Details
WAINFLEET ALL SAINTS ST. JOHN'S STREET
TF 45 NE
(east side)
6/82 Magdalen College
School now Library
3.2.67
I
School, now public library. 1484, restored 1585, 1608, 1755,
1856, C20. Red brick with some burnt brick diaper decoration and
some limestone ashlar dressings. Lead roof hidden behind high
ashlar coped parapets. 2 external stacks on the north wall, that
to the right with 3 tall, ornate, polygonal C19 shafts; that to
the left, of 2 similar shafts. Plinth runs round entire
building. 2 storeys. West front with large octagonal 3 storey
angle towers; that to the left, a staircase tower; that to the
right, a bell tower. Towers with first floor moulded brick bands
and second floor ashlar bands. Central pointed ashlar dressed
doorway, restored in C19, with continuous moulded surround, hood
mould and plank door. Ground floor of staircase tower with
single staggered slit lights on each face, and east doorway,
restored in C19, with flattened pointed head, continuous ashlar
moulded surround, hood mould and plank door. Ground floor of
bell tower with small, rectangular windows to north and east each
with brick moulded surround, that to the east with a segmental
relieving arch. Central first floor ashlar dressed window,
restored C19, with 4 pointed lights, panel tracery, bowtell
moulded surround and hood mould. Staircase tower, first floor
with single staggered slit lights on alternate sides. Bell
tower with slit light to north, and rectangular light to south,
with inner pointed brick moulded head and casement. Ashlar eaves
run above central window. Third stage of staircase tower with
slit light to west and doorway giving access to leads, to east,
with brick moulded doorway with flattened, pointed head and plank
door. A similar doorway in the east of the bell turret, and each
of 5 of the other 7 sides of the latter, with single barely
pointed brick moulded openings with wooden slatted shutters. 6
bay north front. Rectangular window with inner brick moulded
pointed head, casement and C20 grill. A similar 2 light window
to the left with projecting stack beyond. Another, similar 2
light window to left with ashlar dressed doorway beyond, restored
in C19, with pointed head, continuous moulded surround, hood
mould and plank door. Slightly projecting stack beyond with
diaper decoration. Above, to the right are 2 brick moulded
windows with inner shallow pointed heads and hood moulds.
Projecting stack to left with 2 two light windows of similar
design beyond. All the windows with brick hood moulds and
segmental relieving arches. Moulded ashlar eaves above. East
side with large first floor ashlar dressed window restored in
C19, with 5 pointed lights, panel tracery, bowtell moulded
surround and hood mould. C20 fire escape leads up to small
doorway set within one of the lights of the window. Moulded
ashlar eaves above. South side with 2 windows to the right with
depressed, segmental heads, 2 moulded brick, triangular headed
lights, casements and C20 grills. Small C15 lean-to to left with
small square glazing bar fixed window with brick moulded
surround. 2 single light rectangular windows to left, with
depressed pointed inner heads and segmental relieving arches and
glazing bar lights. C20 brick and glazed lean-to beyond masks 2
similar windows which flank a C19 ashlar dressed doorway with
pointed head, continuous moulded surround, hood mould and inner
panelled door. Above are 2, two light rectangular brick moulded
windows to the right, with triangular heads, casements, hood
moulds and relieving arches. 4 similar, single light windows to
left. Inner lobby with single doorways giving access to the two
towers, that to the bell tower is C19, pointed and with panel
door; that to the stair tower, C15, with an almost semi-circular
head and plank door. Staircase with ashlar steps and brick
moulded steps to top storey. First 2 storeys with painted
moulded brick handrail embedded in wall C19 panelling in lobby.
Ground floor main room with large chamfered beams with triangular
stops. C20 inglenook fireplace. Upper room with C19 brattished
panelled dado. 2 ornate C19 fireplaces with segmental head
flanked by angel busts, traceried spandrels; shield above with
beribboned inscription: "Sicut lilium"; and rich foliate
decoration and brattished band above. Large panelled reading
desk. C19 tie beam roof with ornate foliate bosses and head
corbels. School built by William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester
in order to provide scholars for his new foundation - Magdalen
College, Oxford. Source: D. Wales and A. White. Magdalen
College School, Wainfleet. Lincolnshire Museums Information
Sheet. 1981. Scheduled as an Ancient Monument, No. 321.
Listing NGR: TF4989358765
