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I Location

II General Description

What survives of the abbey church begun under Gunter, abbot from 1085, is the five W bays of the nave, with alternating round and compound piers, divided into bays by half-column responds running up from floor to ceiling, where they terminate in a cornice, presumably of 1638. The nave was originally aisled and had a gallery and clerestorey. The aisles have been demolished and the arcade walled below and glazed above. Likewise the gallery arches have been glazed and the roof lowered by the removal of the clerestorey (although the blocked windows of the W bay survive, visible on the exterior). The arcade and gallery arches are thus visible both inside and out. All this remodelling work dates from the rebuilding of 1638. At the W end the Norman buttresses have become the twin turrets of a 15thc. façade, with a Perpendicular W window and doorway. At the E a transept copying the Romanesque work, with vestries and organ in the arms and the altar in the centre, was added by Edward Blore, architect of Buckingham Palace, from 1839-41.

III Exterior Features

2. Windows

(i) Nave, S clerestorey, W bay (blocked)

Round-headed, continuous with an angle roll.

(ii) Nave, S side, gallery level, to W of W gallery opening (blocked)

Six voussoirs forming part of a round arch; those at each end carved with two rows of billet, the four between with an angle roll.

(iii) Nave, N clerestorey, W bay (blocked)

Round-headed, continuous with two rows of billet outside a row of chip-carved saltires.

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

c. Nave

(i) N arcade

Five bays, round-headed. The E respond and even-numbered piers are circular, the odd-numbered piers and W respond compound, with the outer order on nook shafts to N and S, and half-column responds supporting the inner order. Arches are of two orders to N and S, all plain except for the 2nd order on the S (main vessel) face, which has an angle roll and face hollow. Capitals are a variety of cushion and simple scallop types, described below, with roll neckings. Impost blocks are chamfered with a quirk at the top of the chamfer and a roll at the bottom. Bases are generally of roll/hollow chamfer profile. Bases on piers 2, 3 and the W respond have a row of sawtooth carved on the chamfer. In the descriptions of capitals which follow, it must be noted that the entire main face of 1st order capitals is not visible owing to the insertion of windows.

E respond:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 1, E side:

1st order capital: cushion with angle tucks.

2nd order (S): cushion with angle tucks.

2nd order (N): double scallop with cones between scallops.

Pier 1, W side:

1st order capital: cushion with angle tucks.

2nd order (S): double scallop (cushion with scalloping barely indicated).

2nd order (N): cushion.

Pier 2, E side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 2, W side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 3, E side:

1st order capital: scallop.

2nd order (S): double scallop with cone between scallops.

2nd order (N): double scallop with wedge between scallops.

Pier 3, W side:

1st order capital: scallop with angle tucks and shields carved with a double-grooved lower border and chip-carved vertical fillet with pellets to either side.

2nd order (S): double scallop with wedges between scallops.

2nd order (N): double scallop with angle tuck and wedge between scallops.

Pier 4, E side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 4, W side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

W respond:

1st order capital: scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order (S): cushion.

2nd order (N): double scallop with wedge between scallops.

(ii) S arcade

Five bays, round-headed. Generally as (i), but more simply carved and presumably done first. None of the bases has sawtooth decoration, and the capitals of the orders above the circular piers have bridges of stone between them, i.e. they are not separate blocks of stone. These drum capitals are of the simplest, tectonic type.

E respond:

1st order capital: cushion, tectonic to S.

2nd order (S): cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 1, E side:

1st order capital: scallop with wedges.

2nd order (S): cushion with angle wedges and vertical tuck in centre of E face.

2nd order (N): cushion.

Pier 1, W side:

1st order capital: scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order (S): double scallop with angle tucks (cushion with scalloping barely indicated).

2nd order (N): double scallop with wedge between scallops.

Pier 2, E side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 2, W side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 3, E side:

1st order capital: scallop with angle wedges.

2nd order (S): double scallop with angle tuck.

2nd order (N): cushion, 2 uneven scallops on W face.

Pier 3, W side:

1st order capital: scallop with angle roll.

2nd order (S): double scallop with cone between scallops.

2nd order (N): double scallop with wedge between scallops and lower edges of shields grooved.

Pier 4, E side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

Pier 4, W side:

1st order capital: tectonic cushion.

2nd order (S): tectonic cushion.

2nd order (N): tectonic cushion.

W respond:

1st order capital: scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order (S): double scallop with wedges between scallops.

2nd order (N): cushion.

3. Wall passages/Gallery arcades

b. Triforium

(i) N nave gallery

Five round-headed bays of two orders towards the nave.

1st order: on half-column responds with a soffit roll and a cavetto alongside it in the arch. Neckings are plain rolls and imposts as in the nave arcade below. Capitals are separately described below.

2nd order: on en-delit nook shafts with an angle roll in the arch above. Imposts and neckings as 1st order.

Bay 1 (E bay):

1st order, E capital: volute with a straight-lobed leaf form in the centre of the main face.

1st order, W capital: volute with a spiral-ended leaf form in the centre of the main face.

2nd order, E capital: non-projecting volute on the angle; the faces carved with spiral stems.

2nd order, W capital: flat leaf with volutes.

Bay 2:

1st order, E capital: similar to bay 1,1st order, W capital.

1st order, W capital: flat leaf with volutes and a trilobed fluted leaf in the centre of the main face.

2nd order, E capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order, W capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

Bay 3:

1st order, E capital: similar to bay 2, 1st order, W capital.

1st order, W capital: flat leaf with volutes.

2nd order, E capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order, W capital: block capital with a central trilobe on the lower necking from which issue leaves, either simple and fluted or cusped-edged.

Bay 4:

1st order, E capital: multi-scallop.

1st order, W capital: triple scallop.

2nd order, E capital: flat leaf with volutes.

2nd order, W capital: double scallop.

Bay 5:

1st order, E capital: volute with a spiral-ended leaf form in the centre of the main face.

1st order, W capital: triple scallop.

2nd order, E capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order, W capital: double scallop.

(ii) S nave gallery

Five round-headed bays of two orders towards the nave. Design is the same as the N gallery. Capitals are described below:

Bay 1 (E bay):

1st order, E capital: volute with two interlacing reeded stems forming a saltire on each face.

1st order, W capital: volute with leaf forms between the volutes, in the centre of each face.

2nd order, E capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order, W capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

Bay 2:

1st order, E capital: volute with tau-crosses on each face.

1st order, W capital: flat leaf with volutes and a trilobed fluted leaf in the centre of the main face.

2nd order, E capital: cushion with angle tucks.

2nd order, W capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

Bay 3:

1st order, E capital: volute with double spiral stem in centre of main face.

1st order, W capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order, E capital: double scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order, W capital: cushion with angle wedges.

Bay 4:

1st order, E capital: triple scallop with angle tucks.

1st order, W capital: triple scallop with angle tucks.

2nd order, E capital: cushion with angle tucks.

2nd order, W capital: cushion with keeled angle.

Bay 5:

1st order, E capital: triple scallop, the central scallop broader.

1st order, W capital: triple scallop.

2nd order, E capital: volute.

2nd order, W capital: cushion.

VII History

This is apparently the third monastery on the site. Saxulf, first Abbot of Peterborough, was said to have built a hermitage here c. 662. This was destroyed by the Danes (c. 870), to be refounded a century later (972) by Aethelwold. The dedication was to St Mary, although the nave (Holy Trinity), W end (St Peter) and N portico (St Benedict) had their own dedications too. The present double dedication seems to date from shortly afterwards, connected with the acquisition of St Botolph's bones. Aethelwold's church was taken down by Abbot Gunter (1085-1112) who began the present building. The church was advanced enough for the monks to enter it in 1098, and the whole of it was complete by 1108, although the dedication was not for another 20 years. In 1086 Thorney was a major landlord, with holdings in Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. According to Knowles's calculations on the Domesday Survey it ranked 36th in wealth among abbeys, with a value of £53.15s. This may be compared with the figure of £768.17s.3d. for Ely, the second-ranked house.

Benedictine abbey (to 1539); disused 1539-1638; parish church (from 1638)

VIII Comments/Opinions

The nave arcade capitals range from extremely crude and massive tectonic forms to simple multi-scallops with some variety in the treatment of angles and inter-scallop features. The round piers are consistently given simple cushion or tectonic capitals, and the more avant-garde forms are confined to the compound piers piers. In the gallery the predominant form is the volute capital, sometimes of the Ely type, in which the volute forms the tip of a leaf on the angle. This occasionally transposes into a flat-leaf form. Much more virtuosity is displayed here, but it is instructive to find what is conventionally considered to be the stylistically earlier capital form at a higher level, and therefore presumably later in absolute date. Pevsner (1968, 351) and Fernie (2000, 176) observed that the piers are dependent on the (contemporary) nave of Ely. Rigold (1977, 103) related the sawtooth bases to those at Castor. Similar undivided gallery openings are found at St Botolph's, Colchester (Essex).

IX Bibliography