Description

TA 20 NW,
7/1

AYLESBY,
CHURCH LANE (east side)

Church of St Lawrence

04.01.67

GV

I

Parish church. C13 chancel and nave arcades; C14 south aisle, C16-C17
tower. Re-seated in 1759. C19 restorations included new aisle and chancel
windows, re-roofing. Tower restored 1939. Ironstone ashlar with some
squared chalk to chancel; limestone ashlar dressings. Westmorland slate
roof to chancel, plain tile roof to remainder. West tower, three-bay aisled
nave with south porch, two-bay chancel.

Three-stage tower: moulded plinth, angle
buttresses with offsets, moulded string courses between stages, stair-
lighting slits to south-west. First stage: pointed 3-light west window with
hollow-chamfered reveal, original hoodmould and C19 tracery. Second stage:
square openings with pierced quatrefoils and incised spandrels in
hollow-chamfered reveals. Pointed 2-light traceried belfry openings with
hoodmoulds, containing wooden louvres beneath pierced boards. Large angle
gargoyles, moulded string course, coped embattled parapet, tall crocketed
angle pinnacles with blind-traceried shifts. Chamfered plinth to aisles,
chancel, porch. Aisles have diagonal buttresses, buttresses between bays.
South aisle: segmental-headed 3-light south windows with C19 tracery, heads
and hoodmoulds; C13 pointed 3-light west window with intersecting tracery
and hoodmould. Pair of early C19 headstones attached to south-east
buttress. North aisle: pointed chamfered door, 3-light north windows
similar to south aisle, C19 pointed 3-light west window with intersecting
tracery and hoodmould. Chancel: diagonal buttresses with offsets. South
side: pointed chamfered door, square-headed 2- and 3-light windows with C19
restored jambs, heads and mullions. North side: sill string course with
central raised rectangular panel, square-headed 3-light window with restored
tracery, original hoodmould and single headstop. Pointed 3-light east
window with restored head, tracery and hoodmould, original sill string
course. South porch: diagonal buttresses with offsets, pointed chamfered
outer arch with small trefoiled ogee niche above, coped gable with damaged
cross finial; square-headed 2-light traceried side windows. Stone benches,
late C14 pointed chamfered inner arch with hoodmould and large headstops.

INTERIOR. Arcades of pointed double-chamfered arches on cylindrical piers
and shafted responds with plain moulded capitals and bases, the earlier
south arcade with water-holding bases aid seats around the piers (that to
east pier restored), the north arcade with plainer bases on square
pedestals, and narrower shafts to responds, that to east with a crude
attached pillar piscina with an octagonal bowl. Tall double-chamfered tower
arch with continuous outer chamfer and inner chamfer on shafted responds
with plain moulded capitals and bases on tall pedestals with moulded
plinths. Pointed door to tower spiral staircase with notched newel. C19
pointed moulded chancel arch with shafted responds. Chancel has pair of
pointed chamfered lancet-shaped niches flanking east window, a C14 pointed
wave-moulded recess to north wall with a segmental-pointed chamfered recess
above, and a small crude triangular-headed chamfered piscina to south.

Monuments: early C14 effigy of Lady at west end of north aisle, with head on
tasselled pillow and feet on damaged round; worn grave slab at east end of
nave to John Martin, rector, of 1352, with marginal inscription; marble wall
tablet in chancel to Geoffrey Gray and others of 1788, mid-late C18
floor slabs and early-mid C19 wall tablets to Ostler family in north aisle.
Complete set of fielded-panelled box pews in nave, inscribed at east end:
"James Harrison, of Middle Rasen, Artificer", and "John Beatniffe, Minister,
Richard Ostler, Churchwarden, 1759". C13 cylindrical font with 4 angle-
shafts.

The tower is similar to those at Healing and Immingham (q.v.), the
notched newel of the staircase and "Mixed Gothic" belfry tracery suggesting
a date between 1550-1650.

Listing NGR: TA2028907587

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17524703

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
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