The first church in Wootton
The village of Wootton is recorded in the Domesday Survey of 1086
We cannot be exactly certain about the date of the first church here at Wootton but we do know that at around 1150 Walter de Bidun was presented as Parson of Wootton by his family who were Lords of the Manor of Wootton. Walter - who was chancellor to the king of Scotland at the time - died in 1178. This helps us to fix a period of time for a known building, as there was presumably a church - possibly wooden - in existence by then. This was roughly around the time of the trial of Thomas Becket at Northampton Castle, Richard the Lionheart leading the Third Crusade, and some 37 years before King John signed Magna Carta.
Extensions to the building
The Tower and west walls are on a different axis to the rest of the nave, indicating that they survive from an earlier structure. The nave is in a transitional style between the Norman and Early English
The chancel (where the choir sits) and the nave (where the congregation sit, in the middle) were built in the first half of the 13th century, with the aisles (side extensions) being added at around 1275. Also of the 13th century is the south door and the narrow lancet window in the north wall of the chancel. We can see, too, the 13th century piscina - the basin near the altar designed for the washing of communion vessels. In the late 14th century the aisles were extended to the east as side chapels, these now being the vestry and the space occupied by the organ. In the 15th century the clerestory was built – the windows high above the nave – together with the sanctus belle-cote, which is the small structure outside on the roof designed to house a small bell. Also in the 15th century, the belfry stage of the tower was added or rebuilt and the sedilia came into being – these are the niches built into the wall of the chancel and intended as seating for clergy during mass.
In the 15th and 16th centuries the church here at Wootton had at least 7 altars in addition to the High Altar dedicated to St George. The altar to Our Lady was probably at the east end of the north aisle and the one to St John the Baptist at the east end of the south aisle, as these were the common dedications of the two major side chapels. The position of altars to St. Anne, St. Anthony and St. Catherine are completely unknown, but we believe there was a second altar to Our Lady in St John’s Chapel.
A place of sanctuary..?
From very early times (circa 6th, 7th century), all churches had the right of 'sanctuary.' By the reign of Henry II this right had very strict rules. If a person accused of a crime managed to take sanctuary in a church they were safe for up to 40 days and fed by the church authorities. Within this time they were expected to admit their guilt and take an Oath. They were then told that they had to leave the country and depart from a certain port. They were given a pass, charging all on the road to give them safe passage, providing that they remained on the route. If they left the road they could be beheaded. In March 1322 Henry Felip, of Stoke Bruerne, was travelling towards Northampton with his son but when they reached the vicinity of Courteenhall he was killed by a gang of robbers. His son escaped to raise the alarm and some of the gang were captured. One member of the gang, John de Ditchford, escaped to Wootton church and claimed sanctuary. On Wednesday, March 24th he was put on the road for Dover – pursued by the people of Wootton. He had only reached Collingtree when he left the road – by choice or otherwise – and on the Friday his body was found in a field with his head cut off. As an example to the population, the coroner ordered the men of the four nearby villages to carry the head to Northampton Castle where it was mounted on a spike.
Restorations of the building
In 1844 a complete restoration of the Chancel was undertaken. As the lancet window in the north-east corner of the Sanctuary was restored, the removal of old plaster from the spays of the window revealed two wall frescos, with a third on the north wall. On the west splay was, allegedly, a depicition of the Crucifixion, whilst on the east was an image of the Scourging of Christ, and the north wall depicted Jesus before Pilate with two attendant soldiers clad in fourteenth-century armour. Apparently, the frescos were in such poor state of repair that it was difficult to be certain of what they depicted and the decision was taken to plaster over what little remained of them.
In 1865 the chancel arch and the arches between the chancel and the chapels were rebuilt, the chancel ceiling painted, reredos arches added and the Eastern window installed. The restoration work is attributed to Butterfield but is of inconsistent quality. This may have been due to mounting costs, with the restoration bill reaching £1,500 - much of which had been borrowed from the Public Loan Commissioners or defrayed by the Rector William Wyatt Woollcombe. . . The north porch was taken down and a new south porch erected. The building was again restored in 1991 at a cost of £93,000.
The font, used for baptisms (also known as christenings) is of Devonshire marble and dates from 1874.
In 1552 there were "three great bells and a sanctus bell" and the present compliment of five bells, an unusual number, was re-hung in an iron frame by Longworthy in 1895. Four of the bells can be dated to the seventeenth century; 1629, 1660, 1836 and 1996.
Rumour has it...
There are several stories that we have not been able to verify to supporting evidence. If you have any further information, do let us know!
In 1645, on his way to the battle of Naseby, Oliver Cromwell camped in Wootton Fields and stabled his horses in the church. Whilst on site, and as act of iconoclasm, a stone carving of the Bishop's head in the church's nave was unceremoniously removed!
In 1930 the church was fitted with a new coke-fired heating system. By 1943 the system was a little outdated and on one eventful Sunday morning the entire congregation sufferred the effects of carbon-monoxide poisoning. Thankfully, no one was killed but the system was swiftly replaced by a gas-fired system. Today, the church is heated by an infra-red system which is designed to heat people, rather than the space, and proves to be more financially and environmentally economical.
Our thanks to Dorothy Rice, B. E. Evans, Paul Dawes, the Wootton Heritage Organisation, British History Online, and many others for their dedicated research, record keeping, and publication of histories relating to Wootton, St George the Martyr Church, and surrounding areas.