IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Hall Close, NORTHAMPTON, NN5 6EU

The lychgate to St Luke's church in Duston on the outskirts of Northampton. The word "lychgate" comes from the Middle English "lych" which itself derives from the Anglo Saxon "lic" meaning corpse; this is because in mediaeval times the corpse awaiting burial - often simply covered with a shroud - would be rested on a bier beneath this gateway until the priest arrived to conduct the service, the roofed gateway keeping the "lych" dry. St Luke's church is EH Grade I listed http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1039755&searchtype=mapsearch and contains a font considered to be one of the "Aylesbury Fonts"

St Luke's church, Duston, a sandstone church dating from c.1113.

A view of the wide west end of St Luke's church in Duston. This EH Grade I listed http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1039755&searchtype=mapsearch church dates originally from the late C12th with substantial additions of the next two centuries. It contains a font considered to be one of the "Aylesbury Fonts" despite being (along with Eydon) somewhat geographically remote from the others. Unfortunately when I visited, the church was locked with no indication as to where a key might be obtained, so I was unable to get inside to photograph the font. For a side view of this church see Image] See also the shared description below:

A view of the southern side of St Luke's in Duston.The oldest parts of the church date from the C12th these include the West wall, South doorway, part of the south arcade and part of the tower. The C13th contributed the rest of the tower, the windows to the West wall and the clerestory, while the C14th added the chancel. The South porch was appended in 1878-9 and the whole church was restored c.1884. See also Image] EH listing http://list.historicengland.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1039755&searchtype=mapsearch and shared description below:

This little round hole (about 6"/15cm in diameter) is in the western wall of the C12th/13th church of St Luke in Duston. It is situated down to the left of the triple lancet west window of the north aisle, as can be seen in this image Image It is about 5'6" (c.170 cm) above the ground. Its purpose is uncertain, but it was most likely a "leper's squint" which allowed those who were not permitted inside the church to still take part in - or at least observe - the service within. An alternative possible reason for it was that it connected to a now-vanished Anchorite Cell where a piously religious person was voluntarily sealed up inside a small room for life - again the hole allowing them to participate in the services within the church. ( See http://www.duston.org.uk/anchorit.htm ) Originally therefore this little hole connected through to the interior of the church, but now extends only about 18" (45cm) into the wall.