Location: Northleach, Gloucestershire
Dedication: SS. Peter & Paul
Denomination: Church of England
Features of Interest: C15 wool church, excellent collection of brasses
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The church viewed from the southeast, showing the tower and south porch to the left. | Taken 24/07/24
Standing in the middle of modern Northleach and being told that it was once one of the most important locations in medieval trade for over a hundred years is scarcely believable; the sleepy town seems a typical quiet and diminutive place in the heart of the Cotswolds, offering serenity and beauty in its narrow steets and tiny centre. However, standing outside the church and being told the same thing is a different matter. Northleach's church is a soaring testament to the wealth that the town and its merchants enjoyed in the 15th century and is full of the most remarkable treasures of this era. The marks of the wool industry lie around every corner, with local merchants and masons leaving us an incredibly beautiful legacy in this building.
Northleach's church is one which, despite likely having 12th century origins, has been expanded and rebuilt so greatly in the periods of the town's wealth that it is unrecognisable today. Forget Theseus' Ship; Northleach church is more like Theseus getting tired of seafaring and buying a Porsche instead. The earliest fabric of the current building is very scant and dubious, consisting of nothing more than some possible masonry in the east wall of the south aisle. In 1227, King Henry III granted Northleach the right to a weekly market on a Wednesday and a fair on the Feast Day of SS. Peter and Paul. The market was a precursor to the prosperity of the town, and within a century or so, the town was thriving thanks to the wool industry.
Cotswold wool was of unparalleled quality and as such in incredibly high demand, especially in mainland Europe, and Northleach was a huge centre for its trade. This trade was dominated by the Company of the Merchants of the Staple and they were granted a monopoly by King Edward III in the 1340s. All wool for foreign export would be required to pass through a designated 'staple' market, which for many years was located at Calais, then under English rule. Northleach's wool was of the highest quality and fetched the highest prices at Calais, with Merchants of the Staple in London acting as intermediaries between the merchants of Northleach and the staple port. Northleach's merchants frequently journeyed between Northleach, London, and Calais in order to facilitate trade, putting the humble town of Northleach at the centre of European trade, a position which seems incredibly unlikely today. As a result, money flowed freely through the town from the mid-14th until the early 16th centuries, and many of the wealthy wool merchants of the town were great benefactors of the church as a matter of civic pride.
As such, the church received its first expansion c.1350, from which time the present chancel dates. The impressive four-stage tower followed around the 1400 mark, which would at the time have been linked to the chancel via an earlier and narrower nave, but this nave was soon to be transformed under the auspices of local woolman John Fortey, more about whom can be read in the relevant Treasures section. The nave of the church represented the space and power of the laity, whilst the chancel represented that of the clergy, with the relevant group being responsible for the upkeep of their corresponding section, and in very few cases can it be said that the laity (viz. the wool merchants) held quite as much wealth and influence as at Northleach. As such, rebuiliding the nave on a remarkable scale would symbolically cement the civic power of the merchants over the ecclesiastical power of Gloucester Abbey (who held the church at the time), which is exactly what Fortey did in the 1450s.
Thanks to his benefaction, the nave gained a high and light clerestory, including a distinctive 'Cotswold' window above the chancel arch, and was also widened considerably, cutting through the easternmost tower buttresses. The visual difference between the old and new areas of the church is pronounced, with the Perpendicular Gothic style flourishing in the newer sections of the church, including much shallower pitches for the roofs. This is especially evident in that the high pitch of the chancel roof actually blocks part of the Cotswold window in its old fashioned style. After Fortey's death, he left £300 to complete work in the nave, after which the aisles were rebuilt in the later 15th century and a North Chapel added at the east end of the north aisle. The south porch and its priest's room is probably contemporary with its rebuilt aisle, or perhaps a little later (c.1500). The east window of the chancel was also replaced around this time. A definite date of expansion is given for the final 15th century addition to the church, this being the 1489 Lady Chapel. This was given by William and Margaret Bicknell, probably Lord and Lady of the Manor at the time, and replaced an earlier structure, this possibly dating to the very first 12th century church.
The tale of Northleach after the turn of the 16th century is a sad one of decline. Wool prices had peaked in 1480, and Northleach began to slowly lose its dominance in the field. The Staple Port of Calais was recaptured by the French in 1558 and the role of staple moved to Bruges where the Merchant Staplers retained their monopoly on wool exports, but a rise in domestic clothmaking industries abroad meant that demand for raw wool exports was nonetheless in decline. Northleach made attempts to move itself towards cloth production, but the small River Leach proved insufficient to power the required loom machinery on a large scale, and by the 1770s the town was in disrepair, with many of the houses abandoned and decaying. The church managed to remain relatively staunch during these tough times, with a new peal of six bells and a clock being installed in the tower c.1700, but ultimately suffered too from neglect.
A relatively kind restoration was carried out from 1877-84 by James Brooks, with much needed structural repair being carried out in portions of the building, including cast iron pins being used to strenghten Fortey's clerestory. Additionally, standard courses of action were completed, such as the removal of the west gallery, the installation of an organ in the North Chapel, the replacement of the pews, and the addition of a small vestry north of the chancel. In 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, two further bells were added to the tower, making for the present ring of eight, and the clock was replaced in 1907. A major reordering was then carried out in the 1960s, with the organ and choir stalls moved to the north aisle, a new east window by Christopher Webb installed, and new seating and a nave altar designed by Sir Basil Spence added. (Simon Jenkins seems personally offended by this last point in his Northleach entry, but I myself cannot see what the fuss is about.) Additionally, the brasses were moved to their present positions, out of the way of the main areas of footfall.
In 2004, an alarming fall of masonry from the clerestory prompted further restoration; it turned out that the well-intended Victorian iron pins were causing more problems than they had solved, and the clerestory had to be fully restored. What is remarkable is that this was the first ever full restoration of the work instigated by Fortey since it was built some 550 years prior, a testament to the remarkable skill of the masons whom we may thank for this gem of Perpendicular Gothic architecture.
The information here has been taken variously from the church guide (booklet available from the church), the church website, and the Historic England listing.
The town of Northleach itself is diminutive and most attractive, with local businesses in historic buildings lining the streets. The only unfortunate thing is the use of the market square as a car park, as otherwise this would be a pleasant space in which to dwell, but this is unfortunately by no means uncommon and difficult to solve. Despite its proportions, the church is not actually very easily seen from the town, with its tower just managing to poke up between a few buildings every now and then, but once going in its direction it is a totally dominant and awe-inspiring sight.
The church can be approached either from the south or through the churchyard from the east, both views being equally impressive. This is a building which flaunts its generous 15th century endowments and is overt as a space which was the pride of the medieval town. Entering through the lofty south porch and into the nave is astonishing, with Fortey's clerestory and Cotswold window flooding the space with light, even on a dull day. The airiness and clarity provided by this illumination is incredibly striking, yet soothing. The church interior is expansive and detail hides around every corner, and thankfully it is excellently signposted, with a plethora of guides available and a friendly churchwarden usually present in order to answer any questions about the building. This is a most transformative and powerful space, intended to inspire awe of God, but for me inspires awe of the merchants and masons who made such an architectural gem possible.
The primary treasures of Northleach are undoubtedly the incredibly collection of monumental brasses on display; the church boasts eight full examples of effigial brasses, all set into the floor in a position which makes them most able to be appreciated. These brasses are not martial, and only one of them commemorates a priest; these are civilians, which make them all the more remarkable. Aside from the one priest, five of them commemorate wool merchants and their wives, one of them a mercer and wife, and the remaining one includes a tailor additonal to the woolman and wife. Aside from these wonderful monuments, the church is also a fantastic repository of medieval stone carving, the best examples being the font and the south porch, with its interior corbels and the rare surviving statues in its external niches.
The oldest brass in the church is located in the floor of the north aisle, and, whilst the simplest in composition, is the finest in engraving quality by virtue of its earlier date. It is not known exactly who this brass commemorates, but it is possible that the figures are intended to be Thomas and Agnes Adynet, with Thomas dying in 1409. Whether or not this is the case, the brass certainly dates from the first decade of the 15th century.
The figures are large enough that a single standard sheet of latten was insufficient, and so both of them are composed of two sheets. Curiously they are also set into separate slabs, as if separate commemoration was intended rather than commemoration as a couple, but the brasses have been reset and moved about since their initial installation, so I do not intend to make too much of this point.
Both of the figures are shown recumbent in prayer, Agnes with a collared lapdog at her feet and Thomas resting his on a woolpack, symbolic of his trade. Both wear undertunics with buttoned sleeves, with Thomas sporting a long gown and elaborate anelace and belt, at the end of which is a pendant bearing the initial T. Agnes' veil and mantle are simpler, ornamented only by a tasselled cord and a ring on her right hand. Thomas is depicted as a rather old and learned man, bald with a lined forehead and sporting a moustache and forked beard. Agnes' head is covered quite thoroughly with her veil, so less detail is able to be gleaned. The level of detail and quality of incision, particularly on Thomas' belt, is exquisite and highly commendable, showing the fine standard of memorial that a Northleach wool merchant's salary was able to purchase, even in the early 15th century before the peak of the trade.
The couple in full; a simple composition, but of the highest quality. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Thomas and his well-aged countenance. This is a brass with character. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Agnes, who unfortunately lies partly in the shadow of the wall. | Taken 24/07/24
The truly wonderful detail of Thomas' belt, decorated with pleasant roses. | Taken 24/07/24
The adorable and handsome lap dog at Agnes' feet, with its collar of bells. | Taken 24/07/24
The next brass dates from c.1450 and commemorates Agnes and her two husbands, William Scors and Thomas Fortey. William Scors was a tailor, represented by the scissors at his feet, and died in 1420. Agnes then remarried to Thomas Fortey, a woolman, and presumably some relation of John Fortey, who died in 1447. This year of death is given as MCCCC47, combining Roman and Arabic numerals, and is thought to be the first extant use of Arabic numerals on a monumental brass. Agnes outlived both of her husbands, and presumably commissioned this memorial soon after the death of John, the date of which she could remember fully as the 1st of December. However, the specific date of William's death nearly 30 years prior seems to have escaped her memory and remains blank. Her own date of death has also been left blank, the work never having been completed.
The overall composition is far more elaborate than the previous example, comprising the three principal figures standing beneath a triple canopy with crocketed pinnacles, and bounded at their feet by a plate inscription. Beneath them are two welcomely distinct sets of children, the right hand set being William's six children (above them a scroll reading 'These be the children of William Scors VI') and the left hand set being Thomas' set of four children (above them a scroll reading 'Pray for the children of Thomas Fortey'). Around all of this is a border fillet inscription with medallions at each corner bearing the symbols of the Evangelists. Whilst more elaborate than the Adynet brass, it is also more damaged, with various parts of the canopy and border missing, as well as two of Thomas' children and Thomas' and Agnes' heads.
The Scors-Fortey brass in full, a remarkably long composition which is hard to photograph. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at the three central figures. William is unfortunately in the dark shadow of the radiator. | Taken 24/07/24
Medallion showing the angel of St. Matthew. | Taken 24/07/24
Medallion showing the eagle of St. John. | Taken 24/07/24
Medallion showing the winged lion of St. Mark. | Taken 24/07/24
The scissors upon the mound at William's feet. | Taken 24/07/24
The incomplete set of Fortey children, with the 2 (or really 1.5) remaining daughters in the centre. | Taken 24/07/24
The set of Scors children. They are quite well worn but appear to consist of 2 sons and 4 daughters. | Taken 24/07/24
The rich canopy above the figures has suffered much, but is still exceptionally beautiful in its detailing. | Taken 24/07/24
The singularly splendid brass to the church's great benefactor John Fortey is located beneath the north arcade near the pulpit. As previously discussed, Fortey used his wealth gained from the wool trade to endow the church with a fantastic new nave area in which the parishioners could worship, and clearly employed the finest masons that the area had to offer in order to complete this work. The work continued after his death in 1458, with Fortey leaving £300 (which would today be over £280,000) to complete the building work, as well as leaving 80 poor maidens 20 shillings upon their weddings and fourpence for each prisoner in Gloucester Castle.
The brass is most fine, even if damaged. Fortey himself stands at the centre underneath a crocketed, sub-cusped canopy, the finials and pinnacles of which are for the most part missing. Around the whole is a partially complete border fillet inscription punctuated by siz medallions stamped with Fortey's woolmark, consisting of a cross with a flying pennant erected upon a pile of woolpacks, flanked by his initials. The woolmark would have been stamped upon Fortey's woolpacks in order to identify the goods upon weighing in London and selling in Calais.
Fortey is depicted as a clean-shaven and short-haired man wearing a simple but fur-lined gown. The gown is fastened by a belt carrying a pendant bearing his woolmark. At his feet are a woolpack and a sheep, overtly resembling his trade. Like the Adynet brass, Fortey's figure is large enough that it has had to be made of two joined sheets of latten. The quality and size of this brass is a testament to Fortey's immense mercantile wealth and his desire to be remembered as a great patron of the church at Northleach, a desire which is certainly met.
The figure of Fortey in full; it is not really possible to show the whole composition at once due to the brass taking up the entire space between the arcade pillars, which then get in the way. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at the figure of Fortey, who appears rather stern but also distinctly average, a reminder that the majority of those memorialised here are simply regular old civilians. | Taken 24/07/24
Fortey's woolmark surrounded by a woven crown of ivy. | Taken 24/07/24
The rather gaunt-looking sheep positioned at Fortey's feet. | Taken 24/07/24
The next brass is to be found in the south aisle and commemorates John and Joanne Taylour. Whilst John died in 1509 and Joanne in 1510, this brass was almost certainly prepared during their lifetime shortly before the turn of the 16th century, as shown by the date of death being stopped short at 'a thousand CCCC,' allowing for the possibility of its commissioners dying before the year 1500. As such, it is estimated to date to c.1490.
The brass consists of large figures of John and Joanne at the centre, facing inwards as was now becoming the fashion. Fragments of scrolls emanating from their mouths remain, as do portions of medallions showing the symbols of the four Evangelists. Beneath the couple are their fifteen children, and at the base is another symbolic sheep upon a woolpack, bearing John's woolmark, a Greek cross made up of two shepherd's crooks. All of this is surrounded by a border inscription, little of which survives. The whole composition is actually rather long and thin, with the different components being a little crammed together along the horizontal axis.
John is shown as an older man with a lined face, while Joanne is either more youthful or depicted with more flattery. The couple wear fine clothes, with Joanne's butterfly headdress and John's long hair and broad-toed shoes reflecting changes in fashion at the end of the 15th century. Whilst still a markedly fine brass, the quality of engraving is unfortunately beginning to decline after the glory years of both brass engraving and the Northleach wool trade, though this is only just beginning to be the case.
The Taylour brass in full, showing its skinny proportions. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at John, a benevolent and learned looking man, though his facial composition is a little off-kilter. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Joanne, bearing one of the most distinctly medieval physiognomies possible. | Taken 24/07/24
The eight Taylour sons in an orderly queue. Their facial details suffer from weathering. | Taken 24/07/24
The seven Taylour daughters, each with the distinctive square butterfly headdress. | Taken 24/07/24
A long-talied sheep upon a woolpack bearing the Taylour woolmark. Another shepherd's crook lies at the base as if the other symbolism wasn't enough! | Taken 24/07/24
The best preserved Evangelist medallion is that of St. Mark, showing a slightly goofy winged lion. The other medallions have all been torn up at least in part. | Taken 24/07/24
This next brass is located next to the Adynet brass in the north aisle and commemorates William and Agnes Midwinter, two of the most interesting characters to be found in the Northleach ranks. It is actually not certain that this brass commemorates them, but the initial M forming part of the woolmark strongly suggests it, as no other wool merchant with that initial is known at the time. William acted as High Bailiff for Northleach in 1493, showing the extent of civilian involvement in civic affairs in Northleach, as one might expect a similar position to be filled by someone appointed by the local holders of the manor or church rather than by an elected official.
In addition to this, much more is actually known about William Midwinter than most of the other wool merchants as extensive written records survive of his dealings with the Celys, Merchants of the Staple who traded from Mart Lane in London. These letters show that the Cely firm bought almost all of their wool from Northleach merchnats, including Midwinter, before packing it onto their ship, the Mary Cely, to then be sold in Calais. Due to their paying for the wool in installments spread over six months, Midwinter and the Celys are known to have travelled back and forth between London and Northleach for meetings. Midwinter's main contact in the Cely family was Richard Cely, and the two clearly got on well, dining together frequently and with one surviving letter showing that Midwinter actually acted as Richard's wingman on one occasion. The survival of the Cely correspondence is wonderfully important in giving us a view into the lives of these prominent medieval merchants and humanising them beyond just a figure etched in brass.
Whilst William died in 1501 and Agnes in 1502, the brass is thought to have been prepared for them in 1500. William is depicted with a lined face and long hair, dressed in a fur-lined gown, with Agnes wearing a similiar fur-lined gown with a flower at the waist. Agnes' headdress is difficult to interpret owing to the crown of her head having been sliced off, but as it is not of the butterfly type, the figures do not have to face sideways in order to exhibit it. As is to be expected, a sheep and woolpack bearing the Midwinter woolmark is to be found at William's feet, but curiously one is also to be found at Agnes' feet. This may indicated that she herself was actually a wool merchant in her own right, further backed up by her will containing bequests to 'the 10 parish churches where I have been most accustomed to buy wool.' Perhaps she played an important role in the Midwinter mercantile dealings, or continued them after William's death? Either way, it is most unusual for a woman to have been able to serve in a role like this at the time, making Agnes something of a pioneer.
Beneath the figures of the couple are their four children and in each corner a scroll reading 'Jhu (Jesus) Mercy,' only three of which remain. The border inscription survives surprisingly well, punctuated with Evangelist medallions and shields bearing the Midwinter woolmark, though all but one of the Evangelist medallions and woolmarks have ben torn up, making it impossible to ascertain the original numbers or positions of either.
The Midwinter brass in full. The quality of design is a little questionable, with William's cinched waist in particular making for a strange appearance. | Taken 24/07/24
The Midwinter woolmark, consisting of a cross with flying pennant (similar to the Fortey woolmark) surmounting a design based on the letter M. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at William, whose eyes are rather close together, perhaps owing to a life likeness or simply an inept design. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Agnes, who has suffered an unfortunate, yet weirdly precise blow to the top of her head. | Taken 24/07/24
The two Midwinter sons, who have evidently had their hair cut at the same place as their father. | Taken 24/07/24
The two Midwinter daughters, who, unlike their mother, opt for the fashionable butterfly headdress. | Taken 24/07/24
The sheep and woolpack at William's feet, the one at Agnes' feet being identical save the absence of the woolmark. | Taken 24/07/24
One of the scrolls reading 'Jhu Mercy,' one of the most common components of any brass memorials. | Taken 24/07/24
This next example is the most complete of all (save the Adynet brass, whose original composition may have been different), with all of its separate components having survived for over 500 years. This brass dates from 1501, commemorating Robert and Anne Serche, and is to be found under the north arcade, one bay west of John Fortey. Robert was a mercer (a textile merchant), so no wool trade motifs occur on this brass, and it shows Northleach's attempt to keep its economy afloat by switching to domestic textile production.
Robert and Anne stand facing inwards at the centre of the memorial, Robert dressed in a fur-lined fown with a purse at his belt, and Anne clothed in a dress with a long fastening sash and sporting a kennel headdress with long lappets. Beneath them is a plate inscription giving Robert's date of death in the singularly odd form 'the yere of our Lord MVᶜ and oon,' combining capital Roman numerals, superscript Roman numerals, and written out English numbers. Beneath the couple are their four children, and in each corner of the brass are scrolls reading 'Jhu mercy\Lady helpe.' The final component is located above the couple at the centre and consists of a roundel containing the initials RA, presumably for Robert and Anne.
Whilst this brass is fairly standard in most aspects of composition, engraving, costume, etc., it is still quite a rare find in that it exists fully intact, having survived the reformer's zeal, the tinker's pot, and, most importantly, the average person's negligence.
The Serche brass in full, a pleasingly complete composition. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Robert, eyes gazing pleadingly heaven-wards. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Anne, who appears thoroughly unimpressed. | Taken 24/07/24
The three Serche sons are very simply drawn, but nonetheless quite visually pleasing. | Taken 24/07/24
The single Serche daughter opts for a lengthy veil instead of her mother's lappets. | Taken 24/07/24
The RA roundel, with the calligraphy of the letters charmingly linked. | Taken 24/07/24
One of the commonly employed 'Jhu mercy\Lady helpe' scrolls. | Taken 24/07/24
The final wool brass is a magnificent swan song for Northleach's wool merchants. Laid down in 1525, this example commemorates Thomas and Joan Bushe, and is the most elaborate of all the brasses, with figures of Thomas and Joan underneath a splendidly detailed canopy with intricately engraved shafts and foliated crockets and finials. In the top of each arch of the canopy is a simple rebus, simple enough that it is basically just a pun, this being a group of horned sheep underneath a bush, clearly in reference to the family name, above which are the arms of the Staple of Calais. Below the couple are indents for their children and between them the Bushe woolmark, consisting of a cross above a double X, with the two strokes flanking the cross thought to be a stylised TB for Thomas Bushe. Around all of this is a fillet inscription retaining two of its Evangelist medallions at the corners.
The Bushe family were a prominent mercantile clan, owning much property in the area. Thomas augmented the family fortune through the wool business, expanding their reach to lands in Wiltshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. His sister, Anne married Richard Wenman, another Merchant of the Staple and both are commemorated on the brass at Witney. Thomas died in 1525 and it is possible that Joan continued with his trade until her own death in 1526, attested by the sheep and woolpack at her feet, just like Agnes Midwinter. After her death she left a chalice to the church, and according to urban legend, she also left her wedding dress to the church, which was made into a cope. However, it is likely that she simply left them an extant cope, which may then have been made into an altar frontal.
This brass is one final burst of the glory of the wool merchants here at Northleach, after which many of the wool merchants could become minor gentry with their family fortunes.
The Bushe brass in full. Despite the missing pinnacles and such, the exquisite design is still evident and most commendable for its rather late date. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Thomas, dressed in a gown with overly detailed fur lining. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Joan, whose feet have ended up at a rather jaunty angle. | Taken 24/07/24
The woolmark of Thomas Bushe, with the stylised TB looking very much like 2B; I suppose the question is whether it shows 2B or not 2B? (I am not sorry for this). | Taken 24/07/24
The surviving medallion showing the winged bull of St. Luke, the engraving of which is actually rather accomplished, as it is obvious what animal it is actually supposed to be. | Taken 24/07/24
The sheep and woolpack at Thomas' feet, this sheep having distinctive horns and a long tail. | Taken 24/07/24
The pun-filled canopy, showing three more horned sheep gathered underneath a bush. | Taken 24/07/24
The final effigial brass in the church is the only one which commemorates a cleric. (Another matrix possibly showing a priest survives, but nothing of the inlay remains). Here we have William Launder (variants being Lawnder or Lavender), vicar of Northleach until his death in 1530. He is shown wearing a cassock and surplice with an obvious tonsure, and is kneeling in prayer upon a fald stool. Two scrolls emanate from his figure, expressing general God-fearing piety, and a further inscription surrounds the slab in a border fillet, reading:
'Man in what state that ever thou be
Timor Mortis shoulde trouble the
For when thou leest wenyst
Veniet te mors sup'are
And so thy grave grevys
Ergo Mortis memorare.'
The first four lines of this mixed English and Latin doggerel are the same ones which formerly surrounded the Wenman brass at Witney. The top of the inscription is interrupted with a badge showing the Shield of the Trinity, below which is a matrix formerly containing a depiction of the Holy Trinity itself. Below this is another matrix in the shape of the Virgin and Child. It is possible that these two images were removed before the Reformation authorities arrived in order to save the entire the memorial from being deemed idolatrous and popish. It is a shame that these images do not survive, but if their removal saved the rest of the memorial from being torn up, then I suppose it is the lesser of two evils.
The Launder brass in full, a most pleasing composition. | Taken 24/07/24
A closer look at Launder himself, whose pious expression is essentially the same as those of the Serche brass. | Taken 24/07/24
The Shield of the Trinity at the top of the brass, representing the confusing concept of the Trinity in a simple diagram. | Taken 24/07/24
Once the inscription runs out, the engraver has filled the border space with small memento mori and rather sharp floral designs. | Taken 24/07/24
Moving away from the world of brass, we now enter the world of stone. Northleach's medieval wealth meant the employment of the best local masons that money could buy, with many of the same people additionally appearing to have worked on the churches at the nearby wool towns of Chipping Campden and Cirencester. As well as providing new stonework for the building itself, masons were also called upon to produce new fittings, including screens, pulpits, and fonts.
The 14th century octagonal font dates from the rise of Northleach's fortunes, and is located at the west end of the south aisle. Whilst not the most complex out there, it is undoubtedly a fine piece of work and is decorated with cusped panels bearing human heads on each of the faces, with musical angels supporting the bowl from beneath. The pedestal is further ornamented with cusped niches, inside which pedestals are mounted which presumably would once have supported statues of saints, and the whole is shown to be resting on top od carved demons, crushed by the power of baptism. The entire thing is quite badly weathered, owing to the centuries upon centuries of baptismal use, but is still a singularly delightful object with much detail to inspect.
The font in full, an impressive display of craftsmanship and design. I am unsure if the lip is just weathered from years of use or whether the design actually just stops there. | Taken 24/07/24
The font pedestal, crushing those pesky demons at its foot. The extent of Reformation damage to the formerly statue-holding niches can also be further seen. | Taken 24/07/24
One of the font bowl's eight literal faces, this one showing an old man with wild hair. | Taken 24/07/24
This lute-playing angel supporting the font bowl is weathered most unsettlingly. | Taken 24/07/24
The lovely south porch dates to c.1500 or just before, and is something of a triumph. The porch consists of two storeys, with the upper one being a priest's room, complete with a fireplace, the flue for which has been cunningly concealed in one of the exterior pinnacles. The room is reached via a lovely octagonal stair turret to the west, complete with a crocketed spire.
The exterior of the upper storey is decorated with wonderful tracery and canopied statue niches at the front, and, very remarkably, two of them are actually filled with their original statues. Directly above the finial of the door is seated the Virgin and Child, above them the Holy Trinity, two images which were much reviled during the Reformation and for the most part brutally destroyed, so it is an incredibly rare thing for them to have survived here, especially in such a prominent position. The buttresses of the porch also contain niches, this time empty, and the interior of the porch has also lost all its statues, which would originally have been supported on the many carved corbel heads inside. These themselves have also been effaced and mutilated, but many of them still contain just enough detail to be made out, including a green man and a cat playing the fiddle to three mice. Above this already impressive affair is a beautiful lierne vault displaying carved bosses, the central one of which shows the head of Christ.
Despite being a far cry from its glory days, having been defaced and weathered in all aspects, the south porch still clearly displays incredibly commendable craftsmanship and attention to detail, making for one of the finest porches in the country.
The porch in full, a remarkable sight before even entering the building. | Taken 24/07/24
The interior door with yet another canopied niche above. | Taken 24/07/24
The external sculpture of the Virgin and Child, though the presence of the Child is debatable after such vigourous weathering. | Taken 24/07/24
The Holy Trinity sculpture above, with only God the Father remaining. The canopy above is extremely elaborate and beautiful. | Taken 24/07/24
The cat and the fiddle corbel, thought to reference a C15 political satire. | Taken 24/07/24
Another corbel showing a simple angel, with much detail still visible on the wings. | Taken 24/07/24
This last corbel is probably a green man with wild hair but I honestly have no idea. | Taken 24/07/24
The lierne vault with its carved bosses, centering on a nimbed Christ. | Taken 24/07/24
The church as seen approached from the southeast, with majestic pinnacles and expansive windows displaying the grandeur of the wool legacy. | Taken 24/07/24
The northeast side of the church, allegedly the 'bad' viewing angle of many churches, is no less impressive in this case and still shows off the impressive plan. | Taken 24/07/24
The interior of the church facing east, with John Fortey's sparkling, illuminated nave reigning supreme over the relatively diminutive chancel beyond. | Taken 24/07/24
The lofty tower arch, with the bends at the edge of the wall being remnants of formerly exterior tower buttresses before Fortey widened the nave. | Taken 24/07/24
The Bicknell's 1489 Lady Chapel, with the east window's upper lights containing fragmentary medieval glass. | Taken 24/07/24
The south aisle reredos, formerly part of a chantry chapel and retaining traces of its original paint scheme. | Taken 24/07/24
Looking into the east end, a very different world to Fortey's bright nave, the chancel being darker and admittedly feeling holier. The C15 east window helps the light conditions, however. | Taken 24/07/24
The striking east window glass of 1964 by Christopher Webb, depicting Christ in Glory. At the bottom right of the scene is a small image depicting John Fortey holding up his church. | Taken 24/07/24
The chancel's lovely sedilia can be dated to the late C15 or early C16 due to the use of the Tudor Rose as a decorative emblem, but I am guessing that much of the detail is recut. | Taken 24/07/24
The clerestory and expansive 9 light Cotswold window, flooding the nave with light. The intrusive gable of the chancel can be seen poking up through the Cotswold window. | Taken 24/07/24
The 1883 Thorold & Smith organ, moved to its present position in the north aisle in 1964. | Taken 24/07/24
The faceless clock of 1700, moved here to the North Chapel upon its replacement in 1907. | Taken 24/07/24
I am not too sure of the age of this disused font cover, now also in the North Chapel, but it was replaced by the present one in 1966. | Taken 24/07/24
The beautifully elegant wine glass pulpit dates from the C15 and is decorated richly with ogee-headed traceried panels on each face. | Taken 24/07/24
The south aisle roof pictured is original C15, as are those of the north aisle and nave. | Taken 24/07/24
Just one example of the very silly corbels which support the south aisle roof. | Taken 24/07/24
A selection of very characterful label stops, the first two from the interior door to the staircase leading to the priest's room above the porch, and the third from the south door. | Taken 24/07/24
The west door is battered by the elements, yet highly charming. | Taken 24/07/24
The church square on from the east; a distinctive silhouette. | Taken 24/07/24