Page 26 - Oundle Life December 2021

of Barnwell All Saints had been joined with the Parish of Barnwell St Andrew in 1821 – I think because of falling attendance and a shortage
of income – and this unification did nothing to stop the death spiral from which
Houses with a religiously-inspired plan form, in the absence of more thorough research into market hall buildings that were constructed in the late Georgian period, my suggestion
the fabric of All Saints Church would never recover resulting in its substantial demolition just four years later.
Does the cruciform plan betray the origin of the stone?
might reasonably be dismissed as romantic ruminations or wishful post- rationalisation. What do you think? What do you know of its design?
The next time you are passing through the Market Place in Oundle, slow
your pace and imagine the sound of church bells echoing around its stone walls. Behold this most wonderful
As I type I am tempted to suggest
that the Market Hall’s cruciform
plan may have been a nod by its
architect towards its ecclesiastical
past – you see medieval market halls
were commonly rectangular in plan. And yet, while a quick search revealed no other Market
reincarnation of Barnwell All Saints’ most hallowed stone – reused to help improve Oundle’s ancient market and town centre after the stone became surplus to requirements elsewhere.
Joe Croser, first studied architecture in Oxford, and later completed postgrad research into historic buildings in Cambridge. Today he leads Oundle Architecture with a particular
focus on residential design and historic building conservation and refurbishment. www.oundlearchitecture.com
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