Wyton

100. WYTON (D.d.).

(O.S. 6 in. XVIII S.E.)

Wyton is a parish and village on the left bank of the Ouse, 2½ m. E. of Huntingdon. The church is the principal monument.

Ecclesiastical

(1). Parish Church of All Saints stands in the village. The walls are of rubble, composed in the E. part of the chancel almost entirely of stone and in the western part and the S. wall of the nave, mostly of pebbles. The dressings are of Barnack stone and clunch. The roofs are covered with tiles and lead. There are no surviving details of the 12th century still in situ, but the thickness of the western part of the S. wall of the Chancel and the S. wall of the Nave probably indicate that they are of this period. About 1200–10 the N. arcade and a N. aisle were built, the nave being probably extended to the W. at the same time, as is indicated by the easterly position of the S. doorway. Late in the 14th century the chancel-arch was re-built and the chancel largely re-built and considerably extended towards the E. The chancel was restored in 1866, when the S.W. Tower (replacing an older tower) and the North Aisle were re-built. The North Vestry and Organ Chamber and the South Porch are also modern.

The details of the 13th-century N. arcade and N. doorway are interesting, and among the fittings the ironwork of the N. door is noteworthy.

Architectural Description—The Chancel (34 ft. by 13 ft.) has a late 14th-century E. window of three cinque-foiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label and 17th- or 18th-century stops of Roman cement; the rear-arch is moulded. In the N. wall is a window of late 13th-century date, perhaps re-set, and of two pointed lights with a moulded label and mask-stops; further W. is a modern opening to the organ-chamber. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern of late 14th-century date and of two cinque-foiled lights with a quatrefoil in a two-centred head with a moulded label, head-stops and a moulded rear-arch; the western window is of early 16th-century date and of three cinque-foiled lights in a four-centred head with a moulded label, moulded splays and rear-arch; the early 13th-century doorway has jambs and two-centred arch of one chamfered order with a moulded label, mask-stops and moulded imposts stopped on each side by four 'dog-tooth' ornaments. A thickening of the wall W. of the doorway probably indicates the extent of the surviving 12th-century work. The 14th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and of three moulded orders, with a moulded label; the responds are of two chamfered orders with an attached shaft with moulded and embattled capitals enriched with carved paterae and lion and human faces; the capitals have been restored where the former rood-beam was inserted; the moulded bases are continued round the responds.

The North Vestry is modern but re-set in the N. wall is an early 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights with remains of a quatrefoil and a two-centred head, now cut off horizontally; the jambs and mullion are moulded.

The Nave (46¼ ft. by 17¼ ft.) has a N. arcade of c. 1200–10, and of four bays with two-centred arches of two moulded orders; the two eastern piers have each four keeled shafts divided by subsidiary shafts all with moulded capitals (Plate 55) carved with 'stiff-leaf' foliage, common octagonal abaci, moulded 'hold-water' bases and square plinths; the E. respond has an attached half-column; the westernmost pier is octagonal with similar foliage to the capital and base of similar type to the rest; the W. respond has an attached half octagonal column with carved leaves on the capital; the E. arch of the arcade is in Barnack stone, but the other arches are of fine white limestone. In the S. wall are two windows, the eastern modern and set in a plastered recess with a two-centred head; the western window is of the 15th century and of three cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label, repaired in cement, and a moulded rear-arch; the late 14th-century S. doorway has moulded jambs, two-centred arch and moulded label with modern stops; the doorway is partly of Barnack stone and partly of clunch; further W. is a modern doorway to the tower. The W. wall is modern externally and has a modern window.

The North Aisle is modern but re-set in the N. wall is an early 13th-century doorway with a two-centred arch of two moulded orders with a moulded label and foliated stops; the inner order of the jambs is roll-moulded and the outer has detached restored shafts with moulded capitals, carved with 'stiff-leaf' foliage, moulded 'hold-water' bases and abaci continued round the inner order as imposts.

The Roof of the chancel is modern but rests on a series of late 14th-century stone corbels, moulded and embattled and carved as follows—N. side, (a) oak-leaves and acorns, (b) bearded king's head, (c) vine and grapes; S. side (a and b) foliage, (c) diademed head of angel issuing from clouds, (d) rose-sprig, (e) head.

Fittings—Bells: three, 1st by Thomas Newman, 1705; 2nd by Richard Holdfeld, 1612; 3rd by W. Haulsey, 1626. Bracket: In nave, N. of chancel-arch, moulded corbel with leopard's head carved on soffit, 14th-century. Brass Indent: In churchyard, W. of W. wall of nave, indents of half figures of man and wife with inscription below [John Fransham and Margaret his wife]. Communion Table: In vestry, of oak, with fluted bulbous legs, top rails carved with arabesque work, bottom rails carved with guilloche-ornament, early 17th-century, parts badly attacked by woodworm. Door: In N. doorway of N. aisle, on modern deal door, enriched wrought-iron work, (Plate 161) with foliated ends, dog's head, harpy, etc., 13th-century. Font: with modern bowl, square stem with chamfered angles and moulded base, 15th-century. Glass: In E. window of chancel, in upper part of tracery, sun in splendour, tripletowered castle above, three diapered quarries and foliage, probably late 15th-century. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In chancel—on N. wall, (1) to Samuel Ainsworth, rector, 1709, and Mary (Shukburg) his wife, 1706; also to Mary Leete 1717 and Samuel Ainsworth, 1717, plain tablet. In churchyard (2) to Mary ......., probably 17th-century, tomb-stone S. of chancel doorway. Floor-slabs. In chancel—(1) to Mary Ainsworth, 1706; (2) to Samuel Ainsworth, Rector of Houghton cum Whitton, 1709. Plate: includes a cup of 1684 inscribed "Dedit S. Ainsworth Rector Eccles. de Witton in Agro Huntingt. 1685." Recess: In chancel, W. of S. doorway, plain, small, rectangular. Miscellanea: Fragments of worked stone built into later walls include—in N.E. buttress of modern vestry, part of a cross-shaft (?) and a carved 13th-century capital with conventional 'stiff-leaf' foliage. In N. wall of modern vestry a stone inscribed "I C 1682." In W. wall of nave, small portion of cheveron-ornament, 12th-century.

Condition—Good.

Secular

Monuments (2–6).

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of the 17th century and of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered; the roofs are tiled or thatched. Some of the buildings have original chimney-stacks, wide fireplaces and exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good or fairly good.

(2). House (Plate 3), on the S. side of the road, 120 yards N.N.E. of the church, has an original central chimney-stack with grouped diagonal shafts and the date 1648 on the front of the square base. Above the entrance is a small gabled projection, with the former window now blocked and plastered over. Inside the building is an original moulded ceiling-beam.

(3). Magdalene College Farm, house (Plate 3), 60 yards E. of (2), was built late in the 16th or early in the 17th century, and is of L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the W. and S. The upper storey projects on the N. front and has two shaped brackets. Inside the building is an original moulded ceiling-beam.

(4). Three Jolly Butchers Inn, 80 yards E. of (3), has a cross-wing at the E. end. The upper storey projects at the N. end of the cross-wing. The original central chimney-stack has a rectangular moulded base, with the date 1622 and a fleur-de-lis in a panel. Inside the building the N.E. room has an original moulded ceiling-beam (Plate 119) with a band of scrolled ornament on the soffit; the fireplace has an early 18th-century moulded surround and the room is partly lined with panelling of the same date. The middle room has a moulded wood corbel at one end of the ceiling-beam. There are also some early 18th-century panelled doors.

(5). Cottage, 80 yards E.S.E. of (4), was built probably late in the 17th or early in the 18th century.

(6). Range of four tenements, on the N. side of the road, opposite (4).