Description

OLD STRATFORD PASSENHAM
SP7839
20/77 Church of St. Guthlac
17/05/60 (Formerly listed as under
Deanshanger C.P.)

GV I

Church. C13, top stage of tower rebuilt, nave re-roofed and repaired 1621
following collapse of spire, chancel rebuilt 1626, further repairs and
alterations 1775, restored C19 and C20. Coursed squared limestone, limestone
dressings and lead roofs. Chancel has 4-light Perpendicular east window with
hood mould and label stops and 2-light Perpendicular windows to north and south
with hood moulds. Basket-arched priest's door to south with continuous hollow
chamfer framed by small continuous wave-mouldings; hood mould. Tablet above door
with small fluted Ionic pilasters supporting decorate frieze and moulded cornice
and framing elaborate cartouche with arms of Sir Robert Banastre; base inscribed
ROBERTUS BANASTREIUS MILES/QUID RETRIBUAM TIBI DONINE PRO OMNIBUS/BENEFIIS MIHI
DATIS ANNO DOMINI 1626/STULTE HAC NOCTE. Chancel has wave-moulded plinth
continued across four off-set buttresses to each side, string courses at sill
level, joining stops of hood moulds of windows and at base of plain parapet.
Wagon roof of chancel is expressed externally in rounded profile of lead roof
and semi-circular east gable. Finials to buttresses flanking east end. 3-bay
nave has lancet windows to north and blocked north door all with hood moulds and
2-light windows to south with sex-foiled circles to heads and hood moulds.
Blocked south door with large off-set buttress in front. Similar buttresses to
east and west ends and chamfered plinth to south side only; battlemented
parapet. 3-stage west tower has west door with continuous double roll mouldings
the outermost with fillet, 6-panel C18 door and hood mould. 3 niches above with
later (C14) chamfered cinqfoiled ogee heads and hood moulds. Cusped 1-light
windows to north and south of diddle stage with hood moulds, paired lancet
bell-chamber openings and plain parapet with corner pinnacles. Diagonal off-set
buttresses. Interior: single-stepped doorway from vestibule in tower to body of
church with C18 6-panel double-leaf doors and HL hinges. Stone-flagged floor to
nave and chancel. 3-bay wagon roof to chancel with carved pendant bosses.
Double-chamfered chancel arch with polygonal responds and moulded capitals.
Lancet-headed opening to south side of chancel arch, blocked at east end, has
sunk quadrant moulding to surround. Nave has 4-bay arch-braced tie beam roof
supported by wall-posts on carved head corbels, except for middle corbel south
side which is larger and inscribed SRB/l621. Decorative carving to wall-plate
and cusping to principals. Stalls in chancel dated 1628 with ogee-arched panels
to west side of stalls within chancel arch, possibly part of former rood screen,
and to stall fronts with strapwork frieze to south side, frieze to north side
with sea-horses, Banastre arms and shield inscribed B/RM/1628. Stalls have
misericords with, from north-east, a mask, arms upheld by angels, an ox, male
head with asses ears, a goat, head, winged cherub's head, a lion, a cat's head,
the Lamb, a female head and a griffin. Shallow scalloped round-arched niches
behind stalls formerly filled by effigies of Apostles and St. Paul, of which
bases inscribed with their Latin names remain. West gallery composed of Sir
Robert Banastre's former chancel screen with fluted Ionic pillars on high bases
and frieze carved with cartouches of arms. Those to centre and either end upheld
by kneeling cherubs, those either side held by mermaids and mermen with winged
horses trampling dragons either side. Charities recorded on gallery front.
Hanoverian Royal arms to central panel, painted on cast metal. Wall-paintings in
chancel above stalls, part of original scheme, restored 1962-6. Large figures of
prophets to north wall, Evangelists to south wall, Nicodemus to one side of east
window, Joseph of Arimathea to other side, all in shell-arched niches divided by
pilasters. Pulpit with back panel and tester probably made up from Jacobean
pieces c.1800. Panelled box pews. C17/C18 stain glass figures to north nave and
chancel windows probably continental, canopies of c.1350. Monuments: wall
monument to Sir Robert Banastre d.1649 with demi-figure in oval niche surrounded
by wreath, apron with inscription, volutes with garlands and steep broken
pediment framing cartouche of arms. Marble wall monument to Reverend Richard
Forester, d.1769 with curly bracket and cartouche with inscription topped by
coat of arms; erected by his eldest brother Pulter. 2 early C19 wall monuments
to later rectors. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, pp369-70;
Wolverton Historical Journal for 1966 and 1968; O.F. Brown and G.J. Roberts;
Passenham; 1973, Apendix 3)

Listing NGR: SP7803139438

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17527156

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)