St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho
Encyclopedia
St Bartholomew's Church, Furtho, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the former village of Furtho
, Northamptonshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. 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
.
in 1870. It ceased to be a parish church
in 1920. 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. The church was declared redundant on 16 May 1989, and was vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 7 June 1990.
. 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 buttress
es 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 battlement
ed. The nave contains three-light, arched, mullion
ed 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.
-headed piscina
and a tomb recess. On each side of the east window is a bracket for an image. 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. The octagonal font
is small and dates from the 17th century.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the former village of Furtho
Furtho
Furtho was a medieval village in south Northamptonshire. It became deserted after the land enclosures took place.-Location:Furtho lies between the villages of Potterspury and Cosgrove about north west of Stony Stratford and south east of Towcester along the A5 road, the nearest towns...
, 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,...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. A former medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
village, it became deserted
Abandoned village
An abandoned village is a village that has, for some reason, been deserted. In many countries, and throughout history, thousands of villages were deserted for a variety of causes...
when the road from London to Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
was diverted away from it. All that remains in the vicinity of the church is a farm and a dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
.
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 restoredVictorian 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...
in 1870. It ceased to be a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in 1920. 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. The church was declared redundant on 16 May 1989, and was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 7 June 1990.
Exterior
St Bartholomew's is constructed in limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The roof of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
is in slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, and the roofs of the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and tower are tiled. Its plan consists of a three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
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 buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es 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
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
is battlement
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
ed. The nave contains three-light, arched, mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed windows. There are Tudor arched doorways in both the north and south walls. On the east gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
is a finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
. The east window has three lights. In the south wall of the chancel is a pair of two-light windows with Decorated tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
, and a round-arched priest's door.
Interior
In the chancel is a trefoilTrefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
-headed piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and a tomb recess. On each side of the east window is a bracket for an image. Also in the chancel is a marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
memorial to Anthony Furtho, who died in 1558, and his two wives, and a monument to Edmund Arnold dated 1676. The octagonal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is small and dates from the 17th century.