WADENHOE : CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS
Church Post Code PE8 5ST
Usually open to visitors
It was late April 2015, and a re-visit to the church of St Michael and All Angels, Wadenhoe, Northants. It had been an afternoon of brilliant sunshine, the bleating of sheep and the scent of oilseed rape everywhere we went. Our East Northants churchcrawl begun at Pilton, before moving on to Thorpe Achurch and then Aldwincle before taking in an evening prayer service at Wadenhoe.
The setting here is just idyllic. This is a small church unimposing church, set on top of high ground, surrounded by trees, nestling by the side of the river Nene. On this particular Sunday, late afternoon was just turning in to evening and the shadows were just starting to lengthen, the sun was starting to dip and the colours were golden and beautiful. Sheep and lambs were grazing on the side of the hill.
A narrowboat was passing through, to the annoyance of the local ducks. Overhead a Red Kite circled looking for food. From the high ground, the view out over the Northamptonshire countryside was lovely. Setting wise, this is probably as good as it gets; this is why I do what I do!
Walking up the path to the church from the east, the visitor is greeted by a sundial, which was put up to celebrate the turn of the Millennium. It is possible to see five church towers and spires from the high ground where Wadenhoe church is situated. This sundial points the interested visitor in the direction of the five that can be seen.
The church here has been a place of worship for more than 800 years. The structure that we see today dates back to the 12th century, and consists of west tower, nave with north and south aisles and clerestories, north porch and chancel. The three stage tower dates back to the late 12th century, The nave is thirteenth century, with the north arcade dating from mid way through that century, the south arcade being built a little later. The church was restored during the 18th and 19th centuries.
We were early for the service and there was a little time to look around the exterior. On the north face of the tower, low down is a triple blind arcade, which dates from the building of the tower. A friendly local, also arriving for the service pointed me in the direction of a small figure to the west of the porch, apparently asleep, seemed cat like in appearance. A gargoyle, whose hands appear to have been replaced at some point in time, pulls open its mouth in a medieval gesture of insult.
The ground that this church is built on slopes away alarmingly, and the church is very heavily buttressed. In 1901 the tower was underpinned to a solid foundation. The pillars of the nave arcades were also underpinned as it was found that they stood immediately over faults in the rock.
There are six bells in the rings here, including one of the earliest examples produced by Tobias Norris I, dated 1603. When this bell was cast, Tobias would have been about 17 years old. The inscription on this bell, which was re-cast in 1937, reads "MVLTI : VOCATI : PAVCI : ELECTI (Many are called few are chosen) Robertvs : Ashle : Thomas : Cibble 1603 Gardiani IA IH". Another bell from the Stamford bell foundry, this one dated 1607 proclaimed "God Save His Chvrch" This latter bell, along with four others was recast by Taylor of Loughborough in 1937, with the first bell from Tobias Norris left untouched.
There were a decent number of people there for the evening prayer, and they were a very friendly bunch. As is often the case, people were interested in David and my self’s cameras and invariably, people are interested in what we are doing and why we are doing it.
The chancel was beautifully lit, but a stray ray from the setting sun caught and glistened off the cross on the altar. The east window is of two lights with the left hand panel as we look at it depicting the risen Christ, crowned with one hand raised in blessing, holding a globe. The right hand panel consists of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, who has his hand spread wide. His hands were also spread wide in His death on the cross and I wonder if this was being symbolised to here.
The chancel is guarded by two grotesques. One pulls open its mouth in medieval gesture of insult. The other is similar but appears to have vines pulling its mouth open rather than hands. Very green man like! On the south wall of the chancel, a carving of a human skull looks out from a monument, reminding the onlooker that Man is mortal and will die.
Other stained glass here includes a depiction of the raising of Lazarus. Jesus, central commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb; Mary and Martha stand off to the left, each depicted with nimbus whilst Lazarus, also depicted with nimbus, leaves his tomb.
In another panel, Peter raises Tabitha from the dead. A part of Acts Chapter nine verse 41 is included ‘And he have her his hand and lifted her up’. A powerful scene shows Saul on the road to Damascus. Jesus appears to him in a cloud from which flames streak out, leaving Saul blinded and collapsed.
A stone tablet in memory of Thomas and Caroline Welch Hunt, who were murdered by bandits whilst on honeymoon in 1824 can be see on the south wall of the nave, it reads "Sacred to the memory of Thomas Welch Hunt Esq, late proprietor of the estate and manor of Wadenhoe, and of Caroline his wife, eldest daughter of the Revd Charles Eusby Isham, Rector of Polebrooke in this county, who were both cruelly shot by banditti, near Poestum in Italy. On 3rd December 1824. He died on the same day, having nearly completed his 28th year. She died on the morning of the following Sunday, in the 23rd year of her age, after a union of scarcely ten months, affording an impressive and mournful instance of the instability of human happiness. Their remains are interred in one grave at Naples. They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided" Both Thomas and Caroline had portraits commissioned in 1824 and these hang in Peterborough Museum.
The churchyard contains a few very ancient graves and tombs. A 17th century chest tomb on the west side of the church grounds states "Here lyeth the dead corps of William Sanderson and Ihone his wife"
. Also of interest is a grave which, although badly weathered and unreadable, would date from the late 17th century by the looks of it. This grave has on it three images of skulls, and it appears as if the grave marks the final resting place of three members of the same family. The skull was to remind the onlooker that man was mortal and would die at a time when life expectancy was low, the message being put across in symbol form as most could not read or write.
When I first started to visit and photograph churches, a dear friend who is sadly no longer with us, said that he would show me a church in one of the most attractive settings that I could wish for. He took me to Wadenhoe. A gem; a jewel in the East Northamptonshire countryside! Pre covid the church was open to visitors, and I hope that this is the situation now.
THORPE ACHURCH : CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
Church Post Code PE8 5SL
Open to Visitors
It was a bright and sunny Sunday morning in May 2025 and a long overdue revisit to the church of St John the Baptist, Achurch Northants. The village here is sometimes also known as Thorpe Achurch and can be found a short distance from Wadenhoe across the field to the east; the River Nene providing part of the boundary between the two parishes.
Achurch is mid way between Oundle and Thrapston, with the former to the north and the latter to the south west; a quiet and peaceful village despite the fairly close proximity of the A605 which connects those two market towns.
The village here was a former estate village for Lilford Hall which stands across the fields to the north east; this being erected by William Elmes the elder in 1495; with the Powys family taking ownership in 1711. The church at Lilford fell in to decay and was demolished as far back as 1778. Interestingly, the monuments to the Elmes family, which had pride of place in the church at Achurch, were removed by their successors and banished to the dark recesses under the tower arch. Monuments were also brought here from the church at Lilford upon its demolition.
Today the church of St John the Baptist is the parish church for four villages; Achurch, Lilford, Thorpe Waterville and Wigsthorpe.
I had visited here several times over the years, including taking in a evening prayer service with David back in the spring of 2013; a pleasant time spent with friendly people. It was a little dark inside by the time that the service finished and it was always the intention to pop back and reshoot in more favourable lighting; this revisit taking a mere 12 years to come about!
It is thought that the church here dates back to the late 13th century, and possibly replaced an existing structure; being founded by Sir Ascelin De Waterville, a crusader knight, who built the church to give thanks for his safe return from the Crusades. It is said that the coffin shaped stone on the south side of the church close to the chancel is the grave of Sir Ascelin. It is also claimed that the tomb immediately to the side of this stone is the tomb of another crusader knight, Sir Reginald De Waterville. The church is pretty much unaltered since that time with the exception of the south porch which was added in restoration of 1862. An organ chamber, which was built alongside the north transept, was also added in 1912.
The church that we see today consists of nave with north aisle, south porch, north and south transepts, north organ chamber and chancel. The church of St John the Baptist can be found at the extreme north west of the village, at the end of a quiet and pleasant lane, the broach spire rising up over a row of stone cottages.
The visitor enters the church grounds from the east, through a lychgate which dates from 1896, which was erected as a memorial to the fourth Lord Lilford, who died in January of that year. The church is cruciform in shape, with north and south transepts; and difficult to photograph from the south due to the tight nature of the grounds on that side. There is much more space to the north and looking at the church externally from that side we see a three stage tower, with stair turret to the north west side. A tall elegant octagonal broach spire rises up, with two tiers of lucarne windows.
Still standing to the north; turning away from the church there is some reassembled remains of the church at Lilford, which has been rebuilt in to a folly. The north aisle has three, two light windows each having a trefoil shaped rounded above. There is no clerestory.
The organ chamber from 1912 is alongside the north transept and it of similar dimensions, albeit with the organ chamber having a chimney. Moving around to the east, the east window is of three lights, again with a roundel at the top. A few very weathered stone heads look out at visitors in the church grounds; these including a female figure wearing a wimple. A male figure with impressive beard and moustache looks of in a disapproving manner from the Victorian south porch.
Looking at the church from the east, my reaction was that this is a church of very pleasing proportions; photographed on the most glorious of late spring mornings; my only company being a Red Kite, circling around over the chancel.
Thomas North’s 1878 published work on the church bells in Northamptonshire recorded four bells here with three being cast by Taylor of Loughborough. The first three of the ring were all from Taylor with the first dated 1861. The second and third are each re-castings of previous bells, each dating from 1898. Prior to re-casting the second of the ring was dated 1675 and was inscribed ‘God Save the King’. North suggested that this was from the Stamford bellfoundry, with Thomas and Tobias Norris III each being active founders at that time.
The third of the ring was cast in 1711 by celebrated Peterborough founder Henry Penn. Given the date, I wonder if this bell was cast to celebrate the Powys family taking over Lilford Hall.
The fourth of the ring was cast in 1735 by Thomas Eayre of Kettering and is inscribed ‘OMNIA FIANT AD GLORIAM DEI’ which translates as ‘Let all things be done for the glory of God’ The situation that North found when he looked at the bells here is exactly the same today.
Moving inside, it appeared a little dark inside after stepping in from the brightness of this beautiful late spring morning; my eyes taking a few moments to accustom to the dimmer light inside. The north aisle is of four bays, with quatrefoil piers and foliate capitals. Moving in to the chancel the altar was plain and simple, with just a cross and candlesticks; with the altar itself having a white and gold cloth, with white the liturgical colour used from Easter until Pentecost.
An oak reredos stretches the full width of the chancel and a sill from a two light window against the south wall of the chancel forms a sedilia; the seating for the priests during the Mass in pre reformation days. There is no sign of a piscina immediately to the east of this, which would normally have been the case. As usual I stood at the chancel arch and looked back to the west; looking for the original roofline of the church before the clerestory was put it, then remembering that this would be fruitless here as there is no clerestory!
There is stained glass here of high quality; with the glass donated in memory of Lords of Lilford. The east window here is of three lights and has a stained glass depiction of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Jesus is central carrying a sheep across his shoulders; to be fair the sheep appears to be rather stiff and doesn’t appear to be happy about the situation. Jesus is flanked by angels at prayer with serene faces and brightly coloured wings.
Other stained glass here includes a two light window which shows the raising of Lazarus; who is at prayer still in his shroud. Mary and Martha, his sisters are alongside their brother,; Mary identifiable by her long hair. Alongside this we have Mary the mother of Jesus alongside Mary Magdalene with other characters in the background; which think could be the scene at the empty tomb on Easter morning after an angel of the Lord had appeared to the three Mary’s.
One other two light panel shows two angels holding banners on which read ‘It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord to sing praises un to thy name O Lord most highest’. This is the first verse of Psalm 92 in the King James Version. This window is of particular interest as it is edged with depictions of birds; this in memory of the 4th Lord Lilford who was one of eight founding members of the British Ornithological Union in 1858.
The highlight of the interior though is definitely to be found in the south transept; this being a fabulous monument to Sir Thomas Powys, who acquitted Lilford Hall in 1711. He was Solicitor General to Kings James II and sat in the House of Commons from 1701 to 1713. This monument dominates the south transept; standing 20 feet high and was moved here from the demolished church at Lilford. Powys reclines on a carpet in elaborate wig and long flowing gown. He is flanked by Corinthian columns and two female figures which symbolise truth and justice. He died in April 1719 ages 70 years.
Amid the dim light under the tower the Elmes monument the monuments to the Elmes family have to be content with their reduced surroundings; a veiled human skull with cavernous eye sockets and bones beneath remind the onlooker that Man is mortal and will die.
The oldest gravestones here are not in site, but re sited close to the south porch. William the son of Matthew and Mary Cook passed away during the 17th century; the latter part of the date being weathered away. Stones to Ann and William Coles could be for a married couple, passing away in 1728 and 1730 respectively.
The oldest tomb in the church grounds reads "Heare Lyeth the Bodie of Mable Woodrovf the wife of Robert Woodrovf whose Sovle Departed in the Trve Faith of Jesvs Chris Jany 2 1636". My spell checker did not care for this inscription!
Reassembled arch from the demolished church at Lilford which can be seen to the north of the church grounds here.
This was the first church visited in what was to be a ten church Northamptonshire crawl. It was a good start; an open and welcoming church with much to keep the interested visitor occupied. The church here is well worth a look at if you are in the area; this is also an area where there are normally a decent amount of open churches to keep the visiting churchcrawler happy for the day. All of the interior shots on this page are from the May 2025 visit; exterior shots have a few shots from previous visits included as well.