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 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 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.

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.

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 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 lierne vault with its carved bosses, centering on a nimbed Christ. | Taken 24/07/24