St. Mary's Church, Higham Ferrers
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Higham Ferrers is a parish church in the Church of England
in Higham Ferrers
, Northamptonshire
.
A large proportion of the original church survives to the present.
The next phase of building in about 1320, was the widening of the North Aisle and the replacement of the Nave arcade, to allow for the insertion of the Lady Chapel. Additional windows were added to the Chancel and the South Aisle.
The Clerestory and the low pitched roof, with parapets is of early 15th century, possibly under the auspices of Bishop Henry Chichele
. The Archbishop also had the screen and Choir Stalls with their misericord
s installed in about 1425. It is worth noting that Archbishop Chichele also had All Souls College, Oxford
built, and there is a definite family resemblance between both sets of misericords, it is possible that the same carver (possibly Richard Tyllock) created both sets of misericords.
In 1631 the spire and part of the tower collapsed, and then repaired shortly afterwards. This was the last work performed on the fabric of the church.
Two restoration
s took place during the 19th century, but both seem to have been sympathetically performed.
One of the chief glories of the church is the west porch. The roundels in the Tympanum depict scenes from the lives of Jesus Christ and Mary, his mother. Built between 1270-80, it is almost certainly the work of one of the foreign masons employed in the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey
, the style and quality of the work here closely resembling the porch of the North transept of the Abbey. The stone frames of the doorway are carved with figures and tendrils forming a Tree of Jesse
.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
.
Description and History
The present church was founded by the charter of King Henry III in about 1220, with the tower being the last part of the first phase to be completed in about 1250.A large proportion of the original church survives to the present.
The next phase of building in about 1320, was the widening of the North Aisle and the replacement of the Nave arcade, to allow for the insertion of the Lady Chapel. Additional windows were added to the Chancel and the South Aisle.
The Clerestory and the low pitched roof, with parapets is of early 15th century, possibly under the auspices of Bishop Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele
Henry Chichele , English archbishop, founder of All Souls College, Oxford, was born at Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, in 1363 or 1364...
. The Archbishop also had the screen and Choir Stalls with their misericord
Misericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s installed in about 1425. It is worth noting that Archbishop Chichele also had All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
built, and there is a definite family resemblance between both sets of misericords, it is possible that the same carver (possibly Richard Tyllock) created both sets of misericords.
In 1631 the spire and part of the tower collapsed, and then repaired shortly afterwards. This was the last work performed on the fabric of the church.
Two restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
s took place during the 19th century, but both seem to have been sympathetically performed.
One of the chief glories of the church is the west porch. The roundels in the Tympanum depict scenes from the lives of Jesus Christ and Mary, his mother. Built between 1270-80, it is almost certainly the work of one of the foreign masons employed in the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, the style and quality of the work here closely resembling the porch of the North transept of the Abbey. The stone frames of the doorway are carved with figures and tendrils forming a Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy...
.