Church Of St Katherine

Church of St Katherine, Irchester High Street

A substantial medieval parish church of late 12th, 13th and 14th-century date, built in regular coursed limestone with ironstone and ashlar dressings. The tower is constructed of banded limestone and ironstone ashlar. The building comprises an aisled nave, chancel, south porch and west tower, all covered with lead roofs.

The chancel's south elevation displays a three-window range: a two-light Perpendicular window to the far right and two three-light Perpendicular windows with four-centred heads and carved label stops. Between these windows stands a south door with a trefoil head and carved label stops. All openings have been restored in the 19th century. The chancel has a steep gabled roof with ashlar cornice, gable parapets and finial, and a blank north elevation.

The chancel's east end features a five-light Perpendicular window with a four-centred head and continuous shaft-surround.

The south aisle consists of four bays with a two-window range of 14th-century three-light square-headed windows with relieving arches above. It has a shallow gabled roof with castellated ashlar parapet and finial. A four-light Perpendicular east window and two-light west window light the aisle. The east wall contains a single piscina similar to that in the chancel.

The 14th-century south porch, positioned left of centre, features a moulded outer arch flanked by pinnacles with a niche above. It has four-light square-headed side windows with transoms and a shallow gabled roof with castellated ashlar parapet, finial and two gargoyles.

The north aisle and north chapel have a five-window range of 14th-century three-light square-headed windows. A north door with shafts and roll mouldings stands to the right. The shallow gabled roof features a plain ashlar parapet with gargoyles. A similar three-light west window and four-light east window (with a high sill and evidence of blocked openings below) also light this elevation.

The nave clerestory contains a four-window range of two-light windows with four-centred heads.

The decorated west tower rises in three stages with two half-stages at the base. Three-stage angle buttresses support the lower two stages. The west door has a moulded surround, with a two-light window above bearing carved label stops. Pairs of two-light bell-chamber openings occupy each face of the third stage. Above a corbel table rises an ashlar spire with low broaches and three tiers of lucarnes.

Interior

The nave arcade comprises four bays of double hollow-chamfered arches on octagonal piers. At the west end are late 12th-century responds with leaf crockets in the capitals. The chancel and tower arches are triple-chamfered, and the arch from chancel to north chapel is chamfered and moulded with polygonal cluster responds. The roof structures date to the 19th century.

The chancel contains a double piscina with trefoil heads and two adjacent square-headed openings, plus an oven for altar bread in the north wall. A tomb recess occupies the north aisle, which also houses a Jacobean bread cupboard with open balusters and an oven for altar bread.

A 13th-century octagonal font remains in situ. The rood screen retains its original base with a restored upper part. The parclose screen to the south chapel has linenfold panelling to the base. The 17th-century pulpit is decorated with arcades and pairs of balusters at the corners. Several bench ends retain original traceried panels.

The monuments include a brass to John Glynton (died 1510) and his wife in the north aisle, south wall (female figure only remains); a tablet to Thomas Jenison (died 1681) on the north chancel wall with double inscription flanked by Corinthian columns and pediment; three 17th-century black floor tablets to the Jenison family in the north chancel; and various early 19th-century marble tablets.

A parish chest stands in the chancel.

Stained glass includes fragments of medieval glass in two south aisle windows and one south chancel window. The late 19th-century east window is by Mayer and Co., and an early 20th-century window illuminates the north aisle.