Church of St Kyneburgha, Castor

Heritage listing

Details 1. 5141 CASTOR PETERBOROUGH ROAD (north side) Church of St Kyneburgha TL 1298 50/166 15.12.55 GV 2. Dedication, unique in England to Kyneburga daughter of Penda, King of Mercia and founder of Peterborough Abbey, who came to Castor circa 650, and founded a nunnery, traces of which are said to remain in the church. However it is primarily a Norman church with a very important Norman crossing tower, and Norman north and south transpets, nave and chancel. The nave has Perpendicular clerestorey and Norman west window with shafts and below, a curvilinear traceried 3-light window. Norman south doorway possibly reset. Decorated north aisle has 5-light square-headed windows. C13 south aisle has 4-centred arch window and articulated tracery window and lancets in west ends of north and south aisles. Norman south transept with late C13 aisle on east side with Y-traceried windows and south window with geometric tracery. Norman north transept has Y-traceried window in place of Norman window, the left hand jamb and half of arch of which remains. Norman chancel with tympanum-shaped stone above a niche with inscription recording consecration date 1124, above Norman south door. Perpendicular south window, north lancets and Perpendicular 5-light east window. C15 south porch with Norman/Saxon tympanum in gable with figure of Christ. Extremely fine Norman crossing tower in 4 stages divided by corbel tables. Plain first stage, second stage has large 2-light windows with billet surrounds and flanking 2-light arcading, above the arches tile-pattern ashlar, the top bell stage has fine sub-divided arches the outside ones blind, above the arches fish-scale ashlaring. Above the top corbel table a C14 parapet and short broach spire with lucarnes. Interior: the crossing arches have roll moul

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.