| Summary : Collegiate church now parish church, begun as a college of Chantry Priests circa 1370 for Edmund Langley and founded in 1411 by his son Edmund of York. The nave was rebuilt circa 1434 for Richard Duke of York, by the mason William Hanwood. The chancel, cloisters and college buildings were demolished at the Dissolution. The church was restored in the 19th century. The original building consisted of an aisled nave, chancel west tower, north porch, cloisters and college buildings. Built of limestone ashlar with some squared coursed limestone to the south and east walls, the roofs are of lead. |
More information : (TL 05979313)St. Mary & All Saint's church (NAT) (1)
A Church of St. Mary and All Saints
Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, rebuilt the choir of the former
church and intended to found a College of Chantry Priests. The
college was actually founded by Edward, Duke of York, son of
Edmund, in 1411. About 1434 the present nave, aisles and west
tower were built under a contract between Richard, Duke of
York, nephew of Edward, and William Horwood, a local mason. At
the Reformation the choir of the church and the college building
adjoining it were destroyed. Some of the stalls, of splendid design, are now in nearby churches - Benefield, Hemington and Tansor.
The existing church of stone with battlemented cresting and low
pitched lead roofs has a very large west tower the full width
of the nave. The main part of 3 stages is square with projecting
turrets at angles. The upper part is a tall octagonal belfry
lantern with traceried window on each face and pinnacles at
corners. A central post carries a weather vane of falcon in
fetterlock, the crest of the Dukes of York. The south aisle is
carried across the side of the tower.
The main entrance is by a large two storey north porch on the
north side of the tower and in prolongation of the north aisle.
The aisles have symmetrical bays of tall traceried windows
divided by pinnacled buttresses supporting slender flying
buttresses to just below the nave parapet and between the large
clerestory windows. In the interior the altar is flanked by large
C.16 monuments to Edward and Richard, Dukes of York, both erected
by Queen Elizabeth I to replace earlier tombs in the destroyed
part of the church.
The pulpit, elaborately carved and coloured, is C.15 with the
Arms of Edward IV and the year of Richard III. (2)
The church was recorded as `worthy of preservation' in 1984. (3)
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