SOUTHWICK. CHURCH : ST MARY
I made my first ever visit to the delightful East Northamptonshire village of Southwick in February 2007. The day was clear and bright, until I got to the edge of the village and then the sun went in, not to reappear, and the lighting conditions went "belly up" as a result!
A brief re-visit was made later that year, with the exterior being shot again in much better lighting. This was in the early Autumn, and the trip home via Nassington was exquisite with blinding sunshine and some glorious Autumnal colours. As I cycld along an almost completely desertd country road, the tower at Fotheringhay stayed in my vision, a few miles across the fields, for ages. When seeing this church from a distance it brings home how it truly dominates the landscape.
A third visit was made on Easter Bank Holiday Monday 2009. This was the fourth and final day of an Easter tour of East Northamptonshire and Rutland churches. Just a quick visit as I fancied a liquid lunch. My o/s map suggested that there was a public house in Southwick, and so there was.....but it doesn't open on Mondays!!
Regular visitors to this site might know of my great love for the villages in this part of East Northants. Southwick has the beautiful Fotheringhay as its neighbour to the East and the equally beautiful Bulwick a few miles to the West.
Lots of history here. The church stands proudly by the side of the main road and the churchyard occupies ground that was used by the Romans to extract ironstone. As a result, the ground here is susceptible to subsidence, and the church tower is heavily buttressed as a result.
The oldest part of this church, the chancel arch, dates to around 1230 (and if anyone says 1230...that is just before lunchtime then they are just being silly!!) The tower and spire were built by Sir John Knyvet, who was Lord Chancellor to King Edward III. Shields bearing the coat of arms of Sir John and his wife, Eleanor Basset of Weldon, are carved in to the tower in several places.
Inside the church, the chancel has a fine monument dedicated to George Lynn of Southwick Hall, who passed away in 1758. This fine monument was the last work of French sculptor Louis Roubiliac, and it was commissioned for the princely sum of £500! The monument depicts Ann Bellamy, who also commissioned the work, looking up at the profile of her deceased husband. The Lynn family took over the Southwick estate in the mid 15th Century. They re-built most of the church in the mid 18th Century.
In the Nave there is a fine carved lectern in the shape of an eagle. This also serves as the Parish War Memorial. The church organ was donated in the early 1950's. It was restored in 1982 for the grand sun of £3,000! Some nice stained glass windows to be found here as well, which I think are Victorian.
Outside and a series of gargoyles and grotesques surround the tower. One very ancient and badly weathered gargoyle, sitting on the south wall of the tower has seen better days, but is still worth a mention. This is a curious thing with strangely elongated ears!
Not sure if this church is normally kept open. On my first visit the church was in the process of being locked up when I arrived. On the Easter Bank Holiday Monday though, the church was oepn. Nice church and village....as you would expect from this part of the world.
