Holy Cross church - Byfield, Northamptonshire
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SMacB
N 52° 10.363 W 001° 14.528
30U E 620209 N 5781705
Medieval church of the Holy Cross, Byfield.
Waymark Code: WM135RW
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/22/2020
Views: 1
"Church. C14 and C15, restored late C19. Coursed squared limestone with limestone and sandstone dressings, slate roofs. Chancel, nave, north and south aisles, south aisle chapel, south porch, west tower. Chancel of 3 bays. East window has 3 lights and C19 Decorated tracery, tall 2-light windows, with segmental heads and intersecting tracery north and south. A 2-light Perpendicular low-side window with straight head at south-west end of chancel. North aisle extends over first bay of chancel and has 3-light Decorated east window. 4 bays with 2-light Decorated windows, small 2-light west window, priests door at north-east end and pointed arch north door between first and second windows west. South aisle has 3-light Decorated windows to east end and projecting south-east chapel. Windows either side of porch and at west end correspond to those of north aisle. South porch has a many-moulded entrance arch with ball flowers to middle moulding, a crocketed ogee hood and pinnacles, with a shallow niche with nodding ogee hood above. South door within has double-chamfered arch with hood mould. Nave has clerestory with three 3-light straight-headed Perpendicular windows north and south, with extra 2-light window with segmental head to east end of south aisle (sections of earlier blocked circular windows visible inside). 3-stage west tower with angle buttresses. West door similar to south porch entrance with 2-light Decorated window above, which has ogee hood mould. Above window and at either side niches with nodding ogee hoods and pinnacles. Belfry stage has 2-light windows with basket arch heads and hood moulds. The tower has battlements and recessed spire with 2 tiers of lucarnes in alternating directions; formerly also corner turrets, removed recently.
Interior: chancel has 3-seat sedilia with 4-centred cusped arch heads and piscina. Stained glass east and south-west windows by Kempe (1897 and 1902). Double-chamfered chancel arch with responds supported by corbel heads. Nave has arcades of 4 bays with double-chamfered arches and hood moulds; octagonal capitals, piers and pier-bases. South-east aisle chapel has piscina with cusped ogee head and hood mould with label stops and an aumbry. Triple-chamfered tower arch with hood mould and label stops. C19 roofs and pews. 6-sided C17 pulpit on baluster legs. C17 and C18 wall monuments in chancels, gargoyles removed from tower in south porch."
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