Church Of St Michael

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

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

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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

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/0820 IOE Records taken by Derek E Godson; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr Derek E. Godson. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project