WYMERSLEY HUNDRED rothersthorpe 



rebuilt, a clerestory erected and the tower heightened 

 or its upper part reconstructed. In the 15th century 

 new windows were inserted in the chancel and other 

 changes made, the nave roof being perhaps then lowered 

 to its present pitch.' 



In 1 841- the nave and aisles were re-pewed, but no 

 extensive reparation was undertaken until 1910-12, 

 when the north aisle and the east end of the south 

 aisle were rebuilt, an arch turned across each aisle to 

 resist the thrust of the chancel arch, and the tower 

 repaired. Some alterations were made in the chancel 

 in 1932. 



The chancel has a chamfered plinth and keel-shaped 

 string at sill level all round. The large pointed 15th- 

 century east window is of four cinquefoiled lights with 

 vertical tracery and hood-mould,^ and the two-stage 

 diagonal angle buttresses were no doubt added when the 

 window was inserted. On the south side is a tall pointed 

 window of three cinquefoiled lights, and on the north 

 side, high in the wall, a square-headed window of three 

 ogee cinquefoiled lights, with pointed rear arch. The 

 piscina and double scdilia form a single composition 

 of three continuous-moulded ogee arches without 

 hoods, the bowl of the piscina being fluted and the seats 

 on one level. Immediately west of the sedilia is a splayed 

 flat-arched opening, about 3 ft. wide, forming a squint 

 from the aisle, or chapel,'* and in the north wall is a 

 rectangular aumbry, which retains its original oak door 

 and beautiful iron hinges with snake-head termina- 

 tions. ' .^t its western end the chancel opens to the north 

 and south chapels by early- 14th-century pointed arches 

 of two chamfered orders, the inner order on half- 

 octagonal responds with moulded capitals and bases; 

 and the wider chancel arch is similar, all the bases hav- 

 ing double rolls. The chancel has an old open timber 

 roof of plain character, and turned oak altar rails. 

 The floor is flagged. 



The nave arcades are of three pointed arches of 

 two chamfered orders springing from pillars composed 

 of attached triple shafts grouped round a cylindrical 

 core, which fills the spaces between the four sets of 

 shafts. The pillars have moulded capitals w-ith plain 

 bells and the bases a simple double roll upon a square 

 plinth. The responds are half-octagonal, and the arches 

 have hood-moulds on both sides. At the east end of 

 each arcade, high in the wall, in the usual position near 

 to the chancel arch, the rood-loft doorways remain, but 

 the lower doorway on the north side is cither hidden 

 or removed. The arches between the aisles and the 

 chapels, as already stated, are modern,* and the former 

 screens have been removed. 



There is a piscina in each of the chapels, that in the 

 south with continuous-moulded pointed head and fluted 

 bowl, and the other with trefoiled head and bowl with 



orifices placed round a central boss. The south chapel 

 has a restored pointed east window of two trefoiled 

 lights, the splayed jambs of which widen out at the 

 bottom internally,' and in the south wall a single-light 

 pointed window near the east end,* and a later ellif>- 

 tical-headed window of four trefoiled lights. On each 

 side of the east window is a moulded bracket, and below 

 the four-light window a wide w'all-recess' with moulded 

 ogee arch and crocketed hood-mould. 



The much-restored east window of the north chapel 

 is of two trefoiled lights with quatrefoil in the head, but 

 in the north wall is a pointed three-light window with 

 good original curvilinear tracery. 



The i3th-centur)' south doorway, moved outward 

 when the aisle was built, has a pointed arch of two 

 orders, the inner w-ith a continuous half-roll edge 

 moulding and the outer with a plain chamfer, on nook- 

 shafts with moulded capitals and bases: the hood- 

 mould is keel-shaped. The original oak door has been 

 faced with deal, but retains a good iron ring-handle 

 with circular pierced plate. The pointed north door- 

 way is of two continuous moulded orders with hood- 

 mould. The pointed aisle windows are much restored: 

 that at the west end of the south aisle consists of a 

 single trefoiled light, the others of two lights, varying 

 only slightly in detail. 



The clerestory windows, three on each side, are 

 small quatrefoiled circles, but on the south side the 

 easternmost one has been replaced by a long square- 

 headed window of four lights with wooden lintel. '° 

 The east gable of the old nave roof, surmounted by a 

 sanctus bell-turret, still stands, though the roof itself 

 no longer remains. 



The restored porch" is without buttresses and has a 

 pointed outer doorway of two chamfered orders, the 

 inner order on half-octagonal responds with moulded 

 capitals and bases. A disused sun-dial in the plain coped 

 gable occupies the place of a former niche. In each 

 of the side w-alls is a small nondescript opening cut 

 from a single stone. 



The tower, which is undivided by strings below the 

 bell-chamber, has pairs of three-stage buttresses at its 

 western angles, and a wide single-light pointed west 

 window, below which a doorway with w-ooden frame 

 is cut through the wall. The north and south walls are 

 blank, except for a small pointed louvred opening in 

 the upper part. There is no vice. The bell-chamber 

 stage is much restored; the pointed windows are of two 

 trefoiled lights, with plain pierced spandrels, and hood- 

 moulds. On the north and south sides the tower ter- 

 minates with straight parapets, and the coped east and 

 west gables of the saddle-back roof have each a small 

 pointed window of two lights.'^ Internally the tower 

 opens to the nave by a 13th-century pointed arch of 



' The lines of the two older roofs are 

 on the east face of the tower, the lower 

 one being that of the 13th-century nave. 



' Some of the ancient furnishings were 

 unfortunately removed. The condition of 

 the church in 1 8 3 5 is thus described : 'The 

 chancel arch was boarded up and the King's 

 arms placed thereon ; part of the rood-loft 

 screen remained. The screens of the chan- 

 try chapels divided them from the aisles 

 and were of Perpendicular character': 

 Jour, Brit. AtcHmI. Atioc. (April 1 846), 

 p. 6. Before the introduction of the 

 new pews part of the floor was paved with 

 red glazed figured tiles forming quarters 

 of circles, the designs on which com- 



prised running deer and fighting cocks : 

 ibid. 9-10. 



' "The jambs are double chamfered and 

 may belong to a 14th-century window. 

 The window in the south wall has a case- 

 ment moulding. 



* The sill is about 2 ft. from the floor; 

 towards the chapel it is formed by the 

 string of the originally external chancel 

 wall. 



' The opening is I ft. 8J in. high by 

 14 in. wide and is rebated all round. The 

 hinges are of 'omega* shape. 



** The thrust of the chancel arch is still 

 active, and the nave walls immediately to 



the west of it are bolted together with iron 

 rods. 



' In the lower widened part the jambs 

 are wave-moulded. 



^ It has wave-moulded jambs and its 

 sill is 5 ft. 6 in. above the plinth. 



' It is 7 ft. wide and 4 ft. high. 



'" The stone tabling below the eaves is 

 cut away for the wooden lintel. 



'* The porch was described as 'in bad 

 repair' in December 1892. 



" The height of the tower from the 

 ground to the top of the gables is given as 

 'nearly 60 ft.' : jourti. Brit. Arch. Alloc, 

 (1846), 7. 



287 



