ODSEY HUNDRED 



of the Templars' lands to the Knights Hospitallers 14 

 this estate probably became amalgamated with the 

 Hospitallers' other holding in Rushden. 



The church of ST. MARY THE 

 CHURCH VIRGIN consists of chancel 28 ft. by 

 14 ft., nave 4.3 ft. by 20 ft., south porch, 

 west tower 11 ft. by 10 ft. 6 in., all dimensions 

 taken internally. The walls are of flint rubble 

 covered with cement, the dressings are of stone ; the 

 chancel is built of brick and the roof slated, the nave 

 roof being covered with lead. 



The nave dates from about 1 340-50 j the chancel 

 is modern, although built on the old foundations, 

 parts of which are visible on the south side. The 

 diancel arch is of 15th-century date ; the west tower 

 of about 140a. 



In the original 14th-century plinth visible on the 

 south side of the chancel are the jambs of an old 

 doorway. The four-light window in the east wall of 



RUSHDEN 



orders, with moulded capitals and splayed bases ; the 

 capital on the east side is enriched with leaf orna- 

 ment, the other being plain. The south porch is 

 modern. At the south-east angle of the nave are the 

 remains of the stair to the rood loft, constructed in 

 the thickness of the wall. In the east wall, north of 

 the chancel arch, is a large niche with cinquefoiled 

 four-centred arch under a square head ; above is a 

 frieze filled with square panels cusped and traceried ; 

 portions of the flanking buttresses and the sill have 

 been cut away. It is of 15th-century work. On 

 the north wall of the nave, opposite the south door, 

 are traces of paintings. 



The west tower is of three stages with an embattled 

 parapet. The tower arch is of three splayed orders 

 with responds and moulded capitals, the bases are 

 modern. The west window is of two trefoiled lights 

 with a sixfoiled opening in the centre and is of late 

 14th-century date. The second stage is pierced on 



Rushden Church from the South-east 



the chancel and the two windows of two lights in 

 each of the north and south walls, together with the 

 doorway in the south, are all modern. In the south 

 wall a late 14th-century piscina has been reset ; the 

 head is cinquefoiled and the plain projecting sill is 

 made up with cement. The 15th-century chancel 

 arch is of two moulded orders, the inner one sup- 

 ported on responds with capitals but no bases, the 

 mouldings stopping on a plain splay. The jambs 

 have been repaired. In the north wall of the nave 

 is a late 15th-century window of three cinquefoiled 

 lights under a four-centred arch, a good deal repaired ; 

 a late 14th-century doorway has been blocked ; it 

 has an arch of two orders. In the south wall are 

 two windows of two cinquefoiled lights with transom 

 and traceried heads under four-centred arches ; they 

 are of late 15th-century work much repaired. The 

 mid- 14th-century south doorway is of three moulded 



14 See Dugdale, Mob. 



I ; Addison, Knights Ttmplan, 299. 



the south face only by a narrow loop-light ; the 

 belfry lights are single with trefoiled heads and are 

 much decayed. 



The low-pitched roof over the nave has been 

 much restored, but some of the old timbers still 

 remain ; the marks of the original high-pitched roof 

 are visible on the east face of the tower. 



The octagonal font belongs to the middle of the 

 1 5th century; the sides of the basin are decorated 

 with cusped and foliated panels ; the base mouldings 

 have been repaired with cement ; the cover is of 

 17th-century work. 



The communion table is of the early part of the 

 17th century and has plain turned legs. All the 

 other fittings are modern. 



On the south nave wall is a mural monument, 

 with arms, to Sir Adolphus Meetkerke, who died in 

 1591. 



There are five bells cast from four old ones in 

 1787 by John Briant of Hertford. 



26q 



