Tuesday 8 November 2016

Orton Waterville

St Mary was, as expected, locked no keyholder listed. Orton Waterville was subsumed by the expansion of Peterborough in the 1960's hence my expectation of finding it, and the next five churches, LNK which is a shame since this is a lovely building and contains, according to Pevsner, at least two treasures - the pulpit and Royal Arms.

ST MARY. Unbuttressed, i.e. early, W tower with a small arch to the nave. Perp top with quatrefoil frieze and cusped lancets in the battlements. E.E. S porch entrance with fillets on the principal respond shafts and two hollow chamfers in the arch. This porch belongs to the four-bay S arcade, which has standard elements except for one capital with good stiff-leaf. The N arcade is Perp and poor. Dec N and S aisle walls. C17 chancel. - PULPIT. An exceptionally sumptuous Elizabethan piece with dogtooth (an interesting touch) in the usual blank arches, full-bosomed caryatids, and arabesque decoration of pilasters and panels. The pulpit is supposed to come from Great St Mary at Cambridge, Pembroke College being the patrons. - More such panels re-used in the N aisle REREDOS. - (ROYAL ARMS. Stuart; of wood, exceptionally fine. GMcH) - PLATE. Cup and Paten of 1683-4; Bowl, late C17.

St Mary (2)

ORTON WATERVILLE. It has given Roman treasures to one Museum at Peterborough, but it keeps a treasure that any museum would love. It is its magnificent Elizabethan pulpit, one of the most exquisite examples we know of what can be done with English oak. Part of its canopy is now used as a reredos in the memorial chapel, but the rest is unspoiled, standing on a small base with panelled sides above a frieze of lovely foliage. It has ornamented arches, richly carved pilasters, tiny faces at the corners, and in its mass of carvings we counted about 30 quaint figures peeping out among garlands, birds, and crowds. One of the loveliest pulpits in England, it is said to come from a Cambridge College.

The church has a little beauty left to it by the Normans, for some of its 13th century arches have 11th century bases and capitals. The lofty chancel arch is 14th century, and the base of the tower is about 700 years old. There is a curious 15th century corbel showing a man with his hands on his chest, one of the stalls is 16th century, and there is a door still swinging on its hinges which was here when the pulpit was made. Two chairs with inlaid backs are 17th century; so is the altar table. The font is 15th century.

The rectory is 200 years old, with a south wing older still, and in the grounds is a 15th century dovecot. The manor farm is a fine gabled house and has a lion which has been watching over it since the days of Queen Elizabeth.

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