Description

STANFORD-ON-AVON SWINFORD ROAD
SP57NE (North side)
6/98 Church of St. Nicholas
18/01/68

GV I

Church. c.1300 to c.1350. Squared coursed limestone, lias and granite with
ashlar dressings with lead and slate roof laid to diminishing courses. Aisled
nave, chancel and west tower. Chancel: South elevation of 3-window range of
3-light windows with Intersecting tracery; that to right is blocked. North
elevation similar with blocked window to left retaining its tracery. 5-light
east window with Intersecting tracery has roundel above. Gabled roof with ashlar
gable parapets and large rectangular ribbed finials at eaves. South aisle of
3-window range; the centre window of 3-lights has Intersecting tracery and the
windows to left and right of 3 lights have Rectilinear tracery. Similar east and
west windows, that to west is blocked. South porch to left has cusped outer arch
and ashlar gable parapets. South aisle has lean-to roof with ashlar gable
parapets and ball finials at the corners. North aisle of 3-window range of
3-light windows; the 2 to the left have Rectilinear tracery and that to right
has Intersecting tracery. North door to right. Similar east and west windows.
Lean-to roof with ashlar parapets and with corner to finials. The aisle and
chancel have 2-stage buttresses between the windows. Nave clerestory of 5-window
range of 2-light square-headed windows has gabled roof. West tower of 3 stages
with clasping buttresses at the corners, 2-light window in lower stage. 2-light
bell chamber opening with Y-tracery in the third stage. Stair turret to
north-east corner. Castellated parapet, now rendered, has crocketed corner
pinnacles partially rebuilt on arched brick supports. Interior: Double-chamfered
chancel arch. 5-bay nave arcade of double-chamfered arches with tall piers
having a continuous chamfered moulding. Piscina in south aisle has crocketed
gable, adjacent is a low stone bench with quatrefoil decoration. Nave and aisle
roofs probably C14 with carved tracery to tie beams of nave roof and wall shafts
supported on carved brackets. Font, C14 with tracery decorations. Pulpit
incorporates part of the rood screen. Screens: Rood screen with Perpendicular
base and top reset from Lutterworth, Leicestershire; tower screen also
Perpendicular. Choir stalls have panelled fronts one with misericord; C16
linenfold panelling behind; C18 wrought iron communion rail. West gallery on
Tuscan columns supports early C17 organ reputedly from the Royal Chapel,
Whitehall. Stained glass: Chancel east window early C14 depicting the Virgin,
Saints, Abbots and the Crucifixion. Also early C14 the chancel side windows
depicting 10 apostles and 2 saints; north window also has Christ and the Virgin.
North-aisle east window c,1330-40 depicting the Virgin, Crucifixion and Saints.
Also c.1330-40 the south-aisle east window, the south-east window tracery head,
the north-west window the adjacent north-east window and the large spires in the
chancel north window. In the south-east window glass c.1500 depicting the Virgin
and St. John the Evangelists and in the 2 windows adjacent to the west the
Visitation and various saints. South aisle windows probably early C16 depicting
figures. East window c.1558 depicting members of the Cave family and Henry VII
and Elizabeth of York came from Stanford Hall probably C19. Monuments, south
aisle: Defaced effigy of a priest C14 on chest tomb in arch recess decorated
with quatrefoils and flanked by buttress. Between north aisle and nave Sir
Thomas Cave, died 1558; alabaster chest tomb with 2 recumbent figures decorated
with shields roundels, putti and kneeling figures. North aisle: Sir Ambrose
Cave, died 1568. Chest tomb decorated with 3 roundels; shield above flanked by
Corinthian columns supporting a pediment. North aisle: Henry Knollys and wife
Margaret Cave c.1600; 2 effigies at different levels with kneeling daughters
flanking flat arch over. North chancel: Sir Thomas Cave died 1613. Chest tomb
with 2 recumbent effigies, kneeling children, strapwork cartouche and flanking
columns. Adjacent is Richard Cave died 1606, kneeling child. North aisle:
Dorothy St. John died 1630; small chest tomb with black top decorated with
shields and garlands. South chancel: Sir Thomas Cave died 1733 alongside Sir
Verney Cave died 1734, bust and obelisk. South aisle: James Callan died 1751,
small sarcophagus with Rococo volutes and obelisk over. South chancel: Sir
Thomas Cave died 1778 but early C19 profile in oval medallion. North chancel:
Sir Otway Cave died 1830, relief depicting 3 figures, one on a couch reputedly
by Kessells. North aisle west Robert Ottoway Cave died 1844, figure on couch by
Westmacott. South aisle west: Third Lady Braye died 1862, recumbent and kneeling
figures by Mary Thorneycroft. North aisle: Edmund Verney c.1896 has free
standing figure to left. 17 hatchments.
(Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.407).

Listing NGR: SP5885178853

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17526542

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

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)