WYMERSLEY HUNDRED 



CASTLE ASHBY 



the south side by buttresses, and is lighted by a four- 

 centred east window of five cinquefoiled lights with 

 vertical tracery, and on the south by three windows of 

 similar character but of three lights; all these windows 

 have double-chamfered jambs, and hood-moulds with 

 head-stops. In the middle bay, below the window, is a 

 chamfered priest's doorway with four-centred arch, 

 the original oak door of which remains, though not 

 used. There are no windows in the north wall, but 

 near to its east end is the blocked doorway of a former 

 sacrist}'. The piscina is of an unusual type, with cinque- 

 foiled ogee head, stone shelf, and two lower compart- 

 ments, the bottom one containing two trefoil-shaped 

 bowls, and the upper a plain circular bowl. There are 

 no sedilia. On the north side the chancel is open to 

 the chapel by a pointed arch' of two chamfered orders, 

 the inner order on half-octagonal responds with moulded 

 capitals and chamfered bases. The much-restored 

 chancel arch- is of the same character, except that 

 both orders spring from moulded capitals. The arches 

 are without hood-moulds. There is no chancel screen 

 nor any traces of the rood-loft.' 



The nave arcades consist of three lofty pointed arches 

 of two chamfered orders, without hood-moulds, spring- 

 ing from octagonal pillars with moulded capitals and 

 bases, and from responds of similar character but with 

 chamfered bases. The 14th-century north aisle is 

 lighted by three pointed windows in the north wall, 

 each of three trefoiled lights with reticulated tracery, 

 and at each end by a pointed window of rather later 

 character, of three cinquefoiled lights and decorated 

 tracery, the jambs of which are moulded. All these 

 windows, the easternmost of which light the chapel, 

 have hood-moulds. The doorway and porch, in each 

 aisle, occupy the westernmost bay. In the west wall of 

 the north aisle, near its south end, is a plain pointed 

 recess 6 ft. 10 in. wide, the sill of which is about i 5 in. 

 above the floor.* There is no structural or other division 

 between the chapel and aisle, but its floor is raised one 

 step, and in the usual position in its south wall is a 

 pointed piscina with plain ogee head and circular bowl. 

 The lean-to roof of the aisle and chapel is continuous, 

 but externally there is a low-pitched gable at each end.' 



The south aisle has diagonal angle buttresses and is 

 lighted by pointed windows of three lights similar to 

 those in the chancel. Internally, on each side of the 

 east window is an image-bracket, that on the south side 

 moulded, the other in the form of a man's head, and 

 between the latter and the window is a niche with tre- 

 foiled ogee head and square hood-mould. Another 

 and larger niche in the south wall was brought here 

 from Grendon church in 1848.* The plain trefoil- 

 headed piscina of the aisle altar has a circular bowl and 



stone shelf. The pointed south doorway has a simple, 

 continuous hollow moulding and hood with returned 

 ends. 



The lofty south porch has a low-pitched gable and 

 moulded four-centred outer doorway, above which is 

 a niche with cusped ogee head. The lateral windows 

 are square-headed and of two trefoiled lights.' 



The tower is of three stages, with moulded plinth, 

 diagonal buttresses, and battlemented ashlar parapet 

 with angle pinnacles. The pointed west doorway has 

 a continuous-moulded arch within a square frame, and 

 traceried spandrels; above it is a tall pointed window 

 ot three cinquefoiled lights and vertical tracery. The 

 lower stage is blank on the north and south, and the 

 middle stage on the north and west, except for a clock 

 dial, but on the south and east is a restored single-light 

 window. The pointed bell-chamber windows are of 

 two cinquefoiled lights with a quatrefoil in the head, 

 and the tower has a pyramidal leaded roof and iron 

 vane. There is a vice in the south-west angle. The 

 lotty pointed arch to the nave is of two chamfered 

 orders, the inner order on half-octagonal responds with 

 moulded capitals and bases. The lower part of the 

 opening is filled with a modern oak screen. 



The font has a plain octagonal bowl and stem on a 

 moulded base, and is probably contemporary with the 

 nave arcades. 



The hexagonal oak pulpit is of the early Jacobean 

 period with panelled sides and elaborate canopy.* A 

 contemporary panelled reading-desk was converted in 

 1870 into a screen for a small vestry at the east end of 

 the south aisle, two of its narrow panels being replaced 

 by new ones a little wider, and small balusters added at 

 the top for height.' 



The effigy of Sir David de Esseby (1265) in the 

 north chapel has already been described.'" 



The beautiful monumental brass of Walter Ermyn, 

 rector (1401), had originally a shield at each corner of 

 the slab and was surrounded by a marginal inscrip- 

 tion," but the figure of the priest alone now remains. 

 He is represented vested in a cope, upon the borders of 

 which are engraved small figures of St. Peter, St. Paul, 

 St. Andrew, St. Nicholas, and St. Lawrence on one side, 

 and on the other St. Anne, St. Katharine, St. Margaret, 

 St. Mary Magdalene, and St. Elena. '^ 



On the east jamb of the chancel doorway is a scratch 

 dial. 



There are several monuments to members of the 

 Compton family. Of these the most notable are 

 (i) a marble group in bas-relief by Pietro Tenerani, 

 in memory of Margaret wife of the 2nd Marquess of 

 Northampton, who died in 1830;" (2) the large marble 

 figure of the Angel of the Resurrection, by the same 



' Below this arch is a modem oak 

 jcreen. In 1836 the ind Marquess of 

 Northampton bricked up this arch, after 

 removing a lath and plaster wall which 

 then blocked it, and against the brick wall 

 he put up a monument to his wife. In 

 184S-9 he opened out the arch as it is 

 now, and removed the pews and panelling 

 from the chancel, exposing the piscina and 

 the sacristy doorway. The scone reredos 

 was put up at this time. 



' In 1843 the lath and plaster bearing 

 the royal arms, which then Ailed the upper 

 part of the chancel arch, was removed. 



^ There is mention of a rood-loft in 

 1487, when it was named as a model for 

 one to be made in Great Brington church: 

 Martjucss of Northampton, Hiii. of ikt 



Comptont^ 323. 



* The arch is square on edge and is 

 4 ft. 5 in, high; the recess is 12 in. deep. 



* In the south aisle the parapet follows 

 the rake of the roof. 



^ It has a cinquefoil ogee head and 

 crocketed hood-mould with finial and 

 head-stops, and the hollow outer moulding 

 of the jambs is enriched with roses and 

 four-leaf tiowers. 



"^ There is a descent of two steps from 

 the churchyard to the porch and of two 

 from the porch to the Roor of the church. 



* The pulpit was moved to its present 

 position in 1S4S. It is shown against the 

 south-east pillar of the nave in a drawing 

 of 1810. 



* The balusters were copied from some 



in the old library at the castle: Lord Al- 

 wyne Compton's Notes. 



'" y.C.H. Northanti. i, 395. It was 

 placed in its present position in 1848. 



*' The shields and inscription had been 

 'torn off' before Bridges' time : Hitt. of 

 Norihantt. i, 346. 



" Hudson, firaiiei I,/ AoriAann. (iSf^), 

 where it is figured. The brass is in the 

 floor of the chancel. 



'^ It was erected in 1836 against the 

 brick wall in the arch between the chancel, 

 and moved to the north wall of the chapel 

 in 1848 when the arch was opened out. It 

 is signed 'Pietro Tenerani di Carrara faceva 

 in Roma nel 1836'. The group depicts 

 Charity as a standing female figure giving 

 alms to a seated woman with two children. 



^35 



