Details
TA 01 NE THORNTON CURTIS MAIN STREET
(east side)
9/82 Church of Saint Lawrence
6.11.67
GV I
Parish church. Late C12 - early C13 chancel, C13 tower, nave arcades and
south door, C14 aisles, C15 tower parapet. Restorations of 1884 by J Fowler
of Louth included rebuilding south porch, new nave and chancel roofs.
Limestone, ironstone and chalk rubble and squared blocks with ashlar
dressings; ashlar south porch. Lead roofs to aisles, slate roofs to
remainder. West tower, 4-bay aisled nave with south porch and 3-bay
chancel. 2-stage tower: moulded plinth, angle buttresses to first stage,
quoins to second stage. Tall 1st stage has west lancet, cill string course,
small lancet to south and clockface to west, moulded string course. 2nd
stage has tall twin belfry openings with polygonal shafts in pointed
chamfered reveal with shaft-rings. Corbel table, embattled parapet with C19
restored crocketed pinnacles. North aisle: stepped chamfered plinth,
buttresses at angles and between bays, cill string course; pointed double-
chamfered doorway with ornate early-mid C14 wrought-iron strap-hinges on C19
door, pointed 3-light east and west windows with reticulated tracery and
hoodmoulds. South aisle: chamfered plinth, buttresses to centre and angles
with ogee-headed trefoiled niches below set-offs, cill string course,
pointed 3-light windows with curvilinear tracery, hoodmoulds and headstops;
walls incorporate C12-C13 child's inscribed coffin lid and fragments of
others. Chancel: chamfered plinth, single pilaster buttresses to west, C14
buttresses with set-offs to east bay and angles. North side has round-
headed chamfered doorway in outer shafted order with restored stiff-leaf
capitals, roll moulding and hoodmould, and set in splayed pilaster buttress;
2 round-headed windows, one with hoodmould, and C19 lancet. South side has
pointed 2-light Y-traceried window and 2 round-headed windows, one re-cut as
pointed. Pointed 4-light east window with intersecting tracery, hoodmould
and C19 foliate stops, C19 oculus in gable. C12 corbel table, mainly plain-
moulded with some weathered heads. South porch: buttresses, restored
pointed shafted outer arch, blind arcade of round arches in gable; 2-bay
pointed vault with chamfered ribs on restored stiff-leaf capitals. Fine
pointed inner arch of 3 orders: 2 shafts with stiff-leaf capitals, dog-tooth
moulding between and arch with roll, bead and billet mouldings. Fine oak
door has ornate wrought iron strap and C-hinges of c1200, and traceried
wooden ribs to inner face. Interior. Wide pointed triple-chamfered tower
arch on triple-shafted responds, with filleted inner shaft and thin C19
central shafts. Arcades of pointed double-chamfered arches with hoodmoulds
and foliate stops. Keeled quatrefoil piers to north with shafts between
foils, plain moulded capitals, bases and circular plinths. South arcade has
quatrefoil piers with rich stiff-leaf capitals, moulded bases and circular
plinths: central pier and responds have dog-tooth mouldings between filleted
shafts, and dog-tooth moulded abaci. Low pointed chamfered recess to each
bay of north aisle wall. Ogee-headed trefoiled piscina to south aisle with
mutilated bowl. Nave open to chancel. South side of chancel: pointed
shafted niche with roll moulding; round-headed shafted piscina with similar
mouldings and scalloped bowl. North side has voissoired door and pointed
chamfered door with restored hoodmould and foliate stops. Good C19 ceiled
pine waggon roof to chancel with carved angel corbels. Very fine C12 black
Tournai marble font: square top with opposed pairs of carved animals to
sides, standing on a cylindrical column with shafts to each corner on a
square base. Monuments in south aisle: grave slab of c1300 with recessed
bust in rounded-trefoil surround; ornate marble wall tablet to William
Skinner of 1626 with pilasters flanking bust in circular niche and broken
pediment supporting arms and crest. Restored C17 carved oak panelled
pulpit. Fine C17 oak altar table with bulbous legs. C17 balustrade to
tower gallery with turned balusters. N Pevsner and J Harris, The Buildings
of England: Lincolnshire, 1978, 404; Drawing by C Nattes, 1796, Banks
Collection, Lincoln City Library.
Listing NGR: TA0879417871
