St Margaret, Denton, Northamptonshire

I Location

Site Location
Denton
National Grid Reference
SP 838 580
County
traditional: Northamptonshire
now: Northamptonshire
Diocese
medieval: Lincoln
now: Peterborough from 1539
Dedication
medieval: St Margaret 1455
now (or name of monument): St Margaret
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Exterior from S.

Exterior from S.

Interior to E.

Interior to E.

Interior looking NE, from W gallery.

Interior looking NE, from W gallery.

Interior to SW.

Interior to SW.

St Margaret's has a large, squarish nave of alternate limestone and ironstone courses, dating from the rebuilding of 1827-28 by Charles Squirhill. This replaced an aisled 13thc. nave, and the W responds of the arcades still remain, along with the S doorway under a medieval porch. Also from the medieval church are the small, square chancel (13thc.) and the W tower (13thc. in its lowest parts). There are vestries to N and S of the chancel, the S a modern addition. Inside the nave the church retains its W gallery, with an organ in the centre and benches to either side. The font may, at a pinch, be 12thc., but is more probably 13thc.

V Furnishings

1. Fonts

(i)

Font from SE.

Font from SE.

At W end of nave under the gallery towards the S. It consists of a chalice-shaped bowl mounted on a moulded Perpendicular pedestal, and is lead lined and painted all over in grey. The bowl is decorated with a row of eight large crosses in relief with stepped bases and tops, their arms connected leaving two rows of square depressed fields.

Dimensions
h. of bowl 0.425 m
ext. diam. at top 0.65 m
int. diam. at top 0.475 m

VII History

In 1086 Denton was divided between Countess Judith and Ramsey Abbey. No church was recorded.

Benefice of Yardley Hastings, Denton and Grendon with Castle Ashby and Whiston.

VIII Comments/Opinions

Pevsner describes the font as 'circular with bold, coarse, large cross patterns,' and asks 'What is the date?' The paint does not help, but the stepped crosses perhaps point to the 13thc. rather than the 12thc., despite the irregularity of execution.

IX Bibliography

  • N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, Harmondsworth, 1961, rev. by B. Cherry, 1973, 183f.
  • Victoria County History: Northamptonshire, IV (1937).