St Mary and St John, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire

I Location

Site Location
Hinxton
National Grid Reference
TL 497 452
County
traditional: Cambridgeshire
now: Cambridgeshire
Diocese
medieval: not confirmed
now: Ely
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Mary and St John
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Exterior from NW

Exterior from NW

Aisleless nave, chancel, W tower. A chapel has been added to the S of the chancel, extending one bay along the nave with a connecting arch. The nave has a plain, blocked Norman N doorway (not recorded). The chapel and the lower storey of the tower are early 13thc., while most features of the chancel are Decorated. The top of the tower and its lead spike, with external Sanctus bell are 14thc. Construction is of flint and pebble with Barnack and clunch dressings. The font is 12thc.

V Furnishings

1. Fonts

(i)

Font bowl from NE

Font bowl from NE

Font, general view from E

Font, general view from E

At W end of S chapel, a square bowl mortared to a 13thc. octagonal support with an octagonal bell capital. The bowl is carved from a single block, and has fat integral angle shafts with double scallop capitals. The inner bowl is circular with a chamfered inner rim and unlined.

Dimensions
h. of bowl 0.40 m
w. of bowl (N-S) 0.73 m
w. of bowl (E-W) 0.72 m
internal dia. of bowl 0.58 m

VII History

Picot of Cambridge held the manor of 15½ hides. He also held 1 hide from the king, and 1½ hides formed the wara of his manor of Great Chesterford in Essex (the land supplying the obligations of the manor for royal service). Another 2 hides in Hinxton were held by the Bishop of Lincoln, and Robert from him. Durand held 1 hide from Hardwin de Scales. No church is mentioned in Domesday, but Hinxton church was among those given by Picot to Barnwell Priory when he founded it in 1092.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

  • N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England. Cambridgeshire, Harmondsworth 1954 (2nd ed. 1970), 407.
  • C. H. Evelyn-White, County Churches: Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. London 1911, 98-99.