Church Of St Mary The Virgin

SP 7550 ROADE CHURCH END (East side) 11/124 Church of St. Mary the Virgin 03/05/68 (Formerly listed as Church of St. Mary)

GV II*

Church. C12 and C13. North aisle of 1850 by E.F. Law who restored church in 1857 (chancel) and 1864 (nave), vestry/organ chamber added 1879, further C20 restoration and church hall built with link to church 1972. Chancel, vestry/organ chamber, central tower, nave, north aisle and south porch. Coursed limestone rubble, and slate roofs. 2-bay chancel has 3-light east window with C19 Decorated-style tracery, 3-light Perpendicular window to north-east with 4-centred head, both with hood moulds. 1-light low-side window to north-west with rectangular chamfered stone surround and pair of round-headed 1-light Norman windows to south. C19 vestry to south with 1-light windows. 3-stage central tower has single lancet windows to north and south, and similar windows to east and west of bell-chamber stage, all with hood moulds. Middle stage has lancet to middle bay of 3-bay blind arcades north and south with circular shafts and carved capitals. 2-light bell-chamber openings to north and south with trefoil-headed lights, transoms and hood moulds, plain stone-coped parapet and recessed pyramidal lead roof with gilded ball finial and weathercock. North aisle has lancet windows, paired to north. Nave has 2-light windows to south with Y tracery and hood moulds and 3-light west window with stepped pointed-arched lights and hood mould. South door has 2 orders of shafts, with scalloped capitals, inner arch moulding with beakhead, outer arch moulding stylized leaves or horns alternating with fruit, and hood mould. C19 gabled south porch has double-chamfered doorway and small lancets either side, all with hood moulds. C20 church hall extension is not of special architectural interest. Interior: chancel has piscina with pointed trefoiled head. Tower arches, much renewed, have 4 chamfers, the outer 2 dying into wall the inner on polygonal responds with dog-toothed capitals. C19 roofs throughout. Plain tub font. Perspective by E.F. Law, watercolour over pencil in ormolu shield-shaped frame for restoration, hangs in chancel. Slate wall monuments to Susanna Henshaw d.1706, Stephen Hoe Senior d.1713, John Henshaw d.1762, with scull and cross bones, and Reverend Stephen Hoe Henshaw, d.1772. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, p386; The History of St. Mary the Virgin, Roade, (guide book) 1982)

Listing NGR: SP7573951867