Details
SE 70 SE EPWORTH CHURCH STREET
(north side, off)
11/63 Church of St Andrew
1.3.67
GV I
Parish church. Largely C14-C15 with late C12 - early C13 nave arcades and
early C14 chancel. Chancel partly destroyed in 1642, side chapels
demolished and chancel partly rebuilt in 1670s. Renovations of 1721 to
north porch, and of 1817 to south porch. Nave re-roofed 1782. Restorations
of 1868 by James Fowler of Louth included new organ chamber, removal of
gallery, reflooring, reseating, re-roofing aisles. Further work to roofs in
1878; new choir stalls 1890. Limestone ashlar, apart from south aisle of
coursed limestone, mudstone rubble and re-used ashlar, and clerestory of
rendered rubble. Ashlar dressings. Lead roofs to nave, north porch; Welsh
slates to chancel, north aisle. West tower and 3-bay nave with 5-bay
aisles, (the 2 narrower western bays embracing the tower), north and south
porches, 3-bay chancel with single-bay organ chamber and clergy vestry
adjoining north side. Moulded plinths to tower and chancel, chamfered
plinths to remainder. String course and coped embattled parapets
throughout, except to chancel. 3-stage tower: pair of set-back buttresses
with offsets to west side, moulded string courses between stages. First
stage: inserted or altered west doorway with recessed segmental-headed door
in narrow opening beneath wide 4-centred moulded arch; pointed 3-light
Perpendicular-traceried window above with restored mullions and hoodmould
continued as string course between stages. Plain second stage with
clockface to south. Top stage: pointed 2-light traceried belfry openings
with incised spandrels, hoodmoulds and head stops. Angle gargoyles, string
course, coped embattled parapet with crocketed angle and central pinnacles.
North aisle: buttresses between bays with offsets, 3 square-headed 3-light
windows with round-headed lights, pointed 2-light Perpendicular-traceried
west window with incised spandrels. North porch: central section breaks
forward, with fine reset late C13 - early C14 pointed cusped and sub-cusped
arch on hollow chamfered responds; stone tablet above inscribed:
Rich Taylor
Ch Whitehead
Church Wardens
1721
C14-C15 interior has pointed tunnel vault with single hollow-chamfered rib
on carved corbels, that to right a figure holding leaves, that to left worn,
with heraldic relief tablets alongside corbels, one bearing arms of Mowbray
family; pointed double hollow-chamfered inner arch. South aisle: buttresses
to angles with offsets, pair of large plain C18-C19 brick buttresses with
stone coping. Much worn square-headed single-light window to west bay,
probably reset, with fragmentary hoodmould, a square-headed 3-light window
to second bay with restored tracery and original hoodmould; beyond porch, a
4-centred-arched 3-light window with crude rounded cinquefoiled lights, and
a square-headed 3-light trefoiled window with restored mullions and original
hoodmould; 2 reset fragments of incised C14 graveslab to third bay. Blocked
segmental-pointed arch to east side containing small triangular-headed
single-light window. South porch: pointed double-chamfered outer arch with
inner order on chamfered shafts with moulded capitals; string course, coped
embattled parapet with central merlon bearing worn inscription with names of
church wardens, dated 1817. Clerestory: 4 square-headed 2-light windows
with plain chamfered mullions and reveals. Chancel: angle buttresses and
buttresses between bays with offsets; south side has pointed door with
continuous wave, ogee and hollow mouldings, hoodmould and large head stops;
pair of pointed 3-light windows with squared apexes and reticulated tracery;
single segmental-headed 3-light cinquefoiled north window; restored 4-light
east window with curvilinear tracery, hoodmould and head stops, beneath
rebuilt coped gable with angle gargoyles and cross finial. Organ chamber
has C19 4-centred-arched 2-light traceried window with hoodmould. Vestry
has original square-headed 3-light east window with plain chamfered mullions
in deeply-hollowed reveal. Interior. 3 1/2-bay nave arcades of pointed
double-chamfered arches (with thin hoodmoulds to north) on octagonal piers
and keeled east responds with moulded capitals (mostly restored) and moulded
bases (that to north-west water-holding, those to north on square
pedestals). The half-bay abuts the tower, with its continuation on plain
responds incorporated in the tower base, visible in the western aisle
extensions. Tall pointed double-chamfered tower arch with continuous outer
chamfer and corbelled inner order with carved corbel to north side, flanked
by heavy tower buttresses with chamfered lower sections projecting into
nave. South tower aisle, now storeroom, has tall round-headed opening to
tower with inserted door below. Similar opening to north tower aisle, now
choir vestry. Blocked pointed chamfered east arch to south aisle (to former
chapel); square-headed opening to east end of north aisle, with small
recessed triangular-headed window. Pointed double-chamfered chancel arch
dying into responds. Former entrance to rood loft has pointed chamfered
arch in north aisle with lower steps in situ, and rebated arch to nave side.
Chancel has pointed chamfered door to vestry, and C19 opening to organ
chamber with pointed double-chamfered arch dying into responds. 6-bay nave
roof with chamfered and moulded tie beams with single side- and ridge-
purlins, carved floral bosses, and inscription:
Wm Watkin & Jno Sampson
Church Wardens 1782
Robt Pickard Carpenter
C19 aisle and chancel roofs, latter of 4 bays with traceried panels above
tie beams and carved angel corbels to eastern truss. Monuments in chancel:
marble wall tablets to Peter and Mary Barnard of c1808 with paterae, moulded
cornice and urn; to Margaret Maw of 1797 with faded painted arms and carved
urn; to John Maw of 1826 by Walsh and Dunbar of Leeds, with pediment and
acroteria; to William Barnard of 1824 with paterae, cornice and urn; to
George Capes of 1847 with urn. C19 - early C20 stained glass, that to east
window dated 1878. Late C13 - early C14 octagonal font has bowl with plain
panelled sides, moulded underside and short shaft. N Pevsner and J Harris,
The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire, 1978, p 233; W Read, History of the
Isle of Axholme, 1858, pp 132-9; Church Guide, 1984, 12 pp.
Listing NGR: SE7837604013
