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Welcome
to Exton - Summer 08 |
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History.
The
De Brus family, who had owned land
in Exton since the Norman Conquest,
gave land here to the monks of St
Andrew's Priory at Northampton some
time in the mid-twelfth century.
The first mention of a Vicar at
Exton occurs in 1225 so there was
some kind of a church here then.
The present church dates from the
13th and 14th centuries but was
much restored in Victorian times
- indeed, the whole external appearance
makes it seem all Victorian. The
cause of the restoration was a hailstorm
on 25 April 1843, when the spire
was struck by lightning. Masonry
fell through the roof of the nave,
destroying much of the west end
of the church. The Vicar at that
time, (the Honourable and Reverend
Leland Noel, brother of the Earl
of Gainsborough), set restoration
under way, first with the architect
RC Carpenter then in 1851 with JL
Pearson. Old parts of the church
were reused, but often not in their
original place, so it is difficult
to say what is original and what
is Victorian restoration.
The Noel family.
The dominant land-owning family
at the present time, and for three
centuries or so earlier, is that
of Noel. The head of the family
is the Earl of Gainsborough. His
eldest son and heir is Viscount
Campden (a connection here with
Chipping Campden, Glos, where there
are Noel monuments).
Stained
glass
There are only three stained glass
windows in the church, all commemorating
members of the Noel family and dating
from 1860 to 1871: in the east window
of the chancel in memory of the
first Earl of Gainsborough of the
second creation; in the south side
of the chancel in memory of Louisa
Hoare, eldest daughter of Sir Gerard
Noel Noel, and in the west window
of the tower in memory of the Honourable
and Reverend Leland Noel.
Bells Five bells were cast by Tobias
Norris in 1675 and the tenor bell
by Joseph Eayre in 1763. All were
recast in1895 by Taylors of Loughborough
and rehung in 1934.
The Monuments
These are the most striking feature
of the church and most people come
primarily to see them. On this plan
of the church (also given in the
booklet)
Exton
Church Plan. Double click on image
for larger version
these
are numbered 1 to 9 clockwise from
the altar but the order following
is chronological.
1.(north of the altar in
the east end of the chancel). Nicholas
Grene. Late 14th century. He married
Johanna, one of the two heiresses
of the De Brus family. A great-grand-daughter
of Nicholas Grene married John Harington
and brought the estate into that
family.
5.(west end of the south
aisle). John Harington (the second),
died 1524, and his wife Alice.
2.(outside the altar rail
on the north side of the chancel).
James Harington, died 1592, and
his wife Lucy. They had 18 children
and lived to be over 70. Their sixth
daughter Mabel married Sir Andrew
Noel of Brooke - the start of the
Noel/Exton connection.
4.(south transept) The "Kelway"
monument to John Harington, eldest
son of James and Alice, his wife
Anne and her father Robert Kelway.
John was created Baron Harington
of Exton by James I in 1603 and
for a time looked after the King's
eldest daughter Elizabeth, who was
to become the Queen of Bohemia.
7.(west end of north aisle).
Anne, wife of Lord Bruce of Kinloss.
She died in 1627.
 8.
(east end of north transept)
The most impressive of all the monuments
is that to Baptist, Viscount Campden,
his four wives and his nineteen
children.
It is the work of Grinling Gibbons
- one of the few works carved in
stone by one better known for his
woodcarving. His son, Viscount Campden,
was the first Earl of Gainsborough
(of the first creation).
9. (west wall of the north
transept). James Noel, a son of
the prolific Baptist, Viscount Campden.
3. (south side of chancel).
This monument, to Baptist Noel,
fourth Earl of Gainsborough, died
1751, is by Nollekins. His widow
Elizabeth, of an Exton family (perhaps
an unusual marriage) later married
Thomas Noel, Baptist's cousin. All
three are shown in portrait medallions.
6. (west wall of north transept).
Lieutenant-General Bennett Noel,
died 1771. The second monument by
Nollekins.
There are many wall tablets commemorating
the contribution of the Noel family
to the village community, to Rutland
and to their country. A walk through
the churchyard shows the many monuments
to village people and tells the
stories of those who lived and worked
here.
Some of the monuments described
above are showing the effects of
age: the Exton Monuments Restoration
Fund has been set up and when you
visit you may well find 'work in
progress'.
The Banners.
Since mediaeval times articles of
apparel and insignia of noble families
were carried in their funeral processions
and afterwards hung in the church
where they were buried. Until 1991
funereal and armorial banners of
the Noel family were hung in the
nave but for years they had been
disintegrating and eventually the
remainder were taken down, photographed
and carefully stored.
In 1996 Mrs Judy Swinfen, of Exton,
decided that as a gift to the church
she could make replicas, working
from photographs of the originals.
These had been painted, with oil
paint on silk (not a good combination),
but the replicas employ modern materials
and should last! The finials on
the ends of the poles were created
by eight woodworkers in the village.
The replica banners were hung and
dedicated in March 1998 and are
shown in this photograph.
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| Exton
Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul |
| Roof
Appeal
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Click
here for more info |
Priest
in Charge |
The
Revd. Canon Michael Rogers, The Rectory,
38 Main St., Cottesmore, Oakham LE15 7DJ
(tel: 01572-812202) |
| Curate |
The
Revd. Fiona Solman, The Vicarage, Church
Lane, Greetham,Oakham LE15 7NF (tel: 01572-812260) |
Churchwardens
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Mrs Patricia
Hagger
Deputy Churchwardens:
Mrs Bernadette Wallace
Mr. T.C.(Kit) Swinfen |
Services
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Most
services are Parish Communion but on the
first Sunday in the month the service is
usually Martins and on the third a Family
Service is commonly held.
Parish Church:
(All services at 11 am on Sundays unless
otherwise advised)
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| Roman
Catholic Chapel: |
Mass
is celebrated in the Chapel of St Thomas
of Canterbury, Exton Park, at 9 am every
Sunday. Click
here for details of the Catholic Parish
of Rutland |
| Church History |
 Click
here for a condensed history of the church |
| Times Article |
Read
the Times article of September 16th 2000
which includes a visit to the church. |
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