St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho

St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho

A view of the exterior of the church from the south east - a white-coloured chancel with red tiles, a square perpendicular nave and a stocky tower with large embattlements.

St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho,
from the south east
St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho

Location in Northamptonshire

Coordinates: 52°04′51″N 0°52′22″W / 52.0808°N 0.8728°W
OS grid reference SP 773 430
Location Furtho, Northamptonshire
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Website Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication Saint Bartholomew
Architecture
Functional status Redundant
Heritage designation Grade II*
Designated 17 June 1960
Architectural type Church
Style Gothic
Groundbreaking 12th century
Completed 1620
Closed 1920
Specifications
Materials Limestone,
Slate and tile roofs

St Bartholomew's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the former village of Furtho, Northamptonshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2] A former medieval village, it became deserted when the road from London to Northampton was diverted away from it. All that remains in the vicinity of the church is a farm and a dovecote.[2]

History

The church dates from the 12th century, with additions and alterations in the 14th century. It was substantially rebuilt in about 1620 and was restored in 1870.[1] It ceased to be a parish church in 1920.[2] During the Second World War the church was used for storage of the archives of the Northampton Record Society, and during that time all the windows were destroyed by a bomb.[3] The church was declared redundant on 16 May 1989, and was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 7 June 1990.[4]

Architecture

Exterior

St Bartholomew's is constructed in limestone. The roof of the nave is in slate, and the roofs of the chancel and tower are tiled. Its plan consists of a three-bay nave, a two-bay chancel and a west tower. The tower is built partly within the west end of the nave. It is in two stages, and has diagonal buttresses and a pyramidal roof. In the lower stage is a three-light west window, and the upper stage has three-light bell openings. The parapet is battlemented. The nave contains three-light, arched, mullioned windows. There are Tudor arched doorways in both the north and south walls. On the east gable is a finial. The east window has three lights. In the south wall of the chancel is a pair of two-light windows with Decorated tracery, and a round-arched priest's door.[1]

Interior

In the chancel is a trefoil-headed piscina and a tomb recess. On each side of the east window is a bracket for an image.[1] Also in the chancel is a marble memorial to Anthony Furtho, who died in 1558, and his two wives, and a monument to Edmund Arnold dated 1676.[3] The octagonal font is small and dates from the 17th century.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Historic England, "Church of St Bartholomew, Potterspury (1191073)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 October 2013
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 St Bartholemew's Church, Furtho, Northamptonshire, Churches Conservation Trust, retrieved 29 March 2011
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Furtho, St Bartholomew's Church, Britain Express, retrieved 3 October 2010
  4. ↑ Diocese of Peterborough: All Schemes (PDF), Church Commissioners/Statistics, Church of England, 2011, p. 2, retrieved 7 April 2011