Details
TA 1001 - 1101 CAISTOR CHURCH STREET
(South Side)
9/47 Church of St
1-11-66 Peter and St Paul
G.V. I
Parish Church. Cll, C12, C13, C14, C15, C17, C18. Chancel
rebuilt 1848, restoration by Butterfield 1862. Roofs painted
1894. Rood beam erected 1929. Ironstone and limestone coursed
rubble, with limestone and ironstone dressings, slate roofs. West
tower, north and south aisles, north porch, chancel, vestry.
West tower of ironstone with limestone buttresses, of 5 stages,
irregular construction. The lowest stage is of 2 main phases,
the earlier being represented by 2 wide arches in the west and
south walls. The arches are made up of long narrow voussoirs,
and are now blocked. The western arch is cut by the C12 west
door, which is central to the axis of the present tower, though
the earlier arch is offset to the south. The west door has
chamfered imposts and a round head with chevron decoration
beneath a chamfered hoodmould. Doorway is flanked by 2 narrow
stepped buttresses, probably of C14 date. The south buttress has
a pieceof C13 recumbent slab with a cross fleury incorporated
into it. Above the west door is a C19 lancet and in the fourth
stage a C13 2 light opening, the lights having cusped ogee heads
with a quatrefoil in the tympanum, set within a double chamfered
pointed opening having a chamfered hood mould with grotesque
label stops. Above again is a hollow moulded string course from
which project 3 water chutes, 2 grotesques at the angles and one
knight. The battlemented parapet has pinnacles at the angles;
the top stage details are repeated on all four sides. The north
wall of the tower is of 4 external stages. A blocked, probably
C13 pointed headed doorway can be seen at the base, though the
details are now obscure. Above is a C13 small, weathered, but
originally pointed headed light. In the angle between the north
aisle and the north side of the tower, the face alternate quoins
can be seen of what was originally the north west angle of the
nave. North aisle is built of ironstone. At the west end is a
C19 3 light window in a curious late Gothic style. To the east
is the contemporary porch with Gothic quatrefoils and Tudoresque
rectangular windows in the side walls and an outer arch in C13
style without capitals but with stop chamfers. Stone coped gable
rises to a cross fleury. The inner doorway is a recut C13 arch,
single chamfered reveals and chamfered hood mould. East of the
porch are 3 further 4 centred C19 3 light windows, each with
elaborate cusped tracery. In the east wall, a more regular 3
light window with developed Y tracery, pointed arch and hood
mould. North clerestorey has 4 windows of 3 lights each beneath
angular 4 centred hood moulds having human head and beast label
stops. The lights have trilobed cusped heads and chamfered
mullions. Battlemented parapet above a hollow moulded string
course with occasional grotesques. North and south walls of the
1848 chancel have cusped trefoil headed lancets, the east wall
has 3 similar plus a cusped trefoil light above. The east wall
of the south chapel has evidence of a blocked doorway about two
thirds along from the north end. 4 stones of the extended
footings project further than the rest, and 3 stones of the
reveals are visible on either side of the doorway. There is a
set back stepped buttress on the east wall, a plain plinth which
is stepped to the south, and in the south wall a 2 light C19
window. The south gable of the chapel is coped with kneelers, a
further buttress to the south west angle. In the west wall the
shape of a blocked C13 lancet can be seen above the oil tank.
The south aisle has a fine though weathered C13 doorway in a
slightly advanced entry bay with a sloping solid roof. The
doorway has 5 clustered keeled shafts in the reveals which
continue over the arch as ribs, the 2 elements being separated by
annular capitals with matching narrow abaci. The arch ribs are
surmounted by orders of dogtooth, but this only continues in the
outer pair of the lower orders. The doorway is flanked by
slender late C15 3 light windows with cusped ogee heads and
pierced spandrels beneath a flat moulded hood which terminate
in plain horizontal label stops. Eastwards, there is a third
similar 4 light window. The clerestory matches that to the
north. The west wall of the north aisle displays the same large
face alternate presumably Saxon quoins as on the south, in
addition, a prominent straight joint further south attests the
probable former existence of a much narrower aisle. The north
wall of the tower is in 4 stages, of ironstone, but with some C19
patching. At the base, the second of the early arches can be
seen and, like that to the west, is composed of long narrow
voussoirs. This arch is cut by the stepped south western tower
buttress, which contains part of a C13 coped tomb slab bearing a
cross. Immediately east of the early arch is a stepped C13
buttress, so dated because it avoids a small lancet window to
the west. The lancet could, of course, have been there earlier,
but it seems more likely that it was so sited in order to
accommodate the buttress position. Above the buttress in the
second stage is a sandstone sundial dated 1835, with above a
large clock of 1853, balancing that to the north. Inside, C13
north and south arcades of 4 bays, the 'ammonite' label stops of
the north aisle arches are paralleled in work by Bishop
Grossteste at Lincoln (1235-53). The shafts stand on large
square bases, recut in the C19. The shafts have octagonal water
retaining bases, octagonal shafts with moulded nailhead capitals
hollow abaci and double chamfered arches, having hollow moulded
hood moulds terminating in human heads on the south side and
ammonites on the north. The Romanesque tower arch is plastered
and hence all its details are obscured apart from the plain
imposts which are chamfered on the undersides. Inside, the
tower has 3 openings on the ground floor on the west, north and
south. The south doorway is round headed and since the
voussoirs do not match the reveals, it looks repositioned; it is
not visible outside, but could be a worn keyhole window. The
chancel arch is C13, engaged octagonal responds with single
chamfers. The capitals have simple leaf forms in the necking,
evidently early in the C13 to match the water retaining bases.
Double chamfered arch over. There is a contemporary double
chamfered arch on the south side, resting on single engaged
annular corbels. On the north side, a similar corbel exists, as
does the springing for an arch on the south side, but the arch it
supported has gone, probably when the rood loft was contrived in
the C14, the shape of which can be seen in the plaster above.
All this looks like evidence of former transepts. On the east
side of the crossing, in the angles, are the engaged shafts of a
late Norman crossing, with a further scallop beyond on either
side. These shafts are consonant with a large and impressive
C12 building, probably with a cruciform plan. The chancel was
largely rebuilt in 1848, and all the fittings and glass are of
that date. Monuments:- In the vestry on the east wall are a
black slate wall plaque to Sir Edward Maddison d.1553. Deceased
shown kneeling in full armour, regarding a book on an altar, his
plumed helm before him. On the west wall a collection of 7 wall
plaques, including one to William Fields, d.1732, which features
2 urns and a shell in a provincial style. Above is a second
monument to a member of the Maddison family, Katherine, d.1619.
An effigy of Sir William de Hundon, late C13, knight in mail and
surcoat, shield and dog at feet, set in contemporary arched tomb
recess in the north wall of the Hundon Choir. Effigy further
east may be that of his wife, also late C13 feet on dog, flowing
gown, draped head. Further east still is the magnificent though
damaged effigy to Sir John de Hundon, High Sheriff of
Lincolnshire, died late in the C14. Shown in full plate armour
with a mailed gorget and basinet helm, all straps to helm,
cingulum and spurs are decorated with roses. The tomb recess
matches the quality of the rest, having deep cusping with sunk
spandrels,. Brass to John Ousterby, d.1461, and his wife in the
chancel floor. Fragment of a C12 wheel head stone grave maker
to the south of the lectern, and on the north wall of the Hundon
Choir the famous Caistor Gad Whip.
Listing NGR: TA1167601271
