Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

A church of early 13th-century origins, but mainly dating from the mid-13th to mid-14th centuries. The building is constructed of regular coursed and squared coursed limestone, part banded and dressed with ironstone, with an ashlar spire and lead roofs.

The plan comprises an aisled nave and chancel, transepts, north and south porches, and a west tower.

The south elevation of the south chapel displays a 3-window range with two 3-light Perpendicular windows to the right and one 2-light window to the left. These have 4-centred arch heads, hollow jambs, and crocketted hood moulds with carved label stops. The chapel has a lean-to roof with castellated ashlar parapets and a pinnacle at the corner.

Three east windows light the eastern end: the centre is a 5-light Perpendicular window with panel tracery and a 4-centred arch head with crocketted hood mould and carved label stops. The south aisle window is a similar 4-light window, whilst the north aisle window is 5-light with a 2-centred arch head. These are linked by a shallow gabled roof with castellated ashlar parapets, connecting to lean-to roofs over the north and south chapels.

The north chapel's north elevation contains a 2-window range of 3- and 4-light Perpendicular windows with 4-centred arch heads, hollow jambs, and carved label stops. An octagonal turret with similar parapet stands at the north-east corner, beneath a lean-to roof with castellated ashlar parapets.

The south transept has a 3-light south window with Y-tracery and cusping, and a 3-light Perpendicular east window with panel tracery. It is roofed with a shallow gable featuring head and ball-flower decoration to the cornice and ironstone parapet.

The north transept contains a 4-light north window with tracery and 6 trefoils, 2-light east and west windows with trefoils, and similar high-level windows at the inside corners of each elevation. The shallow gabled roof has an ashlar parapet with a centre gargoyle to each face.

The south aisle's south elevation comprises 2 bays with a one-window range: a 3-light Perpendicular window to the right with panel tracery and 4-centred arch head. A single-light arch-head west window lights the western bay. A gabled porch to the left bay has moulded inner and outer doorways and ashlar gable parapets with a square finial. The aisle has a shallow gabled roof with castellated ashlar parapets.

The north aisle's north elevation is similar in arrangement. A 2-storey gabled porch to the right bay features a fine ogee-head outer doorway with roll moulding and quatrefoils with shields in the spandrels, surmounted by a niche with pinnacles. The inner door has a trefoil head with one order of shafts and is plank and studded with strap hinges. The porch interior has a vaulted ceiling with ridge ribs and tiercerons. A 3-light Perpendicular west window and shallow gabled roof with plain parapets complete this elevation.

The nave clerestory comprises a 5-window range: three 2-light Perpendicular windows with 2-centred arch heads to the west, and two single-light square-head windows to the east.

The west tower is a fine Perpendicular structure of 4 stages with 3-stage set-back angle buttresses to the lower 3 stages. The west doorway has a roll-moulded surround and gabled porch with roll-moulded outer arch. A stone gabled roof with a line of lower gable below links with flying buttresses to the sides of the flanking angle buttresses. The interior of the porch has a rib-vaulted ceiling. The second stage carries a 3-light Perpendicular window to the west face. The third stage has diamond-shaped clock face surrounds to the north and west faces. The fourth stage has a pair of 2-light bell-chamber openings to each face, surmounted by a quatrefoil frieze and cusped diagonal friezes. A corbel table and parapet of openwork quatrefoils complete this stage. Ribbed and crocketted pinnacles at the corners support a set-back octagonal spire with large openwork crockets linked to the pinnacles by openwork flying buttresses. Three tiers of lucarnes punctuate the spire; the lower two tiers have mullions and transoms.

Interior

The nave has a 3-bay arcade of double-chamfered arches with octagonal piers; the arches corresponding with the transepts are larger. Double-chamfered chancel arch has octagonal responds, and a triple-chamfered tower arch opens to the west. Double-chamfered arches with brackets span the aisles at the transept level. A triple-chamfered arch opens to the north chapel, whilst the south chapel is entered through a moulded arch set in a square-head surround with cusping in the spandrels and figures at the springing.

A 2-bay arcade of Perpendicular arches with 4-centred heads and central quatrefoil piers connects the chancel to the north and south chapels.

A fine strainer arch spans the nave at the transept level. It has arched top and bottom with mouchettes forming wheels in the spandrels, and an openwork parapet with castellated top. Angels appear at the springing. The nave and aisle roofs have moulded beams and bases with angel corbels.

A 19th-century screen crosses the tower arch, its upper section copying the strainer arch.

To the right of the altar are triple sedilia and a piscina, all with moulded trefoil heads and shafts. A double 2-light window above opens into the south chapel, now used as a vestry. A niche stands to the left of the altar.

Restored Perpendicular screens span the chancel, between the chancel arches, and across the transepts. A Perpendicular pulpit is present. A 13th-century octagonal font has stiff-leaf decoration.

Stained glass of mid-15th-century date occupies the upper parts of the chancel and south chapel east windows; the south chapel window contains some 14th-century insets, and the lower part of the chancel is entirely 15th-century. Similar mid-15th-century glass depicting four apostles appears in the north aisle window. The south transept and west windows of the aisles all contain stained glass, probably by Kempe.

Monuments

A standing monument to Robert Pemberton (died 1608) and his wife stands at the east end of the south chapel. It depicts two kneeling figures facing across a prayer desk, flanked by pilasters with symbolic decoration and eight kneeling figures at the base, with an armorial device at the head. The monument is linked to the walls by a reredos with ogee-head arcade and castellated parapet, with a vestry behind.

Sir Goddard Pemberton (died 1616) is commemorated by a reclining figure in armour on the north wall of the north chapel, beneath a coffered arch with an armorial device above.

John Ekins (died 1677) has a brass tablet with flanking columns with pediment and armorial device on the north wall of the north chapel.

Elizabeth Ekins (died 1662) is remembered by a plain brass tablet with plain marble surround, also on the north wall of the north chapel.

Various 18th- and 19th-century inscribed tablets in the floor of the north chapel commemorate the Fletcher family. Various 19th-century brass tablets to the Satoris family also appear in the north chapel. The Pemberton, Ekins, Fletcher, and Satoris families all occupied Rushden Hall in their time.

An inscription on the arch to the south chapel records that Hugh and Julian Bocker gave the south chapel to the church.