Description

STATHERN CHURCH LANE
(West side)
SK 7730 Church of St Guthlac
42/321
1.1.68

GV II*

Church. Late C13 and C17, with C17 alterations and repairs. Restored 1867-
8 by R W Johnson. Coursed squared ironstone and coursed ironstone rubble,
with limestone dressings, lead roofs, except for Swithland slate roofs of N
aisle and porch. Chancel, former N chancel chapel, aisled nave, N & S
porches, W tower 2-bay chancel has 4-light E window with cusped heads to
lights and 4-centred head, and 2-light windows to S with ogee-arched heads
to lights and basket-arched heads, all with hood moulds, that to E window
with label stops Small chamfered priest's door to S with Tudor-arched
head. Chapel has 2-light E window, probably C17, with chamfered mullion and
straight head, and 3-light window to N with round trefoil-headed lights and
4-centred heads, both with hood moulds. Blocked door to NW. Nave has 3-
window clerestory of 2-light windows with Ogee-arched heads to lights,
straight heads and hollow-chamfered surrounds. N aisle has 3-light window
to NE with round trefoil-headed lights and 4-centred head, and lancet
windows to NW and W end, all except last with hood moulds. Chamfered N
doorway with imposts which have small nailhead Ornament. N porch has
weathered doorway with double-chamfered head, continuous outermost,
polygonal responds innermost and hood mould. S porch has similar doorway
S aisle has 3-light E window with Perpendicular tracery which has fleur-de-
lys ornament to small transom above central light, 4-centred head and hood
mould. 3-light window to SE with pointed trefoil-headed lights and 4-
centred head, 3-light window to SW with cinquefoil-headed outer lights,
ogee-arched head to central light and basket-arched head and lancet window
to W end, all with hood moulds, that to SW window with label stops. Fine
late C13 S door has roll-moulding with fillet innermost, large dog-tooth
ornament outermost, imposts and more dog-tooth ornament to hood mould. 3-
stage tower has 1-light window to bottom stage W with cinquefoiled head and
hood mould. 1-light window to middle-stage S with straight head, chamfered
surround and transom. Cast-iron clock faces to N & S and 2-light bell-
chamber openings with ogee-arched heads to lights and hood moulds. Off-set
clasping buttresses and battlemented parapet with crocketed pinnacles to
angles and 2 gargoyles to each side. Body of church has stone-coped gables
with kneelers, those to S aisle carved with animal or demon heads. Scratch
dial to one of quoins of SE angle of S aisle.
Interior: Chancel has cusped ogee-arched piscina. Tall double hollow-
chamfered arch to N chancel chapel, continuous outermost, inner chamfer on
polygonal responds with moulded capitals. Former chapel, now vestry, has
round trefoil-headed piscina immediately to right of blocked corner
fireplace. Graffiti, mostly C18, to base of windows. Between chapel and N
aisle double wave-moulded arch with double-chamfered responds and capitals
decorated with fleurons and heads. Image bracket to right of arch on aisle
side at high level decorated with fleurons. Nave has 3-bay arcades with
octagonal piers, polygonal responds, moulded capitals and double-chamfered
arches. Perpendicular-style roof with arch braces to ties and wall posts on
carved stone head corbels. S aisle has aumbry and remains of piscina.
Tower arch has double-chamfered responds with broad fillets innermost,
moulded capitals and triple-chamfered arch. Chamfered ogee-arched head to
doorway in tower leading to internal stair turret. Octagonal font with 2-
light blank tracery patterns to bowl including Perpendicular motifs.
Blackened charity or commandment board in tower with moulded surround.
Monuments: veined white and black marble wall monument in chancel with
Latin inscription to Rev. Richard Cooke d. 1704 with broken segmental
pediment, framing cartouche of arms. Slate wall monument with gilded
incised ornament and lettering to Rev. Thos Parke d. 1839, signed Johnson,
Melton.
N chancel chapel formerly served as village school. Poet George Crabbe was
curate here 1785-89. Three of his children were baptized here, which is
where he began to write his poetry.
Buildings of England Leicester 1984, 389-390.

Listing NGR: SK7729130948

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17541261

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)