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I Location

II General Description

St John's has an early 12thc. nave to which three-bay aisles were added c.1170-80. One of the original nave windows is visible on either side. A clerestorey was added in the 14thc. The nave doorways are both 14thc., the N now leads to a modern octagonal parish room, while the S is under a porch. The chancel is 12thc. too; again one of the original windows is visible on the N, with a two-bay N aisle added at the same time as the nave aisles. It is possible, as Thorneycroft suggests, that there was a similar arrangement of the S side, but if so it is difficult to see why this was entirely rebuilt in the following century whereas the N arcade was simply augmented. At some time in the 13thc. the N aisle was extended by one bay, and a three-bay S aisle added. This is now a chapel, while its counterpart on the N is taken up by the organ and vestry. The chancel was lengthened in the later 14thc., and a crypt added under the extension. The west tower is 14thc. work, and refaced in its upper parts. It has an octagonal ashlar spire with three sets of lucarnes. There was a complete restoration in 1863, by Slater of Carlton Chambers, London. This included the replacement of the chancel arch and east wall, the rebuilding of the nave clerestorey and the N nave arcade, the rebuilding of the NE corner of the tower and west end of the north aisle, and the rebuilding of the south aisle wall on a new line. It was at this time that the original nave and chancel windows were rediscovered. Construction of the church is largely of ashlar. The Romanesque features recorded here are both nave arcades and the chancel N arcade.

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

a. Choir

(i) N arcade

Two bays, round headed. The arcade is carried on half-column responds with a central cylindrical pier. These all have simple double-roll water-holding bases. Capitals are all similar - perfectly plain multi-scallops with a suggestion of the trumpet. Neckings are plain rolls, and the imposts are unusual in being a double form of the plain chamfered impost block, but carved from a single block. Arches are unmoulded and of a single order, with a square-section label towards the main vessel, carved with a row of nailhead on the inner angle.

c. Nave

(i) N arcade

Three bays, round-headed. The western part rebuilt and capitals replaced. Pier, base, arch and label forms follow the stylistically earlier N chancel arcade described above. The imposts likewise have a doubled form, but here it is a double hollow-chamfer with angle rolls between face and chamfer on each level. Unlike the choir arcade imposts, these are made of two layers of stone. Neckings are plain rolls. The capitals are described below:

E respond capital: Flat leaf capital with a large spade-shaped leaf on each angle, one on each short face and two on the main face. All are outlined by a thin roll, and behind their tips a similar cusped roll defines the upper rim of the bell.

Pier 1 capital: Flat leaf of the same design as the E respond capital, except that the two angles towards the central vessel are given special treatment with a ball-shaped volute.

Pier 3 capital: Inventive replacement of 1863.

W respond capital: Inventive replacement of 1863.

(ii) S arcade

Three bays, round-headed. As N arcade except for capitals.

E respond capital: A variant of the multi-waterleaf type, with leaves with tips bent down at the angles and on the main face, and between them, simple spade-shaped leaves with edges outlined by a thin roll. Behind their tips a similar cusped roll defines the upper rim of the bell. The impost contains a replacement block.

Pier 1 capital: Similar to the E respond. The angles have broad keeled leaves, the tips curving down, and on each face is a symmetrical pair of stems with confronted hooked tips. Behind the leaf-tips a cusped roll defines the upper rim of the bell.

Pier 2 capital: A variant of pier 1, in which all leaf tips have a well-defined volute.

W respond capital: As E respond.

VII History

In 1086 Kingsthorpe was held by the king. No church was recorded at that time, and it is usually assumed that it was founded from St Andrew's Priory, Northampton. At some time after c.1160, St Peter's Northampton, along with Kingsthorpe and Upton as dependencies, was granted to Henry, son of Peter by the Prior of St Andrew's. Until 1850 St John's, Kingsthorpe and St Michael's, Upton were chapels of St Peter's Northampton, but both received parish status at that date.

Benefice of Kingsthorpe with St David's Northampton.

VIII Comments/Opinions

The chancel arcade is stylistically simpler and earlier than either of the nave arcades, and of the two last, the N must come before the S. It is assumed that all belonged to an extended campaign of expansion between c.1160 and c.1180. The S nave arcade capitals, the latest of the campaign, should be compared with work at Croughton; not for a workshop connection but for a similar unusual treatment of a fairly common type of capital.

IX Bibliography