THE BLUE PLAQUE ROUTE

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22 Church Street

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• Salt box: - this building is Grade II listed

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There was once an elaborate salt cupboard here since removed by previous owners. The piece that survives is certainly ornate. Salt boxes were often kept by doors as a sign of welcome or by cooking areas for ease of use.

• Formerly two properties: - two cottages but just one staircase!

Access to upper floors was sometimes thanks to a ladder so perhaps this applied here too hence the single staircase. The fireplace shows the metalwork where food could be hung to cook. Some previous tenants worked at the tailor’s shop next door.

• The Samuel Brown Cup: - awarded annually at the Flower Show in August

One son of the village, Samuel Brown, went on to greater things as a successful farmer, eventually donating a cup for presentation each year at the annual Flower Show, currently in its 142nd year (as of 2024).

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Nassington School

• Opened in 1895: - this was not our first school but with compulsory education came the need for more space

That Nassington still boasts a thriving school is something of an achievement. The earliest education in the village began in 1810 with a Sunday school run by the church. Miss Sarah Males of Nassington House, a devoted churchwoman, supported it in her lifetime and left money in her will in 1819 to aid its work. By 1862 more room was needed and a barn was thus converted into a school room along the Woodnewton Road. This elementary school was run by church officials and managers, funding coming from their coffers, donations and a fee charged to parents. Education for all became compulsory in 1870 and an Inspector’s Report from 1893 mentions the need for more accommodation. The current school was subsequently completed by 1895. Children needed to live within walking distance.

The opening day feast on November 18th was graced by E. P. Monckton Esq MP. Quite apart from the jelly and ice cream to marvel at were two classrooms, a hall and plenty of outside space to run around in shouting your head off complete with separate playgrounds divided by a wall for girls and boys. The leaving age was 13 and not raised to 14 until 1918. By 1944 it became 15 and 16 by 1972.

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• A thread through the generations: - members of many village families have begun their education here and witnessed various changes to both the curriculum and the way the school is run

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Finally phased out between 1971-76, those not regarded as ‘dull’ could sit the 11+ exam. If they passed, girls could study further at either the County Grammar School in Peterborough or Stamford Girls and the boys at Laxton Grammar School in Oundle. In those halcyon days they travelled there by train.

Curriculums too have changed through the decades and have moved on since the traditional teaching of Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.  The school day originally began with assembly in the Hall consisting of a hymn, a scripture reading and prayer and notices for the day. Lessons were sometimes divided along gender lines. A final needlework task for girls was making a man’s shirt for example and the boys meanwhile did gardening, their produce being sold. Other than that you might have a day full of Arithmetic, Geography, Dictation or Poetry, Scripture or Spelling. Learning by rote was common. Factual knowledge and neat ‘copying out’ were also highly prized.

Even discipline is not as it once was as reflected in the School Log Books.  The Headteachers here have traditionally taught the senior class and their role in the community in earlier decades was significant. It was not uncommon to send a naughty child to the Headmaster as well as the parents for ‘disciplining’ which would have been the cane. For minor offences you could expect a couple of strokes on your hand, for something more severe though, on your backside. The Log Book mentions 'frenzied disorder' ,' truanting to follow the fox hounds' and ' continually breaking pen nibs' as punishable offences.

Those were the days...

• Mr Horne and the school bell: - one of the first Headmaster's could be relied upon to communicate the time first thing in the morning.

And so a new era began with the ring of the school bell. The hand bell is still used today and is heard throughout the village if the wind's in the right direction. Long before everyone owned a ‘wireless’ people could set their watches by the school bell with confidence as, during term time, the Headteacher, Mr Horne went to the Post Office to check the time before the school bell sounded.

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• The School Log Book: - these go back to 1895 and give an insight into the many changes and travails of both staff and pupils

During the war years, children were excused school in October to go ‘potato lifting’ and frequent mention is made in the School Log Books about pupil absence due to ‘gleaning’.  Sometimes entries are particularly sad. There were significant periods of absence due to illnesses we hardly remember today – scarlet fever, whooping cough, typhoid fever and measles. On other occasions though children skipped school thanks to good old fashioned craftiness. In 1896 the Medical Officer of Health was called in to investigate a mysterious rash that resembled herpes. He concluded that, in fact, the children concerned had merely rubbed themselves with the juice of the ‘patty spurge’ plant (otherwise known as milkweed).

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• Evacuees: and the war years - Nassington and Yarwell hosted nearly a hundred evacuees, some from the Jewish community in Tottenham

During WWII the school had to accommodate many evacuees and the school roll doubled overnight. Extra equipment needed to be brought in and teachers from the London schools came to help, including a Rabbi on occasion. It is hard to imagine how frightened and upset these children must have felt so the misbehaviour of some, as recorded in the School Log Book, can, perhaps, be forgiven.  Religious services were organised for those of the Jewish faith in the Congregational Chapel, referred to by some older residents still as the 'Zionist Chapel'.  For some evacuees it was all a happy time.  One of them, Peter Jarvis, requested that his ashes be buried in our churchyard and this final request was, of course, granted.  For others, however, it was to end tragically.  Derek Wakefield lost his life in 1941 when swimming in the river aged just 12.  He was buried on July 14th in an unmarked grave in our cemetery.

• The 'Nit Nurse': - it was not uncommon for a 'nit' nurse to visit schools to check children for headlice. If you had them you were sent home and three such events led to a shaved head

Measures were gradually taken to improve the health of the children and the community. The 'nit' nurse visits continued into the 1970s and dental inspections became ever more common, children sent off by train to the school in Kings Cliffe for treatment. Our school serves a far wider community these days due to school closures over the decades (Yarwell in 1961 and Woodnewton in 1990 for example) and many arrive by car or minibus. Avoid Church Street, basically, around 4pm during term time if you’re in a hurry.

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Nassington House

• Early 17th century: - or perhaps late 15th century but no proof has been found

This is a really intriguing building and, along with Prebendal Manor, the Manor House and obviously the church, the oldest still remaining in the village and is Grade 2 Listed. At the back is a recreated Tudor privet hedge maze and a laundry room. The magnificent tree to the right is remembered by various generations of schoolchildren for the owl that used to peer down when your made a dash for home at the end of the school day.

Inside the property there remains original lime fly ash flooring and the remains of 16th century wall stencils. Beware if you have lime fly ash as it is illegal to remove it and, if damaged, it must be replaced by a professional. There are also flagstone floors on ground level.

• The Males Family: - three generations of the Males family may have lived here but certainly did so in the 1800s

The details of who exactly built the property are not known, but a Mr John Males was certainly resident in the mid 1800s as rent was collected from him for the farming of the field behind as well as the property itself. John Males is buried in Nassington churchyard, as too are his father and grandfather, their tombs standing to the right of the south porch entrance. The last John Males has a memorial along with his sisters inside the church above the kitchen door.

• Nassington Brick: - Alfred Blott Whitney and his ill-fated family took over this property. They remained here until tragedy struck...

Alfred Blott Whitney had clay dug out in the field behind the house for the manufacture of bricks and these would fill and become 'Tyler's Pond' in later years. Various houses along the Runnell Lane which runs parallel to Station Road have Nassington Brick walls or garden walls which are clearly visible today (access via The Jitty at the bottom of the village). Mr Blott Whitney eventually sold up his belongings at auction at The Green Man in Marholm and moved, with his surviving family, to the USA. Four of his children had died in a scarlet fever outbreak in the late 1800s and a memorial to them can still be seen in the churchyard, restored in the early 2000s thanks to a local village lady and her determined fundraising. The children’s names are carved on the pointed memorial stone along with that of a fourth sibling who is actually buried in the cemetery.

• Tyler's Pond: - Mr Tyler made cheese but, for some mysterious reason, the pond in the field behind this house is named after him.

Then came Mr Tyler who made the aformentioned cheese. His daughter had the unenviable daily task of washing out the cheesecloths in the small laundry at the back of the property.  Cheese production was common in this area and was often taken to The Bell Inn in Stilton for sale from whence it could travel along the Great North Road.

• The war years: - Nassington House didn't lose its iron railings to the war effort

By WWII the house was lived in by Mr Matthew Mould and his wife Fanny. ‘Mattie’ died in 1939 and the house went then to a Major White in 1941. This gap of two years may explain why the house still has its original iron railings which were not taken for the war effort, unlike those outside Nassington School (the stubs can still be seen).

Eventually the Graham family moved in and their son Gordon, known as Lofty due to his height, has his own sad memorial in Nassington Church too. He died in 1947 in Palestine working as a bomb disposal engineer and his family were awarded the Elizabeth Cross as victims of terrorism. A member of the family still attends the annual Remembrance Day service in the church wearing the medal.

(Full details of Nassington House, its history and former inhabitants can be found in the TALES section under ‘Tales from… Nassington House)

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The Village Hall

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• ‘The Lion and Albert’: - the Village Hall was once the school room for the Methodist Chapel next door but everyone was welcome at the social events regardless of their denomination

Bi-annual entertainments were organised by Mrs Chapman in the late 1940s and 50s.  Not unsurprisingly she was a devout Methodist so lemonade only affairs by all accounts.  Local children were encouraged to sing songs or perform in plays written by her and local ‘talents’ could perform their various party pieces.  Alfred Lock, for example, recited poems, including ‘The Lion and Albert’ made popular by the actor Stanley Holloway in the 1930s while others, including former postmistress May Collins, would sing.  The Headmaster at the time, Mr Terry, had a ventriloquist act.

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• The ‘Buy a Brick’ scheme: - to raise money for refurbishment of the hall various fundraising initiatives began

When the Hall became a little worse for wear money making schemes were devised to spruce it all up a tad.  These included the ‘Buy a Brick’ scheme whereby, for a mere £1, you could purchase a brick to be included in the renovation.  Some of these are visible still around the main door.  During the inside work, a time capsule was buried for the delectation of a future generation by local schoolchildren.  Enough money was raised by all of these schemes (25% by the local community) and the Village Hall was purchased for the community for £15,000 on 5th December, 1983.

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• The Biscuit Tin: - why not drop by on a Monday morning?

Numerous groups have used this space over the years and it continues to be a venue for a variety of events.  The WEA (Workers Education Association) for example, a UK-based charity that dates back to 1903, once offered adult education classes and lectures here.  The Biscuit Tin meets here on a Monday morning between 10am and 12:30pm when you can chat with the Nassington History Group (nassingtonhistory.com) and view the village History Archive.  You can just pop in for a chat and a cuppa, or play cards, do jigsaws, or try out your table tennis skills if you prefer.  The Village Hall also acts as the Polling Station and the hall can be hired for events via the Nassington Parish council website (nassington.org.uk).  There have been Zumba classes, MacMillan Coffee mornings, toddler and parent events, you name it, we’ve done it here.  We also host history talks so keep an eye on our website under the UPCOMING EVENTS section.

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The Methodist Chapel

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• Wesleyan Chapel 1875 – 1980:  - the initial cost of the building was £700

Methodism, or Wesleyan Methodism, is a Protestant Christian denomination.  The main differences are a belief in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit that can help an individual towards ‘Christian perfection’.  It is also believed that God takes an active part in making people receptive to the saving work of Christ which you are at will to accept or not.  Participation in social and humanitarian causes and advocating for marginalized groups is encouraged, the Salvation Army the most well-known Methodist group.   The Chapel was converted in 1875 from a former granary and was officially opened on October 19th of that year by John Richardson Esq (note the commemoration stone still in situ by the main door).  In 1908 a certificate allowed for weddings to take place within and the School Room, now the Village Hall next door, was built in 1912. 

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• ‘Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God’: - The gospel preached is one of love and forgiveness.

The name was adopted due to the methodical approach to faith and prayer.  To achieve personal perfection avoidance of certain cultural ‘norms’ is avoided, such as the drinking of alcohol, gambling and dancing.  John Wesley, the founder of Wesleyan Methodism, summed it up thus ; ‘Do no harm, do good and stay in Love with God’.  As with churches of other denominations Methodism declined in popularity to such an extent that the Chapel here was closed in 1980.  At the time the Parish Council was presented with the problem of which of the two buildings to purchase, funds being limited, the chapel or the school room, and they opted for the latter.

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• The 1920 Memorial Service: - Those who had lost their lives in WW1 were afforded a service of remembrance

Subsequent to the service brass plaques commemorating the fallen were created and hung within the hall until its closure in 1980.    These were rehomed in St Mary the Virgin and All Saints Church at the top of the hill and can still be seen today on the left as you go through the door.

The adjacent School Room was used for a variety of village functions, including tea parties and talent shows and, of course, jumble sales.  It is now our Village Hall.

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• From deepest, darkest Peru: -  the Paddington Bear toy we know and love has connections with our former Methodist Chapel.

Shirley Clarkson, mother of Jeremy, lived here in recent years.  It was she who designed the Paddington Bear toy, originally intended as a Christmas present for her children Jeremy and Joanna.

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37 Church Street

• The Time Capsule: - in 1976 builders uncovered an intriguing 'Time Capsule' while working on the property

This property used to be no. 35 until a new house was built behind it off the main street. From the back of no. 37 it appears that two cottages were turned into one. There was once an orchard belonging to the house on the opposite side of the road next to the former village pound.  This property is another Grade 2 Listed building that held, for many years, something of a secret. An intriguing ‘Time Capsule’ was found inside a bricked over fireplace, placed there in the 1800s by the previous builders bricking it up.

• William Walter's Ledger1795-1834: - this fascinating glimpse into days gone by is now held at the Northamptonshire Archives

They had secreted a ledger running from 1795 to 1834 belonging to a Mr William Walters. His family lived in this property for a couple of generations and the book details various financial matters. In this book mention is made of our old friend John Males, tenant of Nassington House. The original of this book is now in the Northamptonshire Archive too but a booklet about it was created by Alec Jackson in the 1980s and is in our history archive.

• A mysterious alcove: - on the eastern end of the building you can see an unusual alcove built low down

There is also an intriguing feature on the left hand side of the end wall which suggests, perhaps, that cooking in some form was done here. It was not uncommon for people to bring meat on a Sunday intended for their lunch that would roast away while they attended the church service up the road. Maybe it was for bread rather than meat, or for both or neither. I’ll let you ponder that one for yourselves but, if you can shed some light on the mystery, do let us know via the website (nassingtonhistory.com)

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The Barn House

• Barn-cum-laundry: - a cowshed downstairs but a laundry upstairs

This property, along with no. 37 next door, formerly a farm house for Mr Spademan, was renovated in 1976. The upstairs area had once been a hay loft but was changed into premises for the first Nassington Hand Laundry until it moved across the green. This was accessed by the outside steps still in situ but taking water and wet clothing up and down each day (there was no upstairs water supply) must have been very tiresome in all senses of the word. Today all that is left to show it had once been a farm building is a solitary ground floor metal ring used to secure the cows with while they were being milked.

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The Laundry

•Nassington Hand Laundry: - begun by Miss Watson and Miss Ball it moved from Spademan’s hay loft opposite into this property that had running water

The laundry was first known as the Nassington Hand Laundry. Access was via the outside steps but, for practical reasons alone the business eventually moved to the building on the other side of the green. Miss Watson and Miss Ball ran the business and took in laundry from many big houses in the area and other institutions. Numerous village women worked here for periods of time and memories of the laundry and Miss Watson in particular are very happy ones. Initially the clean laundry was delivered back by Albert 'Bimbom' Baker by horse and cart. His working day would sometimes not end until 9pm.

• ‘Soapy’ and the Nassington Dazzlers: - Robert ‘Soapy’ Watson was involved in other village matters quite apart from the laundry business

When Miss Watson died the business went to her nephew Robert, known as ‘Soapy’, and his wife. He took over deliveries himself, this time with the help of an old ambulance. He was also a much loved figure in the village, particularly amongst the boys of the football team, the ‘Nassington Dazzlers’, who he managed.

• End of an era: - the laundry finally closed its doors in the 1950s

When people began to afford washing machines of their own the business was no longer profitable. Eventually the site was sold for private development and nothing remains today of what had once been except for in village memory and the odd item bought by a villager in the Closing Down Auction.

(for a full account of the laundry please go to the TALES section and look under ‘Tales from…Nassington House’)

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The Village Pound

• The village Pound : - from the Old English 'pund', meaning enclosure

Two houses now stand on the site of what had once been an orchard and the village pound to your left.  Indeed, look carefully and you will see the gateway, though overgrown, still visible in the wall. Most villages had such a place that served as an enclosure for stray animals, be they geese, sheep, dogs or pigs. To retrieve your animal a fee needed to be paid to the owner of the land where the animal had strayed along with a fee to the pound keeper. If you had not retrieved your animal in three weeks then the animal was taken to market for sale.

• 'Dig for Victory': - during WWII the pound came into its own for the war effort

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The Headmaster at the time, Mr Hoare, encouraged some of his pupils to plant and tend vegetables such as marrows, and even flowers, as part of the ‘Grow More Food’ scheme.

• Nassington Self Help Scheme: - two 'new brooms' decided to help tidy up the village.

Unfortunately, as time went by and fewer people kept animals, the pound was used as something of a dumping ground. When two newcomers came to the village, keen to involve themselves in the life of the community, they enquired what practical ‘jobs’ around the village could be done. They were tasked with sorting out this plot of land donated to the village by Lord Brassey and so was born the sadly short-lived ‘Nassington Self Help Scheme’. People were encouraged to donate their time, labour and even equipment to help complete the clearing job. Work began in November 1972 and within five or so hours the area was cleared and, eventually, sold for development by the Parish Council. Stone from a barn at the back of the pound was used in the construction of the current houses.

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38 Church Street

• The Leet Court: - when still one of our seven pubs, The Plough hosted the Leet Court on behalf of the Earl of Westmorland

This particular building is three hundred years old and regularly hosted the annual Court Leet meeting during which financial matters such as Quit Rents were dealt with by the steward from Apethorpe Manor on behalf of the Earl of Westmorland. The table around which the officials sat still remains in the kitchen of this property, having been returned to its original home, being too big for the kitchen when the previous owners moved out. During the course of the Leet Court the pub would provide food and drink to those attending courtesy of the Earl, calling into question how much profit he made during this event

• Pub-cum-sweet shop: - many businesses 'doubled up' and The Plough also offered the village children a much loved sweet shop

The pub in later years was run by the Wilson family and, alongside the usual business, a sweet shop for the village children operated during the day.  People still remember the lemonade machine that, with the pull of a lever, turned a glass of water and a special tablet into a refreshing drink. 

• The Visitor Book and 'Votes for Women!': - the landlord during the early part of the last century kept a Visitor's Book on the bar for people to write or draw in if they wished.

The comments made in the Visitor Book concern contemporary worries and interests - the Suffragette movement for example or being careful not to get squashed by a tram.  There are poems, drawings and words of wisdom for any who wished to read them.  There is also a deep well outside the building but many properties in the village have one of these, whether they know about it or not, due to the Willow Brook that runs below our feet.

Pigs and sheep were also kept here with a space for the butchery of animals at the back, run by Albert ‘Bimbom’ Baker and his father before him.  They would deliver meat, often to quite remote farmhouses, a boon during bad weather.

Last orders were called in 1926.

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Mossop’s Cottage

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• 1778 Enclosure Map: - this house gets a mention on this important document despite its more modern appearance

This two-storey house has an unusual L-shaped design. 

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• A Welsh slate roof: - many houses in the village, though, have Collyweston slate roofs

Welsh slate is formed of metamorphic rock and is fine-grained and resistant to frost and chemicals.  It can be split into thin sheets and is dark grey or plum coloured.  It tends to be more expensive than Collyweston slate which is a limestone type of sedimentary rock.  It comes in random widths and lengths and is very durable.  Welsh slate is often considered the best as it is exceptionally durable and the colour is appealing.

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• A former farmhouse: - Fulbrook Farm was once next door

Many of the people who have lived in this cottage also worked Fulbrook Farm that was once to its left.  In the 1930s Ben Lock, for example, kept Jersey cows in the field behind.

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45 Church Street

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• Built 1750: - A door jamb at the rear of this property shows the build date.

This house is most associated with the Lock family.   John Lock, a timber merchant, began this association on moving here in 1912.  Subsequent generations of his family, from Joseph and Hettie to Eric and Molly Lock and now their daughter, have lived in this two-storey early eighteenth-century family home.  It has two bow windows gracing the front, a mansard roof and a curved staircase within and is Grade 2 listed since May 1967.  

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• The Willow Brook: - At one time many of the properties down this side of the road had an unusual feature.

A narrow channel once ran through the kitchens at the back of houses down the hill to allow a stream to run through unhindered.  The Willow Brook, a tributary of the River Nene, runs its entire course in the county of Northamptonshire, rising north of Corby and flowing through Deene, Bulwick, Blatherwycke, Kings Cliffe, Woodnewton and on to Fotheringhay where it rejoins the main river.  In Nassington it runs mainly underground although it does spring up in places, hence the number of wells we have in the village. 

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• Kelly’s Directory: - a kind of Victorian Yellow Pages begun in 1835 by Frederic Festus Kelly, that ceased production in 1932.

This very handy directory, in both practical, historical and genealogical terms, once gave full details of businesses, occupations and organisations within any given area. ‘Well digger’, for example, was once a common occupation in the village.   No wonder, then, that various people have unwittingly uncovered a well in their garden when doing improvement work or remodelling.

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Edgehill

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• ‘Banbury zealots, cakes and ale’: - is this property named for the famous Battle of Edgehill in 1642?

Again, a long string of people have lived in this property, all with their own tales to tell, but in this case the house itself poses something of a mystery.  Initially the name of Edgehill suggests its location at the top of the slope from the ‘bottom end’ to the ‘top end’ but it is possible that a previous owner chose the name to reflect their reformist sympathies.  The English Civil War saw Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentarians pitched against Charles I and his cavaliers.  The Parliamentary forces felt that the King overstepped the mark often and in various ways and this, alongside having a Catholic wife, led to concerns about the King’s own religious views.  Things came to a head in 1642 and the first battle of any import in the English Civil War was the Battle of Edgehill.  Although the King won the day and used the battle as an example of how God was on the side of the Royalists, the opposing Parliamentarians used it to rally their own troops and to emphasise the dangers posed by the ‘Papists, Atheists and irreligious persons’ they were pitted against.  The derogative phrase ‘Banbury zealots, cakes and ale’ was soon associated with nearby Banbury, where Cromwell made his base.  Despite claiming to be Puritan zealots the people were still happy to gorge themselves on cakes while swilling back ale it was said by their detractors.

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• Dr. John W. Pell: - Major Pell went on to become a surgeon in China

Later still we come to the Pell family who are mentioned in the 1911 census.  Of interest in particular is John William Pell who would become Dr. John W. Pell.  Major, now Dr. Pell, worked as a surgeon in Hankow and experienced first-hand the Chinese Civil War that began in 1927.  He wrote a letter on January 15th, 1927, to the China Medical Journal explaining why he and other Western staff had to abandon the hospital.  He described the ‘Bolshevised’ staff who started refusing to care for patients and made unreasonable demands to the extent that ‘the foreigners’ had to depart.  A notice had subsequently been hung on the door stating ‘No foreigners work in this Hospital’. 

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• ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’: - The 1914 Star was never awarded on its own.

Dr Pell’s wife would eventually apply for the 1914 Star medal (also known as the Mons Star), giving the address of Edgehill, Nassington on the documentation as well as the Hodge Memorial Hospital in Hankow, China where he was working at the time of the application on October 20th, 1920.  Never was this medal awarded on its own but along with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.  These three together were nicknamed ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’ after comic strip characters popular in the post-war period.

Dr Pell continued his work in China over a fifty-year period nonetheless, witnessing also the invasion of China by the Japanese in 1937.  He wrote various medical papers and addressed various conferences during his career and his retirement, often describing the time under Japanese occupation as brutal, hospital staff having to use upturned coffins as both beds and operating tables on occasions for example.  He clearly greatly admired the Chinese people and their resilience.   He died in Bunton, Australia in 1960 at the ripe old age of 87. 

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• Our Saxon past: - new research suggests that this area of the village had an intriguing purpose.

Recent research at Cambridge University suggests that Nassington village in the early Saxon period covered the area from the Church and down the village to where Nassington House now stands.  The dog-leg shape of Church Street might well be down to later Saxon expansion of the village as far as The Black Horse.  As for Edgehill, well, the road widens slightly at this point and this same research marks it as the likely site of a regular Saxon market.  Oh for a Time Machine!

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Sewter’s Cottage

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• The Willow Brook spring: - the Willow Brook is mainly underground through the village but outside this cottage it makes a guest appearance

Outside this house you can see a spring fed by the Willow Brook that rises north of Corby.  It flows through Deene, Bulwick, Blatherwycke, Kings Cliffe, Woodnewton and on to Fotheringhay where it rejoins the main river. 

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• Raymond and Mollie: - this cottage is named after the couple who lived here for many years

Raymond and Mollie Sewter made this their home for over fifty years.  During their time here it was known as Weir Cottage but renamed Sewter’s Cottage by the new owners in their memory after Raymond passed away in 2018. 

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29

St Mary and All Saints Church

• 1086 Domesday Book: - a priest resided here in the 11th century and the Saxon cross remains found in the 1800s century suggest that people worshipped on this site before

The church is a Grade 1 listed building. Its exact date is not known but architectural features suggest that it dates to the 12th century The Saxon cross would have stood ten feet tall when complete and can still be seen inside the church today. The first vicar was John de Morle in 1276 and our vicar today is the Reverend Jane Tailby. There are examples of both Norman and Gothic architecture but much work was done in the fourteenth century.  There are also handsome oak rafters which show little wear for their five hundred years.

• The spire added in 1640 and bells from 1686: - a sixth bell was added in 2016 and all can be heard every Sunday thanks to our thriving bell ringing group

The spire was added in 1640 (the date can be seen below the external west window). It replaced an earlier one that, in its turn, was struck by lightning on May 14th 1905. From outside, at the opposite end of the church, can be seen a small exterior window which may well have housed an angelus bell rung daily to call people to prayer. There were various other reasons for the tolling of the bell of course. During harvest time a Gleaning Bell was rung at 8am and 6pm to call those involved to work and a Death Knell of three tolls was rung for a man and two for a woman. When Edward VI came to the throne, a Protestant monarch, an inventory was taken around the churches of the country by Royal Commissioners. The entry for Nassington reads as follows:‘ The Inventorie made the xxvi day of August in the sixt year of the Reign of Kyng Edward the Sixt, accordyng to the Inventorie maide in the thirde yere of our said Sovereign lorde Kyng Edwarde of all the Churche goods of Nassington in the presence of all the parishioners.  One Chalic weyint by estimation five once.Item, tower belles…’  What became of these two original ‘belles’ is not known. There are currently six bells in total, No. 1 cast by John Warner and Sons in 1874 ( 27”), No. 2 cast by Meates and Thacker in 1686 (30.5”), No. 3 with a diameter of 31”, No. 4, the oldest, dating from 1642 and cast by Thomas Norris (34”) and No. 5 dating to 1861 (39”). The most recent bell is dedicated to Eleanor Joan Teall and Dennis Gordon Teall , known as the Teall Treble. It was given by the couple’s children in 2016 in their parent’s memory with the inscription on the sound bow NON CLAMOR SED AMOR PSALLIT IN AURE DEI. We still boast a healthy bell ringing group who ring for our church and others in the local area. Practices are held on Monday evenings and Friday mornings should you wish to join in.

• Tudor and Cromwellian 'destruction': - our church was 'visited' both by Henry VIII's men and those of Cromwell, both groups damaging and removing treasures from the church

With the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s the stained glass windows, bar a very small amount, were destroyed by order of Henry VIII and doubtless many artifacts taken. Only the red panes in the south aisle windows survived. Edward VI had his men, in an attempt to remove any further traces of ‘Roman superstition’ from the church, destroy much of the 15th century oak rood screen that had once separated the chancel from the nave. It had been decorated with a carved crucifix and figures of the Virgin Mary and St John.

Oliver Cromwell’s men would follow in Henry's destructive footsteps and, in 1650, Nassington was once more on the map, this time in a Parliamentary Survey: ‘There is none at present to officiate, Mr Willcocks the late Vicar being ejected…’  Fortunately the vicar, Francis Willcocks, survived being ousted and lived for a further three years in the village but minus his £25pa living. The first layer of lime wash was added to the walls at this point. With the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 surviving clergy were permitted to return to their former positions provided that they were prepared to adhere to the new Church of England ways.

• Medieval wall paintings: - although faded, medieval religious and secular images can still be made out

The wall paintings are not of a very high caliber and contain secular images also but, in their heyday, would have filled the space with warmth and interest. You can just make out what they are as follows:

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1.  Over the chancel arch is the image of the FINAL REDEMPTION or DOOMSDAY with Christ seated in the centre and the Apostles and the Virgin Mary on either side. The halo above Christ’s head distinguishes this image from the Last Supper.

2.  To the left, on the north wall is ST MARTIN sharing his cloak with a beggar.

3.  Behind this on the north wall between two sets of windows are ST CATHERINE tied to the infamous wheel by her persecutors and below this ST MICHAEL weighing souls with the Virgin Mary standing by him interceding on their behalf. 

The pulpit is Jacobean and the font finely carved.

• The John Watt clock 1695: - this was found in poor repair in the 1980s and restored.

The damaged clock was found in the steeple and is displayed, fully restored, in a glass cabinet inside the church. A small book collecting donations for the repair of the clock, dated 1885, does not mention the nature of the necessary repairs, nor whether they were ever completed and the clock set ticking again.

• Burials within and without: - the graves of this vicar and five of his children are buried within the church in the Chancel

Rather intriguingly, under the red carpet in the Chancel, lie the remains of a former vicar and his family. The Reverend Hewett Linton was vicar between 1829-79 and lost a total of five children. Sadly much of the inscription is indecipherable. Given that the Blott Whitney children died of scarlet fever around the same time, it is possible that this was responsible for the children's deaths.

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The churchyard has not been used for burials since 1882. The churchyard is now a conservation site. The tombs of the Males family can be seen still to the right of the south porch door, and along the walkway leading up to St Marys Close is the memorial to the Blott Whitney children. Many gravestones were removed in the 1970s however, although the bodies remain where they were buried. A plan of who lies where, created by Sue Payne, is hanging in the church by the kitchen door should you wish to research your family tree. Old parish records show some intriguing burial details:

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‘Sixty eight people died of plague’ - 15th August, 1604.

‘Joane Burton was buried the 7th of Februarie by moonelight about two a clock in the morning dying in childebed and not trimmed’ - 7th February, 1615‘

Ann Hamblin wife of Addam he knockt her on the hed on 8 December and shee was buried on 11 of December’ - 11th December, 1625‘

'Buried Robert sonne of ffrancis Whitewell the nose eaton of wth a ferret and killed the child’ - 19th September, 1645.

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• The mystery tunnel? - a village tale suggests that once a tunnel ran from the church to the Manor House opposite, but is it all a fiction?

When a new kitchen was installed in the church in the late 1990s the archaeological group called upon to check for anyt

hing of note found nothing of interest. Sadly, no trace was found of the tunnel said to lead to either the Manor House or Prebendal Manor but the church wall does show a clear impression of an intriguing former gateway positioned exactly opposite the original entrance to the Manor House.  This was probably blocked in during the 1600s and any connecting route between the Manor House and the church was perhaps no more than a simple pathway unless, of course, you know different?

• Renovations in the 1800s: - the Reverend D. W. Barrett, on taking up his new post, set about sprucing up the church

Over the years many church buildings fell into disrepair. By the 1880s ours was no exception and to such an extent that ominous creakings could sometimes be heard in the rafters. In 1884 a complete renovation was undertaken under the Reverend D.W. Barrett who arrived in 1879. He began by having a new vicarage built in 1880 (!) and then turned his attention to the church. The old wooden gallery was removed and the porch taken down and rebuilt. In 1884 a new chancel roof was erected and a new floor laid. Pews were replaced with oak seating enough for three hundred at this point and a Porrit’s stove put in underground to heat the building. A new organ and organ chamber were also added. The cost at the time was in the region of £1,700. Once everything was improved and repaired the church was reopened for worship on Lady Day 1885.

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• Robert de Kaden, crusader priest: - the third Prebend may well have been buried here with items he cherished, gathered during pilgrimages in the thirteenth century

Intriguing discoveries were made during the work however – the aforementioned remains of the Saxon cross for one and the grave of a crusader priest buried within by the third pillar too. In a cupboard in the north aisle were discovered three palmer’s shells, suggesting an eleventh century pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain or to Jerusalem. A pewter chalice and paten, both of which are now housed in the Tithe Barn museum at Prebendal Manor, were also included. Most probably the body is that of the third prebend, Robert de Kaden, and the vessels and items, dated c1250, belonged to him. Copies were made in 2000 and are used today in church services. Some early Saxon stone coffin lids were also found.  The Saxon burial site uncovered in the mid 1940s along the Fotheringhay Road found randomly positioned bodies and burial goods, suggesting a pre-Christian site there. The finds from this were divided between the Cripps Library in Oundle and Peterborough Museum and are available for viewing upon request.

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(For a full account of the clock restoration, the churchyard’s remodeling and the Saxon burial site please go to the TALES section of this website and look under ‘Tales from Sacred Places’)