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St Guthlac

Passenham

Northamptonshire

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

Architectural Features

3 niches above with later (C14) chamfered cinqfoiled ogee heads and hood moulds

3-bay wagon roof to chancel with carved pendant bosses

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

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

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

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

2 early C19 wall monuments to later rectors. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire: 1973, pp369-70

Photo coming soon