Church of St Mary, Horncastle, Lincolnshire

Description

TF 2569 HORNCASTLE CHURCH LANE
(west side)

6/30 Church of St. Mary
7.12.66
G.V. II*

Parish church. Early C13, C15, 1820-21, heavily restored in
1859-61 by Ewan Christian. Green sandstone rubble blocks, some
ironstone and red sandstone rubble blocks, some brick and
limestone ashlar. Lead roofs with battlements and cross finials.
West tower with spirelet, nave with north and south aisles,
chancel with north and south aisles and north vestry. West tower
of c.1200 remodelled in 1861 with ashlar dressed plinth and 2
stage buttresses applied to pilasters. 2 western lancets with 2
moulded string courses above with small light with Caernarvon
head above them. South side with polygonal stair turret of 1861
with doorway in south wall with Caernarvon head and plank door.
Single slit lights to south and west with three quatrefoils
above. Bell openings on all 4 sides, each a pointed opening with
2 trefoil headed lights and quatrefoil. Moulded eaves with 2
gargoyles and corner gargoyles on each side. Battlements above,
lead covered spirelet with weathervane. North aisle of 1820-21
with windows and porch of 1859-61. West end with pointed window
with 3 cusped, pointed lights, 3 mouchettes, hood mould and head
label stops. Moulded eaves and parapet above with rectangular
rosette motifs. North side with gabled porch to right with
pointed doorway with moulded head, filleted semi-circular jambs,
hood mould and head label stops. C19 inner doorway with pointed
head, 2 continuous moulded orders and plank door. 3 windows to
left alternate with 2 stage buttress. Windows with flattened
triangular heads, 3 cusped ogee headed lights and 2 mouchettes.
C15 north aisle of chapel, now organ chamber, with 3 regularly
placed buttresses running up to base of 3 pinnacles on roof line.
Doorway to right with four centred head, hood mould, plank door
and illegible plaque above. 2 large windows to east with
flattened triangular heads, chamfered surrounds, 4 round headed
cusped lights with panel tracery. Frieze above with cusped
rectangular plaques containing shields. North vestry of 1861
with pointed doorway to west, moulded in one with plank door.
Pointed window to left with 3 pointed, cusped lights and hood
mould. 5 C15 clerestory windows restored in 1861, each with four
centred head, 3 flattened pointed cusped heads and hood mould. 4
clerestory windows over chancel restored C19, each with bowtell
moulded surround, 3 pointed cusped lights and hood mould.
Moulded eaves and battlements above. East end of C19 vestry with
pointed window with 2 pointed, cusped lights and panel tracery.
East end proper defined by 2 stage gabled buttresses and with
large, pointed 5 light window of 1861 with flowing tracery based
on the east window of Haltam on Bain, hood mould and head label
stops. South aisle of 1820-21 with windows of 1859-61. East end
with pointed four light window with panel tracery and hood mould.
Moulded eaves and parapet above. South side of chancel aisle
with 3 flattened pointed windows alternating'with 3 stage
buttresses, the windows each of 4 lights with panel tracery and
hood moulds. Moulded eaves and parapet above. South side of
nave with 3 shallow pointed windows each with 3 cusped ogee
headed lights with various mouchettes above. Porch of 1861 to
left with flattened gable, 2 stage diagonal buttresses, pointed
doorway with chamfered head, polygonal responds, hood mould and
head label stops. Flanking stone benches and pointed inner
doorway with continuous chamfered surround, plank doors, hood
mould and head label stops. West end of south aisle with pointed
window with 3 pointed, cusped lights, flowing tracery, hood mould
and head label stops. Interior tower arch of c.1200 with triple
chamfered, pointed head which dies into roll moulded jambs,
central jamb on each side with fillet. Small doorway in south-
west corner of tower with semi-circular relieving arch,
rectangular moulded lintel, small segmental headed plank door
beneath. Cusped oculus set high above outer arch. 5 bay early
C13 north and south arcades with upper sections of piers,
capitals, abaci and spandrels re-built in 1859-61. Single east
bays on each side smaller and of late C13 also heavily restored
in c.1861. Semi-circular, filleted west responds; piers each
with 4 larger filleted rolls alternating with 4 slender rolls; 2
stiff leaf capitals to west, on each side, single piers to east
with later C13 moulded capitals and eastern responds dying into
the wall. Pointed, double chamfered heads, much narrower in
eastern bays, C19 hood moulds and head label stops. Large C15
gargoyle in westernmost spandrel of north arcade. Chancel arch
of 1859-61, with pointed, double chamfered head, the inner order
with flower head motifs; corbelled on 2 half shafts on each
side, with stiff leaf capitals, hood mould and ornate label
stops. Pointed archway leading from north aisle of nave into
north aisle of chancel, (now organ chamber), with double
chamfered head dying into broad chamfered jambs. Ornate late C14
corbel immediately to right with veined leaves and lion faces.
Triangular headed C19 south aisle archway leading into south
aisle of chancel, with double chamfered head and jambs, and
simply moulded corbel to left. C15 2 bay north and 3 bay south
chancel arcades, heavily restored in C19, with polygonal
responds, octagonal piers, pointed double chamfered heads and C14
screens heavily restored in C19. Blocked doorway in north wall
of chancel, heavily restored in C19 with four centred head.
Small pointed opening with grille immediately to right. Ornate
stone reredos of 1861. C14 piscina in south wall of chancel
heavily restored in C19 with richly moulded ogee head, crockets,
finial, hood mould with flanking pinnacles and head label stops.
Roofs of 1861 supported on stone angle corbels in chancel and
wooden angel corbels in nave. C19 altar rail, brass candelabra,
octagonal stone font, pulpit and eagle lectern. Chest inscribed
"1690 FASHIH". Monuments include in the chancel one of white
marble on black field, to the Rev. Clement Madely, died 1843, a
semi-circular headed slate monument on white marble brackets, to
Elizabeth Fletwell, undated; and a large white marble monument
with small sepulchre, marble pedestals with urns and large
quantities of black marble diapery, to George Heald, died 1834.
4 slabs in chancel floor to Thomas Lodington, died 1723: John
Shelley, died 1707: Jane Dymoke died 1745 and Emma Heald, 1828.
South chapel with monument to the Rev. Thomas Gibson, a royalist
who suffered during the Commonwealth and eventually died 1678.
White marble monument on black field with book, cross and
laurels, to Francis Rockcliffe, died 1817. Oval white marble
plaque to Ann Sandon, 1825. White marble monument on black field
to Richard Rockcliffe, died 1800. White marble monument to
Thomas Friskney, died 1776. Small stone plaque in nave inscribed
"Thos Gibson Vicar John Hamerton, John Goake Church Warden NS
ANNO DOMINI 1673". White marble monument in black field, with
fluted pilasters and urn, to Elizabeth Kelham, 1780. Brass to
Lionel Dymoke, died 1519, with kneeling soldier, and 2 sons and 3
daughters each on small plaque and 3 coats of arms. Another,
very worn brass to Lionel Dymoke in floor of north aisle. 3
stone slabs in nave to: William Hamerton, died 1715; Sarah
Sellwood, died 1816 and Richard Everitt, died 1783. 3 hatchments
to Dr. Thomas Lodington, died 1724 and to Jane Dymoke, died 1743.
Hatchment recently repainted, to Sir Ingram Hopton, who was
killed at Battle of Winceby, 1643. Sources: J. N. Clarke, "A
History of St. Mary's Church, Horncastle", 1972. R. E. Elliot,
"The Parish Church of St. Mary, Horncastle."

Listing NGR: TF2585569555

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of St Mary

A Grade II* Listed Building in Horncastle, Lincolnshire

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