Details
ROTHWELL SQUIRE'S HILL
SF 8081-8181
(east end)
9/82 Church of
12.6.50 Holy Trinity
GV I
Parish Church. C12, C13, C14, C15, early C16. Spire collapsed 1660.
Transepts cut down, 1673. Chancel restored 1848, the remainder restored
between 1893 and 1910. Ironstone with limestone bands and dressings and
lead roofs. Plinths, string courses and moulded parapets and gables
throughout. West tower, nave with clerestory, north and south aisles with
porches, Lady chapel, south chapel, chancel and sanctuary under continuous
roof, crypt. 3-stage west tower, c.1225 and C14, has 3 angle and
clasping buttresses, plinth and string courses, 4 pinnacles and pyramidal
roof with finial and wind vane. West side has roll moulded doorway of 5
orders with ringed shafts and responds, and re-set late C12 arch with
zigzag bands. Above the door, 3 round relieving arches. South side has
3 similar arches. Second stage has to north 2 blocked C14 openings, that
to left containing a lancet. To their right, a blocked C13 roll moulded
opening with shafts. All have hood moulds. To west, a partly blocked
late C14 double lancet, now containing a moulded clock dial. The bell
stage has on each side 2 cusped transomed double lancet openings with
hood moulds. At the north east corner a hexagonal stair turret with
plinth and string courses and C19 spire with a tier of lucarnes.
Clerestory, C15, has single bellcote to east gable. On either side, 7
plain 3-light windows with 4-centred arched heads. C13 north aisle, 4
bays, has to north 4 and to west a single buttress, 2 set-offs. North
side has 3 restored plain Perpendicular triple lancets with hood moulds
and mask stops. West end has a similar window. C14 north porch has roll
moulded doorway with triple shafts, hood mould and stops, and 2-leaf C17
studded doors. Gable has crocketed pinnacles. Slab roof. To east,
remodelled former transept has 3 buttresses, the central one largest, and
2 blocked arches. In the east one, a plain late C13 double lancet. In
the west one, a Perpendicular triple lancet. Lady chapel, C13,
refenestrated C15, 3 bays, has at north east corner a complex external.
pier with a gabled frieze, topped with a spire. North side has 3
transomed Perpendicular lancets and to their right, a C13 moulded
doorway. East end has a C13 triple lancet with intersecting tracery, its
lower light blocked by a C19 lean-to vestry, Perpendicular style. All the
openings have hood moulds. Buttressed late C13 south aisle, 4 bays, has
to south 3 tall plain triple lancets with shafts, hood moulds and mask
stops. 2-bay south chapel, to east, has 2 blocked arches flanking a
central plain buttress. The smaller arch to the left contains a C13
triple lance with spherical triangles over. The larger arch to the east
has a similar cusped window and to its left, a restored priest's door.
The east end has a Perpendicular 4-light lancet. All the openings have
hood moulds and stops. South porch, C13 and C14, has moulded doorway
with ringed shafts, gable and crocketed pinnacles, and slab roof. Vaulted
interior has roll moulded inner doorway. To its left, a lean-to enclosure
covering the winder stairs to the crypt. Sanctuary east end, mid C14,
has a cusped 5-light lancet with panel tracery and hood mould with mask
stops flanked by single angle buttresses with octagonal upper parts
topped with spires. Chancel south side has a near-central buttress and
to its left, 2 blocked arches, that to right with a C19 Geometrical triple
lancet. To the right, a Restored Perpendicular triple lancet with blocked
lower lights. Both have hood moulds. Above, to the left, 3 late C12
round headed windows and above them, a C12 corbel table. Above and to
the left again, a C19 2-light window. Interior has C14 vaulted tower
chamber with bosses and bell hole, and late C13 moulded tower arch with
filleted shafts and naturalistic capitals. Nave arcades, early C13,
raised mid C13, 5 bays, incorporate c1200 crossing at the east end. Round
and square piers, filleted shafts, and similar responds with rings.
Triple chamfered western arches, double coved eastern arches, with hood
moulds. To the north east, moulded rood stair doorway. Above, sill band
and plain clerestory windows. Queen post roof, early C20. North aisle
west end has C13 moulded doorway to tower, with mid C17 door. North
side east windows have C13 surrounds. East end has early C14 double
chamfered arch into former transept and to east again, triple chamfered
arch with shafts and traceried oak screen, 1935, to Lady chapel. Roof
with moulded cambered tie-beams, restored c1660. Lady chapel has
chamfered and moulded sill bands. North side has to east, C14 tomb
recess and 3 windows with linked hood moulds. East end has stained
glass window, 1931, flanked by single square brackets, and to east a C14
ogee piscina. South side has 2-bay arcade, C14, towards chancel.
Renewed roof with cambered tie-beams and arch braces. South aisle has
moulded sill band. South side has to east the remains of a C14 double
piscina. East end has triple-coved C14 arch with hood mould and 3 re-
set mask stops into the former transept. To east again, a double
chamfered arch with a clustered pier to south and round respond to north,
with hood mould and mask stops. Early C20 roof with moulded tie-beams
and purlins. South chapel has on north side a re-set 2-light low side
window and above, a C12 corbel table. Renewed roof similar to south
aisle. Chancel has early C14 triple hollow chamfered arch with hood
mould and stops and clustered shaft responds. Low C20 oak screen.
Altered north and south arcades, 4 bays, have narrower western bays with
quatrefoil piers with crocketed corbels. Eastern bays have square piers
mostly with flanking shafts and crocketed corbels. North arcade has roll
moulded western arches and double chamfered eastern arch. South arcade
has simpler double chamfered arches. All have hood moulds. North west
corner has a chamfered rood loft doorway. Sanctuary north side has a
C15 doorway and a C20 aumbry. East end has Perpendicular style wooden
reredos, 1927. South side has remains of a late C13 canopied triple
piscina and a damaged C14 canopied quadruple sedilia. To west, a stained
glass window. 1912. Above, a sill band and 5 unglazed C12 windows with
linked hood mould. Chancel and sanctuary have a renewed low pitched
arch-braced roof with good quality beast and mask corbels. Rare 2-bay
crypt, early C13, has chamfered ribbed vault and contains the bones of
some 1,500 persons. East end has traces of wall painting. Fittings
include unusual hexagonal C13 font with detached ringed angle shafts.
Restored C14 traceried stalls with figure finials and 8 misericords. C18
baluster type altar rail. Brass chandelier, 1733. Royal Arms, late C15,
C19 and C20 pulpit, lectern and chairs. Panelled marquetry screen, 1922,
made from Cl7 panels. memorials include 3 C13 coffin lids, incised lid,
1309, brass to William de Rowell, 1361. 2 chest tombs, one with brasses,
to Owen Ragsdale, 1591, with Latin inscription. Pedimented Classical
painted marble tablet with Latin inscription to Andrea Lane, 1694.
Painted marble hanging cartouche with apron and Latin inscription to
Elizabeth Lane, 1694. 2 marble tablets, mid and late C18, 6 C19 tablets.
Wooden war memorial tablets, 1918 and 1945. The church was founded by
Earl Roger de Clare, and became a possession of Cirencester Abbey in
1133.
Sources: Pevsner
Kelly's Directory of Northamptonshire, 1928
S Hawkins Holy Trinity Church Guide
Listing NGR: SP8162081144
This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 30 October 2017.
