Parish Church Construction
A 14th-century ironstone church with Decorated Gothic windows and a saddleback tower.
The present Church of England parish church of Saint John the Baptist, built of local ironstone, dates largely from the early part of the 14th century. The north aisle has Decorated Gothic windows and an arcade of three bays. The chancel has windows dating from about 1300, the middle of the Decorated Gothic period. The chancel was restored in 1872 under the direction of the architect Albert Hartshorne. The church is a Grade I listed building.
Lore & Background
By the end of the 11th century Thorpe Mandeville had a parish church, which was included in the early endowments to a Cluniac priory of the Abbey of La Charité-sur-Loire that had been founded at Preston Capes in 1090 and moved to Daventry shortly thereafter. High on the east wall of the west tower is a small stone relief of a man under a hood mould. On the north wall of the north aisle is a 14th-century painting of Saint Christopher carrying Jesus. On the west wall of the north aisle is a monument to Sir Thomas Kirton (died 1601) and his wife Margaret (died 1597). The tower has a saddleback roof and three bells. Henry I Bagley of Chacombe cast the second bell in 1636. John Briant of Hertford cast the treble bell in 1790. Robert Taylor, who had foundries at Oxford and St Neots, cast the tenor bell in 1826.
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