II General Description

The church is set in woodland, alongside the stables of Blatherwycke Hall (the house was demolished in 1948). The nave has an early 12thc. S doorway, and must date from that time. A two-bay N aisle has been added, the arcade of c.1200 but the aisle itself widened in the 19thc. There is no clerestorey, but the interior is bright owing to the large 14thc. windows in the S wall. The chancel has a three-bay N aisle, the arcade 13thc. The W tower is slender and unbuttressed, dating from early in the 12thc. The plain W doorway and plain windows in the N, Sand W walls (not described) attest to this, as does the E bell-opening (the rest are later). Construction is of grey stone blocks, roughly shaped and coursed.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) S nave doorway

Round-headed. The arch is of two plain orders with no label; the embrasures of one, aligned with the inner arch order. It is carried on heavy en-delit nook-shafts without bases. The capitals are tall with roll neckings, the W capital of volute type, the E similar, but with the angle chamfered off below the volute, and carved in relief with and oval stem terminating in leaves within the oval. The E impost is a large cuboid block, roughly shaped; the W is similar but carved with a double hollow chamfer on the front face.

Dimensions

(ii) Tower, W doorway

Round-headed, one order, blocked. Plain and continuous with a slight chamfer.

2. Windows

(i) Tower, E bell-opening

Round-headed, one order. The head is a three-piece arcuated lintel, slightly chamfered. It is carried on fat en-delit nook-shafts with bulbous bases and worn capitals, apparently volutes, with roll neckings. There are no imposts.

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

b. Tower/Transept arches

(i) Tower arch

W arch

Round-headed, one order. The arch itself is plain and unmoulded, as are the jambs. The arch is carried on quirked hollow chamfered imposts.

2. Arcades

c. Nave

(i) N arcade

Two bays, round-headed.The arcade is carried on a cylindrical central pier with half-column responds at the E and W ends. The E respond has no base, but the other two are water-holding with spurs. The arch has a slight chamfer on both faces. E respond capital: large volutes on the main angles, and in the centre of the main face a pair of smaller volutes, their leaf-tips turned away from one another. The side faces have the same motif halved. Where the leaves join, above the necking, are drilled notches, as on a waterleaf capital. Like waterleaf too is the visible upper rim of the bell behind the leaf-tips. The necking is a plain roll, and the impost quirked chamfered. Pier 1 capital: plain concave bell with a plain square abacus. Impost and necking as E respond. W respond capital: as pier 1.

VII History

Blatherwycke belonged to the estate of Robert de Bucy in 1086. Northmann held it from Robert, and Hugh and William from Northmann. No church or priest was recorded.

The church is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The simple Sdoorway, the tower arch, the W doorway and the lone surviving original bell-opening belong together, and to the years around 1080-1100. The nave arcade cannot be before c.1170 to judge by the waterleaf capital.

IX Bibliography