Address of Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay

Geographic Location: Lat: 52.5259; Long: -0.43916 - GeoTag: GB-NTH

 Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay 

Church of St Mary and All Saints, Fotheringhay is an Ecclesiastical or Religious Site managed as a Tourist or Visitor Attraction by an Independent/Unknown Organisation and is located in or near Fotheringhay, England.

Edmund of Langley, the fifth son of Edward III, projected a college at Fotheringhay, and in pursuance of this design he built a large and magnificent choir adjoining the ancient parish church. The mark of the roof of this former church may be seen on the east wall of the present nave.

Edward, Duke of York, carried on his father's plan, and in 1412, the 13th year of Henry IV, obtained a charter for the endowment of the college. It was called the College of the Blessed Virgin and All Saints, Fotheringhay. The endowment was found to be insufficient, and as the Duke wished to build a nave worthy of the magnificent choir, in the 3rd year of Henry V, 1415, he obtained a royal licence for its more ample endowment. The Duke, however, was slain at the battle of Agincourt: his tomb stands on the south side of the altar. But the work was still carried on.

On September 24th, 1435, Richard, Duke of York, his nephew, signed by commission a contract with William Horwood, freemason, of Fotheringhay, for the rebuilding of the parish church on a scale and in a style exactly corresponding to that of the choir. This contract is a very well known document to students of Archaeology: the original appears to have perished, but there are several copies in existence.

The college and cloisters are mentioned in this document, and a porch is contracted to be made to connect the new building and the cloisters. The glorious 'Fair Cloister' was erected by Edward IV. This cloister ran parallel with the south aisle of the present nave. On the exterior wall may be traced the remains of its arches. A doorway, now blocked up, which led into the 'Fair Cloister' can be traced at the eastward end of the south aisle.

In the summer of 1926, members of Oundle School excavated the site of the cloisters. The foundations of the walls were discovered, and fragments of stained glass, glazed tiles, candlesnuffers, a monastic tally, missal clasp, and portions of window tracery.

The windows of the nave and aisles were filled with stained glass, and, with the remaining tracery, they must have been unrivalled. A few odd pieces of blue, red and yellow may still be seen in the windows. The Falcon enclosed by a Fetterlock, the bade of the house of York, was a very conspicuous object in the windows. This badge may be seen on the present tombs, and very clearly on the flagpole above the lantern. It is a mystery what has become of these windows. Many of the figures were intact up to 1787. Some odd fragments of the windows of Fotheringhay may be seen in the central window of the west end of King's Cliffe Church: the Tudor rose and fetterlock are strong evidence of their Fotheringhay origin.

The College of Fotheringhay continued till the time of Edward VI. The last Divinity Lecturer in the college was Laurence Saunders, who was burnt in Coventry in 1555. The choir belonging to the collegiate establishment was then dismantled, and its furniture sold. Some of the stalls still remain in the churches of Hemington and Tansor. In 1928 the Vicar of Great Gidding very kindly returned to the church four of the original seats of the choir stalls which had come into his possession.

Part of the choir was still standing when Queen Elizabeth I came to Fotheringhay: observing the tombs of the Dukes of York neglected amid the ruins of the choir, she ordered their bodies to be removed into the present building, and monuments to be erected to their memory. The monuments are on the north and south sides of the alter.

The font is a conspicuous object under the west tower. The basin is octagonal, adorned with foliage and grotesque heads in Gothic compartments. It is supported on a low octagonal pillar and elevated on two steps. On the west is a stone pedestal designed for the station of the priest. Its design gives the congregation a clear view when the sacrament of Baptism is administered.

The fan tracery beneath the west tower should be noted. On the north-west corbel from which the spandrels of the ceiling rise is an inscription in old character which is conjected to read thus: Ao D 14c 5vii, i.e. Anno Domini 1457.

The pulpit, given by King Edward IV, is of great beauty. It was originally coloured, and traces of green, red, and gold are still visible. The shield of arms on the back of the pulpit has France and England quarterly, supported on the dexter side by a lion rampant guardant for the Earl of March, and a bull for Clare: on the sinister by a hart, showing descent from Richard II, and by a boar for the honour of Windsor, possessed by Richard III, who was born in Fotheringhay Castle. The shield of arms is surmounted by an imperial crown.

The matrices of some very fine brasses may be seen in the pavement of the nave and north aisle

The glory of the church is its lantern tower, which is a model of elegance. It is believed that in old days it was a beacon for travellers through the forest of Rockingham.

Over the north-west porch is the Sacristan's Room, whose duty it was to regulate the tolling of bells to keep watch over vestments and shrines, etc., for which purpose there is a window looking into the church. 

 

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