Details
SE 7612-7712 CROWLE CHURCH STREET
(north-west side)
17/40 Church of St Oswald
1.3.67
GV I
Parish church. C12 nave south and west walls and doorway, chancel north
wall; C13 chancel arch, lower section of tower, and responds and portions of
outer arches of north arcade; C14-C15 nave south windows; C15 north aisle,
clerestory and upper stage of tower; C15-C16 arch to north chapel. Nave re-
roofed 1785, north aisle taken down 1792. Chancel partially rebuilt 1856;
restorations of 1884 by A S Ellis of London, including rebuilding north
arcade and north aisle; south porch rebuilt c1900. Limestone ashlar, with
rock-faced ashlar to south porch; ashlar dressings. Lead roof to north
aisle, Westmorland slate roof to nave, Welsh slate roofs to chancel and
south porch. West tower with rectangular staircase projection to north-east
angle, 4-bay nave with north aisle and south porch, 3-bay chancel with 2-bay
north chapel. 3-stage tower: chamfered plinth, string courses between
stepped-in stages. First stage has pointed chamfered south door with string
course at impost level; pointed 2-light west window with central mullion
missing, moulded reveal with 2 keeled orders, the outer shafted, and an
inner hollow-moulded surround with carved fleurons; poor C20 rendered
repairs and glazing. Stair turret to first stage has offsets and slit
lights. Second stage: chamfered slit light and small round window in square
chamfered reveal to west, slit light to south. Upper stage: pointed 2-light
belfry openings with foiled Y tracery and hoodmoulds. Moulded string
course, plain coped parapet with original pinnacle bases to angles and
centres of each side, carrying heavy C19-C20 square angle piers. Clock face
to east. Nave: south side has C15-C16 square-headed 3-light window with
partly restored Perpendicular tracery, and pair of pointed 3-light
Perpendicular traceried windows, that to right restored, that to left a C19
copy. Above, a complete C12 corbel table with carved heads, etc, much worn.
Stepped-in clerestory has buttresses between bays, 3 round-headed 2-light
windows with cinquefoiled Y tracery, hollow-moulded reveals and hoodmoulds;
moulded string course with 2 gargoyles to south, 3 to north, coped parapet
with restored pinnacle to north-east angle, stump of pinnacle to centre
north, remainder truncated. Roof hipped to east. South porch: pointed
moulded outer arch dying into chamfered jambs, hoodmould, string course and
coped embattled gable parapet; fine C12 inner round arch of 4 orders, the
inner 3 shafted, with capitals bearing scalloped, spiral and carved roundel
ornament, and the arch with incised lattice moulding to the outer order,
another with chevrons and various pellets (some with faces), and 2 roll-
moulded orders. C17 double doors with moulded ribs and iron studs, some
diamond-headed. North aisle: plain plinth, C19 pointed 2-light windows with
Perpendicular tracery, hoodmoulds and plain stops. Chancel: chamfered
plinth, angle buttresses and buttresses between bays with offsets; sill
string course; south side has restored central pointed double-chamfered
door, C19 lancets with hoodmoulds; similar stepped triple lancets to east;
coped gable with cross finial. North chapel: chamfered plinth, single north
buttress; pair of C19 pointed north doors, one chamfered, the other moulded,
both with hoodmoulds; C19 pointed 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery,
hoodmould and plain stops, small triple east lancets with hoodmoulds.
Interior. Tall narrow round-headed C12 tower arch (former nave west door)
with heavy lintel at impost level and incised lattice decoration to tympanum
on west side (the lintel an 1884 replacement of C11 decorated stone, see
below); C17 door with trefoiled panels and iron studs. Square-headed
chamfered doorway to stair turret with oak board door. Nave arcade of
largely restored pointed arches with outer chamfered order, inner keeled
order and rounded demi-order between, on original keeled responds with
moulded capitals and restored octagonal bases, and restored cylindrical
piers with moulded capitals and bases; moulded string course above. Pointed
chancel arch with similar mouldings to nave arcade, but with a filleted
inner order, on responds with the outer chamfer dying into jambs with nook-
shafts, and inner orders on octagonal shafts (partly restored to north) with
moulded capitals and water-holding bases on tall square pedestals. Chancel
has wide chamfered 4-centred arch to north chapel (now organ chamber/vestry)
on heavy octagonal responds (that to west restored) with moulded capitals
and bases. Above, to west, is an exposed section of a C12 round-headed
window arch. Round-headed window to north side of chancel (now in vestry).
Important fragment of decorated Anglo-Scandinavian cross shaft or monument,
reset in west bay of nave arcade. Coarsely-carved, with interlace to east
side, bold interlaced serpents to north face, and complex south face with a
pair of flying dragons and sun-wheel above 2 figures in profile addressing
each other, and a figure on horseback with a sack (?) behind, and a runic
inscription below, probably translatable as LIC BAECUN, "memorial
stone". Small inscribed brass wall plate on south side of nave to Stovin
children of c1784. C19 carved octagonal font, late C19 stained glass to
nave and north aisle. N Pevsner and J Harris, The Buildings of England:
Lincolnshire, 1978, pp 223-4; J Fowler, "Notes on the Discovery of a Shaft
of a Stone Cross, with a Runic Inscription, at Crowle Church, Lincolnshire",
Prodeedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London, second series, vol 4,
1868, pp 187-90; R I Page, An Introduction to English Runes, 1973, p 140,
pp 145-146; drawing by C Nattes, 1794, Banks Collection, Lincoln City
Library; photographs in NMR.
Listing NGR: SE7715612984
