Church of St Martin

Details

SE 8000-8100 OWSTON FERRY CHURCH STREET (south side)

21/135 Church of St Martin 1.3.67

GV I

Parish church. Late C13 south arcade, C14-C15 north arcade, tower, south aisle, chancel, north aisle windows. Nave reroofed and south clerestory windows infilled c1780s. South porch added 1840; north aisle/choir vestry rebuilt in 1844; new vestry added in late C19; restorations of 1897-9 included reseating, refurnishing chancel. Tower and south porch of limestone ashlar; nave, chancel and south aisle probably rubble, pebbledashed; north aisle and choir vestry of yellow brick in English bond. Limestone ashlar dressings throughout. Welsh slate roofs, except concrete tiles to south aisle. West tower with rectangular staircase projection on north side, 4-bay aisled nave with south porch, wide north aisle extending full length of nave and 3-bay chancel, with choir vestry, now incorporating organ chamber, on north side of chancel; later vestry adjoining western bay of north aisle. 2-stage tower: moulded plinth, angle buttresses with offsets to tall first stage. Pointed 3-light west window with wave-moulded reveal, restored Perpendicular tracery, original hoodmould with carved stops, that to right a grotesque, that to left an imp and lady; single-light south window with cinquefoiled head; staircase projection with narrow slit lights. Moulded string course. Stepped-in upper stage has pointed 2-light traceried belfry windows with incised spandrels and hoodmoulds, pairs of gargoyles to north and south sides, moulded string course, coped embattled parapet with crocketed angle pinnacles. Nave: quoins, partly blocked clerestory window to south, 3-light traceried clerestory windows to north; C19 rebuilt stone-coped east gable and sanctus bellcote with corbel inscribed "sanctus", trefoiled opening, crenellated parapet and cross finial. South aisle: moulded plinth to west side, chamfered plinth to remainder; buttresses between bays with tall moulded pedestals and offsets. 4-centred-arch 3-light windows with cinquefoiled and trefoiled lights (one with restored mullions), and hoodmoulds; moulded string course below windows to 2 east bays; fine C13-C14 pointed 3-light east window with partly restored geometric tracery, hoodmould and C19 restored headstops. South porch: chamfered plinth, pointed double-chamfered outer arch with hoodmould and Gothic inscription above, partly obscured by unsympathetic C20 rendering. Moulded string course, ridge-coped parapet with blind quatrefoil panels, that to centre with shield. Interior has moulded roof timbers, good C15 four-centred-arch inner doorway with shafted roll mouldings and incised spandrels in square-headed wave-moulded reveal beneath hoodmould with angels holding shields. Blind-traceried Gothic-panelled door. North aisle: chamfered ashlar plinth, angle buttresses and buttresses between bays with offsets; 4 reset and partly restored 4-centred-arch 3-light windows with hoodmoulds similar to south aisle; contemporary choir vestry has pointed chamfered doorway with hoodmould and blind traceried panelled door, cinquefoiled lancet to left with deep reveal, hoodmould and headstops, pair of cinquefoiled lancets to east bay beneath hoodmould with dogtooth moulding and headstops. C19 square-headed 2-light west window with reticulated tracery, hoodmould and headstops; triple cinquefoiled lancets to east side with hoodmoulds and plain stops; corbelled dentilled eaves cornice, pitched roof with stone-coped gables and shaped kneelers. Later gabled vestry has stepped triple north lancets in chamfered brick reveals, similar eaves cornice and coped gable. Chancel: chamfered plinth, angle buttresses with offsets; south side has restored pointed chamfered door beneath hoodmould with headstops, continued as sill string course. Pair of restored square- headed 2-light windows with trefoiled ogee lights; similar inserted window above door. Pointed 3-light east window of 1836 with Perpendicular tracery, hoodmould and headstops. Interior. North and south nave arcades of pointed double-chamfered arches on filleted quatrefoil piers and responds, the south piers with plain-moulded bases and capitals with nailhead moulding in the abaci, the later north piers with deep hollows between the foils, tall bell- shaped bases with octagonal pedestals, and plain moulded capitals. Tall pointed double-chamfered tower arch on shafted responds with plain moulded capitals and bases similar to north arcade. Chamfered Tudor-arched doorway. to tower staircase with original board door and wrought-iron strap hinges. Wide low-pointed double-chamfered chancel arch dying into jambs. Pointed wave-moulded piscina to south aisle; chamfered triangular-headed piscina to chancel. North aisle: baptistry at west end has 3-bay arcade of pointed moulded arches on narrow columns with moulded capitals and large square abaci, inscribed ashlar tablet above recording building work of 1844, pointed moulded door to east end. C14-C15 square-headed 2-light window between chancel and north aisle with trefoiled ogee lights, similar to south side. Nave has good pine board ceiling of 1780s with large blind tracery motifs; north aisle has ceiling with joists and moulded tie beams on corbelled wall posts; chancel has 1780s king-post roof with open traceried panels. Monuments. Black marble floorslabs in sanctuary to Henry Masterman of 1674, with Latin inscription and roundel containing arms and achievement in relief; to John Pindar (d 1703) and wife Anne (d 1718) with roundel containing. arms and achievement in relief; inscribed slab to John Pindar of 1776; black marble slabs in choir to Darcy Stanhope of 1681/2, with Latin inscription, roundel containing arms and achievement in relief, and pair of relief roundels at foot containing skull and crossed bones; to John Stanhope of 1705, with further inscriptions to Rev Robert Pindar (d 1795); to Thomas Pindar of 1813. Series of ornate Gothic-style marble wall monuments in chancel with crocketed niches, buttress shafts etc: to Edward Peart of 1824; to Gervas Woodhouse and wife Elizabeth of c1843; to Cornelius Sanders, wife Elizabeth and daughter Frances, of c1868, by A Shaw of Hull. Floorslab behind organ to Mary Burton of 1723 with carved Rococo ornament. Marble wall tablet in south aisle to Edward Peart of 1795 with inscribed oval panel, paterae, moulded cornice and apron with fluted pilasters hung with guttae; large Gothic-style wall monument to John Littlewood of 1821, with pedestal and tablet in corbelled niche with crocketed ogee hood; late C18- early C19 floorslabs in south aisle to Littlewood and Maw families. Stained-glass east window of 1836 by Thomas Ward of Lincoln; stained-glass north aisle windows of 1847 by Wailes of Newcastle. Panelled dado throughout (with fielded panelling to tower), mainly of reused sections of C18 box pews. Gothic-style 7-bay chancel screen of 1913 by H G Gamble of Lincoln, with Perpendicular tracery, coved hood and rood above with carved wooden figures. Medieval mensa slab reset as altar in south aisle. C19 Gothic-style octagonal font brought from Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. Royal arms of Queen Anne, of 1707-14, in north aisle. Inscribed board in choir vestry recording bequest of Edward Otter, 1710. Original C19 carved octagonal font in south porch. The church stands in the outer bailey of a C12 motte and bailey castle. N Pevsner and J Harris, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire, 1978, p 333; J Veale and P J Hills, Owston, St Martin and West Butterwick, St Mary, A Guide and Short History, 1967. W B Stonehouse, The History and Topography of the Isle of Axholme, 1839, pp 225-35.

Listing NGR: SE8048500294

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

165199

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Harris, J, Antram, N, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire, (1989), 333
Veale, J, Hills, P J, Owston St Martin and West Butterwick St Mary A Guide and Short History, (1967)
Stonehouse, W B, The History and Topography of the Isle of Axholme, (1839), 225-235

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