Description

TF 03 NW HEYDOUR MAIN STREET
(east side)
3/15
20-9-66 Church of St. Michael

I

Parish Church: C12, C13, C14, C15, C17, C19. Largely ashlar with some
coursed limestone rubble; lead and Collyweston slate roofs. Western tower,
nave with clerestory, two aisles, chancel, south porch, north chapel. The C13
ashlar tower is very tall, in 4 stages with 3 string courses and a plain
parapet with 2 gargoyles per face and corner pinnacles. It has stepped
clasping buttresses which are wide for the first two stages and narrow for the
upper 2. The south side has in its 1st stage a tall C13 lancet under a hood-
mould with small human mask stops. In the 2nd stage is a blocked circular
opening with moulded surround. The west side is largely in ashlar with an
area of coursed rubble. The 1st string course is omitted to allow a C13
deeply splayed 3 light window with Y tracery, recut in C19 with hoodmould
and C19 stops. Above is a small light in the coursed rubble part. To all
faces are C14 2 light belfry openings in the 4th stage, with rectilinear
tracery under hood moulds under human mask stops. The octagonal recessed
spire has one set of lucarnes to the main compass faces. The ashlar north
aisle has a C13 west window, 2 light with Y tracery and hood mould with human
mark stops. The north side is of four bays marked by four stepped buttresses.
It has a simply splayed high plinth at cill level and a plain parapet with
saddleback coping concealing a lead roof. In the west bay is a small blocked
north doorway. To the east are 3 large C14 3 light windows with unusual
reticulated tracery based on a quatrefoil design under hoodmoulds with human
mask stops. The north clerestorey has a lead roof behind a panelled battle-
mented parapet, with 2 rows of decoration of shields in quatrefoils beneath
triskeles in circles, and 4 crocketed pinnacles. It has six 3-light C15
windows with 4 centre arches under a continuous hoodmould. The north chapel of
2 bays has a single small blocked opening to the west side. At the east end is
a Cl7 4 light cavetto moulded cross mullioned window with a hood mould.
Above is a scrolly coat of arms. The chancel is largely a C19 rebuild with a
collyweston slate roof. The earlier C13 work is in coursed rubble. The north
side has a roll moulded plinth and two C13 single lights, recut, with hoodmoulds
and label stops. The east end has a stone coped gable with cross fleury
and 3 C19 stepped lancets. The south side has 3 single lancets with C19 hood
moulds and stops. A cinquefoil headed priests door has been recut in C19.
The east end of the nave shows the line of the original roof and the panelled
parapet continues round and terminates in a cross fleury. The south aisle has
a C14 3 light east window with tracery as in the north aisle. On the east buttress
is a gravestone, decorated with flowers and an angel to Baker d.1786. The south
side is in 3 bays marked by stepped buttresses. It has an embattled parapet.
The central window is C14 as the north aisle, it is flanked by single 3 light
C14 windows having an interesting combination of rectilinear and curvilinear
tracery. The 3 windows have hood moulds and human mask label stops. The
tall south porch has side stepped buttresses and an embattled parapet to the
east side with gargoyle and plain parapet with cross fleury to ridge on front.
The opening appears to have been precut and has hood mould with patera stops
and above a shield with 3 flowers and a chevron. The west south aisle window;
now half blocked, is as the north aisle C14 type with an ogee headed hood mould.
The south clerestorey is exactly as the north side. The interior of the porch
has a stone ribbed roof and side benches. The scar of an earlier porch can be
seen. The south doorway is a C14 double chamfered arch. Over is a trefoil
headed niche with an ogee top and small pinnacle. Interior; north and south
arcades are of 4 C14 bays with clustered octagonal piers with circular abacii
and double chamfered arches. In the south aisle is a trefoil headed
piscina under an ogee moulding with a cross inset basin. 2 octagonal statue
brackets on heads flank the east window. The north aisle has a blocked recess
at the east end, and the line of an earlier aisle roof is visible. The C14
tower arch is double chamfered and above, the 2 roof lines of earlier nave
roofs can be seen. Inside the tower a length of C12 zigzag moulding has
been reset in the arch over the stair doorway. The tower, chamber is stone
vaulted with a circular opening for the bell ropes. The chancel arch is
C14 double splayed with circular responds and is flanked by doors to the rood
loft. 2 statue brackets are found on the north side of the chancel. There
is a 3 seated sedilia with cinque cusped heads and on the north side an aumbry,
tomb recess and 2 hagiascopes into the chapel. Fittings: The stone
reredos is dated 1867. The font is C14 octagonal with traceried panels.
The chest is early C16 with 3 heads in profiles set in roundels.
Monuments: In the chancel is a brass floor plaque to Isaac Carter d.1687.
In the north chapel is a collection of monuments to the Newton family as
follows: a large tablet with convex inscription plate flanked by composite
columns with floral carving and egg and dart surround to Abigail Newton d.1686;
a tablet with classical architectural detail with an inscription and open
pediment above, then an urn before a grey obelisk to Sir John Newton d 1734,
by Rysbrack; a standing monument to Lady Newton 1737 by Peter Scheemakers,
a black sarcophagus with putti left and right and a bust on top with a reredos
background. A large white marble monument to Sir Michael Newton, d.1746, also
by Scheemakers, an urn on an inscribed sarcophagus on claw feet. with a reredos
background with a garlanded angel over, flanked by 2 life size figures, to the
left a woman reading to the right a woman holding an extinguished torch in one
hand and an everlasting serpent in the other; a simple architectural tablet
with a broken pediment and an urn to Margaret Countess of Coningsby, d.1761,
also by Rysbrack. Wall paintings: traces of red paint are visible on the
chancel responds. In the chancel late C19 ornamental painting. Stained
glass; in the north aisle 2 complete C14 schemes. The 1st window depcits
St. Edward the Martyr in his coat of armour, St. George holding a long lance,
and St. Edmund with his arms on shield and surcoat. In addition there are the
Arms of Scrope and fine contemporary tracery borders and naturalistic designs.
The 2nd window contains the 3 deacons of St. Vincent, Stephen and Laurence.
There are considerable fragments of C14 glass containing much heraldry else-
where in the church. The 3rd north aisle window is C19 and by Wailes. The
chancel windows are by Hempe and dated 1899.
Sources: Lincolnshire Churches Ed. Henry Thorold, p.39
Treasure Beyond Measure. Lincolnshire Old Churches Trust, p.82.

Listing NGR: TF0096639618

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531836

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)