Stoke Doyle. church : st rumbald
Easter Bank Holiday Monday 2009 and the sun shines gloriously on what was the final day of a four day cycling tour of East Northants and Rutland churches. It had been gloomy and drizzling for most of the previous three days but the Monday was bright and warn and it was a joy to be out.
Stoke Doyle is a small village two miles from Oundle, on the road to Wadenhoe. I have to admit that I have mixed feelings about the church here. To my mind this eighteenth century re-build is not the most interesting church to visit, but the place itself is quiet and peaceful, and set in some lovely countryside, and it is a favourite place of mine to stay for a while whilst in the area. According to the village sign, Stoke Doyle is twinned with Barcelona. With no disrespect meant to anyone this appears to be a slight mismatch with regards size!
The story of St Rumblad, after who the church at Stoke Doyle is dedicated, is a fascinating one. He was a child of the royal family of the Midland kingdom of Mercia, a grandson of King Penda and son of a Christian mother and pagan father, from Northumbria. He is said to have been born at King's Sutton near Banbury. His legend has it that he died aged just three days, but that in that time he said several times "I am a Christian", expressed his faith in the Holy Trinity, asked for Baptism and Holy Communion, preached on the Holy Trinity and the need for a virtuous life and quoted scripture.
St Rumbald's church stands pretty much on its own at the East end of the village. It was erected in the years 1722 to 1725, on the site of an earlier church, the original structure thought to date from the mid 13th Century. This earlier building was much larger than todays structure, but was in a very poor state of repair. In a petition to the Bishop, it was said that the old building was so dilapidated that any cost of repair would have been too heavy a burden on the parish. The place was in such disrepair that the spire was in danger of falling. It was also pointed out that the existing church was just too big for a village as small as Stoke Doyle.
The original church was pulled down in the Spring of 1722, with the first stone of the present St Rumbalds being laid that May. The church was opened in March 1725. The original church bells were re-cast by Thomas Eayre of Kettering in the Winter of 1727, and these were re-hung in the Summer of 1728, at roughly the same time that the one handed clock was installed on to the west tower. Since that time the structure has altered little.
As I mentioned earlier, I find the church here not the most interesting place to visit. I mean no disrespect in that at all. It is just that it is a relatively new church with little to hold my interest. To the East of the church is a figure of a recumbant priest, hands up in prayer, which is said to date from the 14th century. This effigy was originally situated inside the original church, and I have heard it said that the position that it occupies in the churchyard now is the same spot where it would have laid when inside the old church.
In some respects this church reminds me of St Faith at Wilsthorpe, South Lincolnshire. There as well an existing structure was pulled down for being unsafe, and a new church built. This was roughly at the same point in history as well. Obviously, this means that a wealth of history is lost when the original structure is pulled down. This can never be replaced.
The church grounds here are well kept and when I first visited I saw a notice that said that Stoke Doyle had been voted first place in the 2004 Churchyard Conservation awards for Northamptonshire, for which they were justifiably proud. Sadly, the church here is kept locked these days.
Had a nourishing lunch of a bar of chocolate and a packet of Crisps, washed down with a bottle of Pepsi Max (can't help thinking that chocolate should be one of the essential five!) and then it was off again, through Oundle passing the majestic, and massive, spire of St Peter before heading to Cotterstock.
