Introduction
Welcome
to St. Peter’s Church, Cogenhoe. Much of this building has been standing for
over 700 years and there are many points of interest. This short guide will
introduce you to some of its main features and tell you a little about its
life in the 21st Century.
The
Church of St. Peter consists of a chancel, 23ft 9in by 15ft by 13ft, a
clerestoried nave 39ft by 18ft 9in, north and south aisles 10ft 2in and 11ft
2in, a south porch and a west tower 11ft by 10 ft.
Sir
Nicholas de Cogenhoe was the builder of most of the Church. His arms can be
seen on the pillars of the arcades. He was a knight of the garrison of
Northampton Castle in 1264 and held the manor until he was laid to rest in
1280 in the Crusader's Tomb which can be seen in the south aisle.
The first
mention of the church is found in records in 1238 when the rebuilding was
begun at the east end, to which period the present chancel belongs, and
later in the century the nave and the aisles were rebuilt. Other changes
have taken place through the ages, in particular a substantial restoration
during 1869-70.
There are
many examples of Early English architecture, particularly arches, columns
and capitals around the Church. There are also a number of tomb stones with
still legible inscriptions in the floor.
The
Parish Registers now held in the Diocesan Record Office are of national
importance—specifically the Rev. Christopher Spicer's Easter censuses from
the early 17th century, which are the earliest surviving in the country.
These, along with the Rev. Sampson's later ones from Clayworth in
Nottinghamshire, have revolutionised our knowledge of population mobility in
the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Porch and the North and South doorways
The Porch
was added in the 14th century. The north and south doorways are probably
the earliest parts of the church. The south doorway is notable for its
plain round arch of two square orders with hood-moulds—the outer of the
shafts with scalloped capitals and moulded bases.
On the
right, before you enter, a holy water stoup, damaged either during the years
of the Commonwealth, or during the iconoclasm of Edward VI's reign can still
be seen.
The Chancel
The 13th
Century chancel has three pairs of lancet windows on the south side and a
single pair on the north side. It was re-roofed and a new east window
provided during the 1869-70 restoration.
The
squint in the pier of the chancel arch was to enable worshippers in the
south aisle to witness the central act of worship at the altar.
There are
three lockers in the chancel – a double aumbry and above those a pointed
trefoiled niche which may have been an Easter Sepulchre in pre-reformation
times. Certainly there would have been an Easter Sepulchre at or about this
spot. On Maundy Thursday the sacrament was taken from the altar and placed
in the Easter Sepulchre until Easter eve, when the first communion of Easter
takes place. This practice has recently been revived. There is a story that
the original door had sleeping soldiers carved on it, but whether this is
correct is not known.
A new
solid oak altar table, made by a local craftsman, was installed in the year
2000.
The North Aisle and Vestry
In 1320
William, the son of Nicholas de Cogenhoe, opened up an arch on the north
side of the Chancel and built the Chantry Chapel of Our Lady. Later, in
about 1340, Giles de Cogenhoe widened the nave, adding the north and south
aisles bringing the north aisle into line with the chapel, and adding a
Founder's Chantry Chapel (where a chantry priest prayed at the altar of St.
Nicholas for the soul of Sir Nicholas de Cogenhoe) in the south aisle.
During the 1869-70 restoration, the north chapel, which had long been
demolished, was rebuilt on its old foundations and is now used as the
vestry.
Before
the vestry, on the north wall, is a plain oblong recess, or locker, about
3ft above the floor. A large needleworked cloth can also be seen which is
probably of Elizabethan date. It may have served as an altar dorsal curtain
in the chancel. The field map dated 1630 provides a fascinating view of the
landscape of the village 370 years ago. It is a map of the Cogenhoe estate
of Francis Cheyne, the absentee squire of the parish. It is almost certainly
associated with an early enclosure by agreement. (In fact, this is a replica
as the original now resides safely in the County/Diocesan Record Office,
along with the parish registers.)
The Bells and the Tower
The last
de Cogenhoe to contribute to the building was a lady called Agnes, who was
sister to the last heir who had died at the age of 10. Agnes built the tower
at the west end of the church as a memorial to him in about 1380. It is
faced with finely dressed stone and is in three stages, the upper stage
being slightly set back. It has a moulded plinth and diagonal buttresses on
the west side to the top of the second stage and terminates in a
battlemented parapet and pinnacles all of which were removed during the late
19th century or early 20th century. Since then the pinnacles have been
replaced. A musicians gallery at the west end was also removed during
1869-70 and the tower arch opened out. An organ was subsequently installed.
The
stonework of the Tower was substantially restored in 1989.
The 8 day
clock was installed in the church tower in 1838 and is still with us, with
the name of the maker, J. Corby, Castle Ashby, stamped on the inner dial.
The South Aisle
As well
as the Early English architecture itself, there are some objects in the
South Aisle worth noting.
The piece
of fringed needlework in colour on canvas which can be seen in a glazed
frame probably dates from Tudor times and may have been the upper side of a
long cushion for the sedilia (a seat where the celebrant and ministers sit
during mass).
The east
end of the south aisle is the site of the original Founder's Chantry Chapel
and the tomb of Sir Nicholas de Cogenhoe is to be found close by – a figure
in chain mail, his dog at his feet, depicting fidelity, his crossed legs
indicating that he had been a crusader. Near here can also be seen a small
trefoiled piscina recess, restored, but without the bowl, indicating the
position of the altar in what was St. Nicholas' Chapel. Today the Founder's
Chapel site is the place of the Church’s war memorial.
Also to
be seen is a mediaeval relic, awaiting restoration. It is said to have been
the head of a churchyard cross.
The four
sides of the cross head, which is of 14th century date, have trefoiled
niches containing original sculpture.
It is
carved on four sides with the figures of the Blessed Virgin and St. John,
the Father supporting the Son on the cross, St. Peter and St. Paul.
The Nave
The Nave
had a clerestory added sometime during the 15th Century. It has three square
headed windows of two trefoiled lights on each side.
The
carvings between the clerestory windows are noteworthy - particularly the
bull, lion and bear. The
nave roof was strengthened during the 1869-70 restoration and the old square
pews were replaced by open benches.
The heads which can be seen on the column and piers in the nave may have
been humorous representations of people from the village. Ten shields can
also be seen, four of which are of the de Cogenhoe family. The font is a
plain cylindrical bowl, chamfered round the top. It may date back to the
12th century, but the stone has been defaced.
To the west side of the south east pillar is what might be a holy water
stoup supported by a draped figure, although Sir Nicholas Pevsner, the
renowned architectural historian thought it to be a ledge for an image such
as St. Nicholas. Again, unfortunately, it was damaged either during the
iconoclasm of Edward VI's reign or during the Commonwealth. The damaged
draped figure is most fascinating and worth taking a special look at.
The
pulpit, lectern, choir stalls and belfry screen all date from the 1869-70
restoration.
The Outside
The
walling is generally made of rough, coursed, undressed local stone.
Three
scratch dials can be seen – one on the east jamb of the porch, one on the
west jamb of the window east of the porch and a third inside the porch.
The two
stone flower troughs were stone coffins – one a heart coffin and the other a
child's.
Life at St. Peter’s in the 21st Century
St.
Peter’s is part of a local Benefice of four churches. Amongst many regular
activities which take place at St. Peter’s and in the nearby, and recently
refurbished, St. Peter’s Centre, are:
Eucharist
Services, Family Services, Sunday School, Pram Services, Parish Lunches,
Fetes, Flower Festivals, Harvest and Shrove Tuesday suppers and much more.
Fr. Richard, members of the Parochial Church Council and of the congregation
all play their part in maintaining the life of the Church and the village in
pastoral and practical ways.
