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
