HAMFORDSHOE HUNDRED 



ECTON 



wrought freestone, and has plain parapets and low- 

 pitched roofs. The nave was slated in 1814,' but else- 

 where the roofs are leaded. 



The building in the main is of 1 3th-century date, 

 with alterations and additions in the 14th and 15 th 

 centuries, but it may have developed from a 12th- 

 century aisleless church with central tower, north and 

 south transepts and short chancel. The nave of this 

 early building covered the area of the three western 

 bays of the present nave, and the eastern bay of which 

 represents either the crossing of the transept or an ex- 

 tension eastward of the nave. In the 13th century 



wards erected and the tower arch blocked. The work 

 then done still remains, but the chancel was opened 

 out again about eighty years ago and has since been 

 restored.' The north chapel, or vestry, was rebuilt in 

 1890, and in 1908 the south chapel was rebuilt and 

 extended about 6 ft. eastwards.* 



The chancel has a moulded string externally at sill 

 level and an east window of four lights with modern 

 Decorated tracery and moulded rear-arch, the internal 

 shafted jambs of which are of i jth-century date: there 

 is also a three-light window with modern tracery in both 

 the north and south walls. The 17th-century north 



•-h-WMmm 



North Aisle 



N.WE 



jW- 



SoUTM .\ISLE i CHAPEL|[p 



1 12IS Century ^ 152! Century 

 1131 Century E1I7EJ Century 

 1 1 IH Century E3 Modern 



10 "5 o 



10 



20 



30 



«o 



50 



Scale of Feet 



Plan of Ecton Church 



aisles were added, the chancel rebuilt on a larger scale, 

 and a new tower erected at the west end, the arch of 

 which still stands. In the 14th century the tower was 

 rebuilt in its present form, the north aisle widened and 

 the chapels north and south of the chancel added. The 

 nave arcades seem to have been refashioned at this time, 

 retaining, however, many 1 3th-century features. The 

 north porch is an addition of the 15th century and 

 during the same period the tower was heightened and 

 the clerestory added. The chancel is said to have been 

 lengthened about 12 ft. in the 17th century, when a 

 doorway was cut through the north wall, and then or at 

 some later time in the long Palmer-Whalley regime- the 

 chancel arch was filled in,' and the north and south 

 arches to the chapels obstructed by large memorial 

 tablets,* the chancel thus being cut off from the rest 

 of the church and used as the burial-place and private 

 chapel of the rectors. About 1825 the church was 

 ceiled and newly pewcd, and a west gallery was after- 



doorway was cut through the east end of a 1 3th-century 

 arched tomb recess and part of an aumbry but is now 

 blocked and the recess restored, the doorway showing 

 only on the outside. In the south wall is a small round- 

 headed low-side window, now blocked and covered by 

 the chapel. The arches between the chancel and chapels 

 are of two hollow-chamfered orders, the inner springing 

 from moulded corbels. The chancel arch is of three 

 chamfered orders, the two outer continuous and the 

 innermost springing from half-octagonal responds with 

 moulded capitals and bases. .\x. the east end of both 

 nave walls is a rood-loft doorway, that on the north side 

 beingblocked:on the south, part of the stairway remains. 

 The nave consists of four irregularly spaced bays. 

 The eastern arch on either side springs from half- 

 octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases, 

 and all the arches are of two chamfered orders. On the 

 north side the westernmost pier is octagonal and the 

 other circular, but on the south both arc octagonal, all 



' Cole, Hill. 0/ Ecion (MS. copy in 

 Northampton Pub. Lib.), 17. 



* Member* of the Pjlmcr and Whalley 

 famihes were rectors from 1641 to 18+9. 



' Information from Canon Jephson, late 

 rector. Cole in 1825 says that the chancel 



was then separated from the church by an 

 iron railing. 



* They are now placed on the aisle walls 

 near the north and south doorways. 



* During the incumbency of the Rev. 



F. C. Edwards, 1900-08. 



* It is inclosed by screens : the cost was 

 borne by Major-General F. E. Sotheby 

 (d. 1909). The altar and reredos were 

 erected by his widow in 1911. 



125 



