St Mary the Virgin, Culworth, Northamptonshire

I Location

Site Location: Culworth
National Grid Reference: SP 545 470
County: traditional: Northamptonshire
now: Northamptonshire
Diocese: medieval: Lincoln
now: Peterborough from 1539
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Mary the Virgin
Type of building/monument: Parish church

II General Description

: Exterior from W

: View from N showing motte

: Interior to E

St Mary's stands to the south of a motte ringed by a ditch. It has a clerestoreyed, aisled nave with three-bay arcades. The aisles have been extended westwards alongside the west tower. The chancel was rebuilt in 1840 with a north chapel now housing the organ, and a north vestry to the east of that. The nave arcades are late 12thc., although the pointed, chamfered arches appear later than the piers and their capitals. Both arcades have 19thc. labels with figural label stops. The lower part of the tower and its arch, and the extensions to the aisles are c.1300, and the upper storeys of the tower and the nave clerestorey are Perpendicular. The S nave doorway is under a porch. Construction is of ashlar and roughly shaped, coursed stone. There was a general restoration in c.1880 by E. B. Law. The only Romanesque work is in the nave arcades.

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

c. Nave

(i) N arcade

: Nave N arcade from SW

: Nave N arcade E respond

: Nave N arcade pier 1 capital

: Nave N arcade pier 2 capital

: Nave N arcade W respond

Three bays, pointed arches. The arches are pointed and deeply chamfered to N and S, so probably later than the piers, perhaps as late as 1300. Labels with human head label stops were added to the S face in the 19thc.

E respond: The E arch dies into the E nave wall, with a plain chamfered impost but no respond.

Pier 1: Cylindrical pier with an octagonal double roll base. The capital circular in plan and moulded with a plain necking, tall straight bell, and a projecting moulded abacus with a quirked chamfer at the bottom, then a low roll and a flat fillet. Inserts have been used for repair.

Pier 2: Octagonal pier with an octagonal hollow chamfered base. The capital also octagonal with fine trumpet scallops, five to each face, terminating in round shields with a central raised boss. There is a plain chamfered abacus above and no impost.

W respond: The respond is chamfered and clearly belongs with the arch it supports. The hollow-chamfered impost is 19thc.

(ii) S arcade

: Nave S arcade from NW

: Nave S arcade E respond

: Nave S arcade pier 1 capital

: Nave S arcade pier 2 capital

: Nave S arcade W respond

Three bays, pointed arches. The arches as in the N, so 13thc. or later, and 19thc. labels and stops added as on the N.

E respond: The arch dies into the E nave wall, with an impost carved with a lower angle roll, face roll and fillet, and no respond.

Pier 1. Capital and pier as N arcade pier 1, but with an octagonal chamfered base.

Pier 2: Octagonal pier with an octagonal double roll base. The capital is octagonal with broad flat leaves on each angle, joined at the centre of each face with a notch, like waterleaf. The leaf profiles are outlined by a thin roll.

W respond: As N arcade W respond.

VII History

Neither the church nor the castle is mentioned in Domesday. At this time Culworth was held by Osbern from Geoffrey de Mandeville.

Benefice of Culworth with Sulgrave and Thorpe Mandeville and Chipping Warden with Edgcote and Moreton Pinkney.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The piers and their capitals belong to the years around 1200, but the arches were replaced in the later 13thc.

IX Bibliography

G. Baker, The History and Antiquities of the County of Northampton. 2 vols, London, 1822-41, I, 609-10.
J. Bridges, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire. (Compiled from the manuscript collections of the late learned antiquary J.Bridges, Esq., by the Rev. Peter Whalley). Oxford 1791, I, 164-65.
N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Harmondsworth 1961, rev. B. Cherry 1973, 171-72.
RCHME, Report, uncatalogued.