Church of St Mary

Details

CANONS ASHBY SP5750 19/39 Church of St. Mary 18/01/63 GV I Church. C13, C14 tower, C15 west window, C16 east wall and south wall rebuilt early C18. Ironstone ashlar with some limestone dressings, lead roofs. Nave, north aisle, south-west tower. Tall 5-light arch-mullion east window with small blocked pointed arch window above. To north, blocked many-moulded arch of doorway to demolished cloister, with outer moulding on capital and shaft. South wall of 2 bays, defined by Doric pilasters on high bases joined by chamfered plinth, with plain band running between capitals, above 3-light arch-mullion windows. Mid C14 north-west tower of 3 stages with angle buttresses to just short of belfry stage, and with buttress to first stage in middle of sides, all with crocketted tops. Blank arcading to base, continuing that of west front to north aisle but with cusped heads, no capitals and trefoils in spandrels. 2-light Decorated window above middle buttress on west side and tall 2-light Decorated belfry windows all with hood moulds. Belfry stage has chamfered angles and a double row of ballflower ornaments. Battlemented parapet and large plain pinnacles to angles with simple finials. West front of nave has Early English portal of 4 orders with stiff-leaf capitals, richly moulded arch with nailhead ornament within outer moulding, mostly broken. To left and right 2 bays of blank arcading with clustered shafts, stiff-leaf capitals, moulded heads with inner trefoil arches and narrow hood moulds with label stops. Above west door large 5-light Perpendicular window with flat ogee arch and hood mould with label stops and crocketed finial. Nave front defined by offset buttresses. Square south-west angle turret with incomplete octagonal top. Front of north aisle has 3 bays of blank arcading continuing that of west front but with simpler moulded capitals. 1-light Early English window with outer shafts, capitals and many moulded head. Head to window and of arcading are of contrasting white limestone. Interior: stained glass east window of 1918. Wall painting surrounds head of east window with cherubs holding back crimson draperies to reveal Holy Dove in sunburst above window, c.1710. Balustered communion rail and panelled pulpit of same date. 2-bay north aisle arcade. Arches have 3 hallow chamfers and conical foot-pieces, octagonal piers to east, semi-circular middle pier and polygonal shafted half-pillar to west. Double roll-moulded arch to north-west tower with hood mould. To right blocked door to demolished cloister with shallow pointed arch, roll-moulded. C19 tie-beam roof, lean-to roof to north aisle. Perpendicular octagonal font with blank tracery panels, only one repeated. C18 and C19 wall monuments to Dryden family, 2 C16 brasses. Monuments to John Turner Dryden, d.1797, to John Edward Turner Dryden d.1818, both by Rossi. Funeral achievement of Sir Robert Dryden d.1708 comprising of banner, 2 pennons, helmet and crest, wreath and mantling, tabard, shield, gauntlets, spurs and sword. Fine series of eleven painted funeral hatchments. C17 chamber organ. The nave was originally 96 feet long and followed by long aisless chancel. The Church is a peculiar and the surviving portion of an Augustanian priory church). (Buildings of England: Northants, 1973, pp.133,134).

Listing NGR: SP5779250524

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

360529

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (1961), 133,134
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, (1961)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.