Description

TF 03 SW PICKWORTH CHURCH LANE
20-9-66
6/56 Church of St. Andrew

I

Parish Church: C12, C13, C14, C15 and 1659. Ashlar and coursed limestone
rubble with slate, lead and plain tile roofs. Western tower, nave, 2 aisles,
chancel, south porch. C12 tower refaced and raised in ashlar in mid C14
having 3 stages with triple moulded plinth and 2 string courses. Stepped
corner buttresses. South side 2nd stage has traceried circular panel with
hood mould round 3 sides. West side has in 1st stage C14 single light with
ogee tracery and in 2nd stage a small recent C12 round headed light. To 3rd
stage, on all faces, are 2 light C14 belfry openings with reticulated tracery.
Broach octagonal spire with 3 tiers of alternating lucarnes. Lowest lucarnes
of 2 lights with cross fleury to ridge. 2nd and 3rd tiers, of 2 lights and
single light respectively, have crocketed gables. Top of spire has finial.
North aisle, part ashlar, part coursed rubble with plain tile roof, has plain
plinth, low string course at cill level and splayed cornice at eaves. The
west window is C13 2 light with geometric tracery. The north side has 3 bays
with 4 stepped buttresses. A central C14 door with hood mould and simple label
stops is flanked by 2 reticulated traceried 3 light windows with flat heads and
hood moulds. The ashlar clerestorey has been raised by a few courses of
rubble and has a lead roof. 5 shallow stepped buttresses form 4 bays each
having late C14 triangular headed 2 light windows with reticulated tracery.
The original steeper pitch of the nave roof is visible on the east end of the
nave. The ashlar chancel has a slate roof with stone coped gable and cross
fleury to ridge. It has a triple moulded plinth. The north window is C14
3 light with flowing reticulated tracery. The east end has corner buttresses
and a C14 4 light curvilinear traceried window with hood mould. The south
side has a C14 3 light window with flowing reticulated tracery and hood mould.
An C18 tablet with moulded surround refers to a will to uphold an adjacent
monument. In the corner between chancel and south aisle is a C14 ogee headed
single light with transom. The south aisle is ashlar with a slate roof.
On its east side is a circular projection housing the rood loft stairs.
The east south aisle window is a C14 2 light reticulated traceried window.
The south side has plain buttresses making 4 bays including the porch. The 2
easternmost bays have 2 C14 3 light windows with reticulated tracery, with square
heads; the western bay contains a similar 2 light window. The south porch is
ashlar with slate roof and is dated 1659 on the east angle corner buttress.
The plinth is decorated with panels containing paired quatrefoils. To either
side are large gargoyles and the parapet is heavily battlemented. The opening
is a slightly flattened double chamfered semi circular arch. The porch has
stone side benches. The doorway has C13 nook shafts and a C14 arch with hood
mould and human mask stops. The door is C14 and has decorated hinges and straps.
Interior: Both aisles have matching 4 bay arcades with circular piers and double
chamfered pointed arches. The arches are C14 but the bases, piers and responds
could be reused C12. The north aisle appears to have been moved out as it is
off centre from the tower. Against the tower wall is a large buttress built
off a circular base, which could mark the position of the earlier C12 aisle.
Various traces of earlier nave roof pitches can be seen in the tower wall.
The south aisle has a piscina with ogee head at the west end and a piscina on a
horizontal figure with a highly decorated crocketed ogee head with finial and
human mask label stops at the east end. Also 2 statue brackets with a headless
C14 painted figure of Mary Magdalene in the northern one. The north aisle has
a blocked door, C14 piscina and further statue bracket. The tower has a small
plain double chamfered C13 pointed arch. The nave roof is C15 arch braced with
moulded oak beams and purlins. The newel stairs to the rood loft remain complete.
The C14 chancel arch is double chamfered and without responds. It bears the

mortice holes for a painted panel now removed. In the chancel is a C14 sedilia
with 3 ogee arches and a crocketed and pinnacled small ogee piscina. In the
north wall is a plain aumbry. The roof is C17. Furnishings; The C14
rood screen is in 8 panels with 2 centrally placed over the door opening. It
has delicate tracery featuring oak leaves and scorns with a curved canopy.
It was heavily restored in 1966 when the canopy was entirely replaced. The
pews are C14 with bench ends having carved panels depicting elements of tracery
design. The pew backs all have moulded top rails. The front pair incorporate
C14 reused tracery. The 2 decker pulpit is dated "RSC 1693". The altar rail
with turned oak balusters is inscribed "Ed Wells Church Warden 1767" and
"Jos Dabell Fecit". There is C17 oak wainscott panelling to the west end of
the south aisle. The font is a C12 circular tub on octagonal base. The only
monument is a wooden memorial tablet on the west wall of the nave to Thomas
Gibson d.1622. Over the chancel arch, to the north clerestorey and part of
the south clerestorey are C14 wall paintings dated to c.1380 by Mr. Clive Rouse.
Over the chancel is a doom, the top now obscured by the lower C15 roof. On
the north are 3 scenes of the Ascenscion, the 3 kings and 3 skeletons and of
St. Christopher. On the south side is the cauldron of Hell. Over these
paintings are stencil patterns of sexfoils and cinque foils of C15. On the
south aisle are C17 wall paintings of texts. A lightly incised and painted
consecration cross can be seen on the nave east wall. A C19 boiler by
C. Portway & Sons of Halstead, Essex stands in the nave. The C14 rebuilding
of the church is said to date from 1356, prabably by the Pickworth family.

Sources: Vicars notes and articles by Clive Rouse in the Illustrated London
News: January 3rd, 1948 and Lincoln Architecture and Archaeology Society W.S.
IV, 1951, p.57.

Listing NGR: TF0441633681

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17532004

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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