Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

A major parish church of exceptional historical significance, combining late 10th-century foundations with substantial medieval additions and 19th-century restoration. The building displays coursed rubble, squared coursed limestone and limestone ashlar, with a lead roof.

The church comprises an aisled nave and chancel, south porch, vestry and west tower. The exterior demonstrates the full range of medieval architectural development. The south elevation of the chancel features two 2-light Perpendicular windows, the right-hand one with a transom, beneath a shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapet. A 19th-century lean-to vestry is attached to the left bay, while a south chapel adjoins the far left bay of the chancel.

The chancel's east window is a 4-light Decorated composition with reticulated tracery and a shallow gable above. A 3-light Perpendicular north chapel window to the right has a similar shallow gable. Two-stage angle and clasping buttresses mark the corners.

The north chapel extends across three bays. It contains a 2-window range of 2- and 3-light Perpendicular windows at far left and right; the right-hand window has hollow reveals. A priest door to the centre has a segmental arch head. A polygonal stair turret with conical roof stands to the left of centre. A tall two-stage buttress with gabled finial, featuring an open half arch at its base, projects to the right of centre, with a second two-stage buttress further right. The shallow gabled roof has a plain ashlar parapet.

The south chapel has a single 5-light window with a 4-centred arch head, protected by a 2-stage clasping buttress with a lean-to roof and plain ashlar parapet.

The south aisle extends across four bays. A 3-window range includes two windows of 3 and 4 lights respectively, both with 4-centred arch heads and hollow reveals, and a 2-light square-head window to the left. A two-stage buttress at the abutment with the south chapel has a pyramid finial and a simple flying buttress to the nave clerestory. A second two-stage buttress stands between bays to the right. A shallow tomb recess to the right of centre, restored in the 19th century, retains fragments of a medieval coffin slab. The lean-to roof has plain ashlar parapets and small gargoyles.

A 4-light west window with 4-centred arch head lights the aisle. A two-storey ashlar-faced porch to the left of centre contains a 2-centred arch-head outer doorway set in a square surround with open quatrefoils in the spandrels. The late 12th-century inner arch has roll moulding and one order of shafts, partly missing. A shallow niche and sundial are positioned above the outer doorway. The ground floor has 2-light square-head windows to the return walls, with blocked single-light windows on the first floor. A shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets covers the porch. A square stair turret in the left corner has a chamfered outer corner at first floor and a conical stone roof.

The north aisle features a 4-window range of 3-light windows; the right-hand one has a square head while the others have 4-centred arch heads. A single chamfered north doorway stands to the right of centre, with two-stage buttresses to centre and far right. The lean-to roof has a plain ashlar parapet. A 4-light west window with hollow responds and 4-centred arch head lights this aisle as well.

The nave clerestory comprises a 3-window range of 2-light square-head windows beneath a shallow gabled roof with ashlar parapets and restored gargoyles at the corners.

The west tower and spire display late 10th-century and 14th-century work across two stages. The lower stage is late 10th-century, featuring long-and-short quoins at the corners and a single-light arch-head window to the north face with evidence of a similar blocked window on the south face. A large circular stair turret is attached to the west face, paralleling the arrangement at All Saints, Brixworth. The stair turret has two square-head windows and an ashlar parapet with a gargoyle. The upper stage, of 14th-century ashlar, carries 2-light bell-chamber openings to each face. A moulded corbel table supports a broach spire with three stages of lucarnes.

Interior

The three-bay nave arcade is of major architectural interest. The two western bays of the north arcade are late 12th-century, featuring semi-circular stepped arches with one circular pier and semi-circular respond. Flat capitals bear broad flat crocketed leaves with square abaci. The eastern arch of the north arcade is Decorated, with double-chamfered arches, an octagonal pier and polygonal respond. The south arcade is similarly Decorated with double-chamfered arches and octagonal piers. The Perpendicular chancel arch features cluster shafts.

The Saxon tower arch is remarkable, constructed of cyclopic unmoulded blocks representing capitals and abaci. Shallow double- and single-chamfered arches connect the aisles to the north and south chapels respectively. The north arcade to the chancel comprises two 14th-century bays with double-chamfered arches, quatrefoil piers and similar responds. A Perpendicular arch in the south wall of the chancel leads to the south chapel, now used as an organ chamber.

Roofs were restored in the 19th century; some original tie beams may survive. A Saxon stair turret door in the tower has a painted head.

13th-century sedilia in the south wall of the chancel consist of a single arch with detached shafts bearing stiff-leaf capitals. A half trefoil-head niche stands to the right, with a piscina to the left. An arch-head niche occupies the north wall of the chancel.

A tall Perpendicular niche to the left of the north aisle altar retains the remains of a canopy and shaft with a plinth for a figure base. A piscina stands to the right of the altar. A 19th-century stone pulpit with marble shafts and an octagonal font on a square shaft complete the fittings. A Saxon window head is visible above the north arcade of the nave.

A Perpendicular screen in the north chapel is said to have originated from Pipewell Abbey. 19th-century stained glass survives in the east windows and chapels, as well as in the south aisle windows.

An important monument is the recumbent marble effigy of Lord Lyveden, who died in 1876, sculpted by Matthew Noble and set upon a chest tomb.