Church Of St Mary And All Saints

Church of St Mary and All Saints

This collegiate church, now a parish church, was begun around 1370 for Edmund Langley and formally founded in 1411 by his son Edmund of York. The nave was rebuilt for Richard Duke of York by mason William Hanwood around 1434. The chancel, cloisters and college buildings were demolished at the Dissolution, and the church underwent restoration in the 19th century.

The building is constructed of limestone ashlar with some squared coursed limestone to the south and east walls, with lead roofs throughout.

The south aisle comprises 6 bays with a 5-window range of 4-light windows featuring 2-centred arch heads and panel tracery. The bay at the far right is blank with various blocked openings that originally provided access to the cloisters. Two-stage buttresses between bays terminate as crocketed pinnacles decorated with panel tracery. Flying buttresses spring from the base of each pinnacle to the nave clerestory, curved above and below; two flying buttresses to the left of centre and one to the right are missing. The buttress above the east wall is solid with a central 4-centred arch head opening. A lean-to roof with castellated ashlar parapets covers the aisle. The 3-light east window of the aisle, with 4-centred arch head, is set in a former archway to the chancel. The 4-light west window is similar to the south windows.

The south nave clerestory comprises 6 bays with a 5-window range of 4-light windows featuring 4-centred arch heads. The bay at the far right has 2 windows, one of which is 3-lights only. Two bays at the far left are blank. The roof is shallow and gabled with castellated parapet and remains of gargoyles.

The east wall of the nave has a blocked chancel arch with a 5-light window above featuring a 4-centred arch head. Flanking 3-stage buttresses and a central 2-stage buttress flank this wall. The shallow gable roof has a plain ashlar parapet.

The north aisle comprises 6 bays with a 5-window range of 4-light windows similar to the south aisle, though the window at the far left is 3-lights. Two-stage buttresses between bays have pinnacles and flying buttresses similar to the south aisle. A lean-to roof with castellated parapet covers the aisle. The east elevation features a blocked archway to the former chancel, and the west elevation has a 4-light window similar to the south aisle. The bay at the far right of the north aisle contains a 2-storey north porch with a central 4-light square-head first floor window. A similar 3-light window in the return wall to the left is now blocked, with a blocked square-head opening below. A single-light window appears in the return wall to the right. The outer doorway, to the left of centre, has a 4-centred arch head with moulded surround and semi-circular reveals. The inner doorway has a 4-centred arch head with roll moulding and square-head surround. A flat roof, not visible, has a castellated parapet.

The north nave clerestory comprises 6 bays with a 5-window range similar to the south clerestory. Two windows at the far left form separate bays, with a wider blank area at the far right appearing as one bay.

The west tower rises 2 stages from the blank end bay of the nave clerestory with an octagonal lantern above. The west doorway has a moulded and shafted archway set in a square-head surround with quatrefoils and shields in the spandrels, with panelled doors. A large 8-light window above features panel tracery with transom. Flanking 3-stage buttresses support this stage, with the nave parapet continuing above.

The stage above has 2-light windows to each face with 4-centred arch heads and hollow reveals. The upper stage of the tower features large 4-light bell-chamber openings to each face with king mullions, transoms and 4-centred arch heads. Shallow corner buttresses terminate as octagonal corner turrets with castellated parapets. A plain parapet runs between the turrets, with the south turrets retaining remains of armorial beasts.

The octagonal lantern has diagonal shafts at the corners decorated with panel tracery and carved heads, each terminating as a crocketed pinnacle. Tall 3-light windows to each face of the octagon feature 2-centred arch heads, panel tracery and transoms with cusping. Castellated ashlar parapets run between the pinnacles. A central leaded spirelet with weathervane crowns the lantern.

The interior features a 4-bay nave arcade of tall Perpendicular arches moulded with a continuous double hollow section. Semi-circular responds face into each archway, with plain shafts facing into the nave and aisles, continuous to roof level. Similar shafts are reflected in the aisle walls. Clerestory windows above are set in plain recesses. The tall tower arch is similar to the nave arcade but features a 4-centred arch head, with similar lower arches between the tower and aisles.

The nave roof has curved braces and collars with carved bosses at the intersection of purlins. The aisle roofs were restored in the 19th century, possibly incorporating some original timbers. The fan vaulted tower ceiling dates to around 1529.

A 2-light square-head window to the right of the altar opens into the south aisle. Various blocked openings appear to the right of the south aisle altar.

The Perpendicular pulpit features a rib vaulted tester with a larger Jacobean tester above. Late 18th and early 19th century box pews line the nave. An early 19th century reredos on the east wall displays Gothick panels with the Ten Commandments, The Creed and The Lord's Prayer inscribed.

Stained glass includes mid-20th century armorial shields of the House of York in the east window of the south aisle, and 16 20th-century painted shields in the nave relating to families with historical links to Fotheringhay. A fragment of wall painting appears to the right of the west window.

The Perpendicular octagonal font incorporates medieval carving into its cover.

Monuments include matrices of medieval brasses in the chancel and sanctuary floor. Edmund Second Duke of York and Richard Third Duke of York have identical monuments either side of the altar, erected in 1573 by Queen Elizabeth I. Each comprises limestone ashlar with central armorial devices with strapwork flanked by pairs of attached Corinthian columns, similar columns on return walls facing into the nave. An entablature with armorial devices of the House of York and moulded cornice with central bracketed sections and semi-circular section above tops each monument.

Further monuments include: a brass tablet for Thomas Hurland, died 1589, in the sanctuary floor; a Rococo style tablet for Kath Hutchins, died 1726, on the centre pier of the north nave arcade; a tablet for Rev. John Morgan, died 1781, to the left of the south aisle altar featuring delicate swags, broken pediment and urn. Various 18th and 19th century floor and wall tablets are also present.

The college was established for approximately 30 persons, with buildings probably including cloisters, dormitories, chapter house, hall and kitchens.