Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round HorncastleWalter, J. Conway (James Conway)
History
Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle
Walter, J. Conway (James Conway)
Parishes -- England -- Horncastle -- History
The Church, dedicated to St. Michael, consists of tower, nave with south
aisle, and chancel. The tower is of three stories. In the western wall,
above the west door, is a three-light trefoiled perpendicular window,
above this a clock, above that a smaller three-light window, similar
windows being in all four faces. The sill of the west door is an ancient
stone, with the “Runic involuted knot” pattern, which, however, is almost
obliterated by the tread of worshippers entering by the door. It is
similar to the Runic stone at Miningsby. The church has been restored or
rebuilt at various periods. The tower, originally a lofty one, but a
large part of which, through decay of the sandstone, had fallen down, was
partly rebuilt in 1684, and a lower bell-chamber provided. In 1894 it
was again restored, and carried up to its original height. The chancel
also was rebuilt to its original length in 1871, and the nave, aisle, and
porch were handsomely restored in 1878. There are three bells. On the
south interior wall of the tower is an inscription on a tablet, recording
that the tower was restored and clock set up in 1894, in memory of four
generations of the Ward family, “who were married in 1704, 1728, 1783,
1836, G. Ward, F.S.A. (Rector), W. Sharpe (Churchwarden), their 23rd year
of office together, C. Hodgson Fowler (Architect), Edwd. Bowman and Sons
(Contractors).”
In the north wall of the nave is a door, two three-light trefoiled
windows, with two quatrefoils above. The south aisle consists of three
bays, one of the original sandstone pillars still remains in the north
corner of the west end, next to the tower wall, where there is also a
two-light window behind the font. In the south wall, east of the porch,
are two windows of three lights, one of the decorated style, the other
perpendicular, both square-headed. The eastern one has coloured glass,
by Clayton and Bell, the subjects being—in the centre the annunciation,
to the east the angel appearing to Zacharias, to the west the visitation,
adapted from the famous picture by Mariotto Albertinelli, in the Academy
Gallery, at Florence. The seats are of modern oak, with carved
poppy-heads, except one or two ancient ones preserved from an older
structure near the tower, and the roof throughout is of red deal. There
is a modern oak rood screen, with rood-loft, having standing figures of
angels, one on each side, as well as one over the pulpit. These were
originally in Louth church. The pulpit and reading desk are of modern
oak. The font is octagonal, decorated with plain Ogee arch on each face.
The south porch is modern, but having a curious old stoup, the pedestal
being a cluster of early English columns, the bowl of a rather later
date, in keeping with the carving round the doorway; these have probably
been imported from elsewhere. The chancel, entirely modern, has a
three-light east window, both the tracery and coloured glass being
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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