholas de Segrave',^ 

 and was held in 1386 and 1403, as a half fee, by 

 Richard Chamberleyn with Wylwencotes.' In 1 398, 

 however, Sir Henry Green was holding it of Sir 

 Thomas Green,'* who presumably held of Chamber- 

 leyn, and in 1428 Sir Simon Felbrigge, who had 

 married Ralf Green's widow, held half a fee in Middle 

 Cotes, formerly of Green and Bidun.' After this date 



which probably ended in a line with the first pier (from 

 the west) of the south arcade. The chancel arch 

 occupied the same position as now, with a short chancel 

 to the east, and transepts adjoining it on the west side. 

 Of this 12th-century structure nothing remains except 

 some portion of the south wall above the present arcade, 

 in which, over the second arch from the west, are four 

 voussoirs belonging to a round-headed window; the 

 rest of the wall is covered with plaster, but is probably 

 of the same period, and the square masonry plinths of 

 the piers of both arcades appear to be portions of the 



121 Century 



31 Ckintury 



Q HID Ckntury 



1 5 IS Century 

 K Modern 



Scale op- Feet 

 Plan of Raunds Church 



this fee was probably absorbed into the other property 

 of the Greens and passed to the Earl of Peterborough. 

 The church of ST. MART stands on 

 CHURCH high ground at the north end of the town 

 and consists of chancel, 50 ft. by 21 ft. 

 6 in.; south chapel, 36 ft. by 20 ft.; clerestoried nave, 

 81 ft. 3 in. by 20 ft. 9 in.; north and south aisles; two- 

 storied south porch; and west tower 17 ft. 3 in. square, 

 with tall broach spire. The north aisle is 17 ft. 2 in. 

 wide and the south aisle 19 ft. 2 in.; the width across 

 nave and aisles being 63 ft. All these measurements are 

 internal. There was formerly a two-storied sacristy on 

 the north side of the chancel near the east end. 



The walling is of rubble masonry throughout with 

 ashlar parapets and low-pitched leaded roofs. The 

 parapets of the nave and chancel are surmounted by a 

 low embattled moulding and are continued along the 

 gables; those of the aisles are plain, and the porch is 

 batdemented. The roofs of the south aisle and chapel 

 are continuous. 



The existing fabric is in the main of 13th-century 

 date, but has developed^ from an aisleless 12th-century 

 building, apparently cruciform in plan, the nave of 



1 2th-century walls through which the later arches were 

 cut. Evidence of a north transept is wanting, the whole 

 of the arcade on that side having been reconstructed, 

 but on the south side the fourth pier from the west, 

 which consists of a straight piece of wall with a half- 

 column or respond supporting the arch on either side, 

 indicates the position of the west wall of the transept, 

 the east wall of which was in line with the chancel arch. 

 About 1 230 the tower and spire were built clear of the 

 west end of the 12th-century fabric, with responds for 

 the arcades of a new nave to be erected subsequently, 

 but before this was proceeded with the chancel was 

 rebuilt on an extended plan, with a chapel on the south 

 side. This work was begun about 1240, the south wall 

 of the chapel (St. Peter's) being probably set out first 

 in line with the end wall of the transept, and with a 

 view to continuing it westward. The south arcade of 

 the chancel appears to have been begun from the east 

 end with a similar intention, and the remains of early 

 buttresses below the plinth of the existing south wall 

 (both of the chapel and at the east end of the nave aisle) 

 suggest the beginning of a wall, the buttresses and 

 window spacing of which were abandoned for a new 



* Cat. Inq. p.m. v, p. 344. 



2 Chan. Inq. p.m. 46 Edw. Ill, is 

 nos. 6z. 



3 Ibid. 18 Ric. II, 43; 4 Hen. IV, 41 



♦ Ibid. 22 Ric. II, 46; I Hen. IV, 15. 



s Feud. Aids, iv, 1 1 6. 



' The theory of the development of the 



plan of the church here put forward is 

 based on notes supplied by Professor 

 Hamilton Thompson. 



34 



