Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

Parish church located on Church Street, largely dating from the 14th to 15th centuries, with earlier late 12th to early 13th-century nave arcades and an early 14th-century chancel. The chancel was partly destroyed in 1642, side chapels were demolished, and the chancel was partly rebuilt in the 1670s. Renovations to the north porch occurred in 1721 and to the south porch in 1817. The nave was re-roofed in 1782. Major restorations in 1868 by James Fowler of Louth included the creation of a new organ chamber, removal of the gallery, reflooring, reseating, and re-roofing of the aisles. Further roof work was carried out in 1878, and new choir stalls were installed in 1890.

The church is constructed principally of limestone ashlar, with the south aisle built of coursed limestone, mudstone rubble and re-used ashlar, and the clerestory of rendered rubble. Ashlar dressings are used throughout. The roof is covered with lead over the nave and north porch, and Welsh slates over the chancel and north aisle.

The plan comprises a west tower and a three-bay nave with five-bay aisles, the two narrower western bays embracing the tower, north and south porches, a three-bay chancel with a single-bay organ chamber and clergy vestry adjoining the north side. Moulded plinths run along the tower and chancel, with chamfered plinths to the remainder of the building. A string course and coped embattled parapets appear throughout, except to the chancel.

The three-stage tower features a pair of set-back buttresses with offsets to the west side and moulded string courses between stages. The first stage contains an inserted or altered west doorway with a recessed segmental-headed door in a narrow opening beneath a wide four-centred moulded arch, and a pointed three-light Perpendicular-traceried window above with restored mullions and a hoodmould continued as a string course between stages. The second stage is plain, with a clockface to the south. The top stage displays pointed two-light traceried belfry openings with incised spandrels, hoodmoulds and head stops. Angle gargoyles, a string course, and a coped embattled parapet with crocketed angles and central pinnacles complete the tower.

The north aisle features buttresses between bays with offsets and three square-headed three-light windows with round-headed lights, plus a pointed two-light Perpendicular-traceried west window with incised spandrels. The north porch has a central section that breaks forward, with a fine reset late 13th to early 14th-century pointed cusped and sub-cusped arch on hollow chamfered responds. A stone tablet above is inscribed with the names of church wardens Rich Taylor and Ch Whitehead, dated 1721.

The 14th to 15th-century interior features a pointed tunnel vault with a single hollow-chamfered rib on carved corbels; the right corbel bears a figure holding leaves, the left is worn. Heraldic relief tablets flanking the corbels include one bearing the arms of the Mowbray family. A pointed double hollow-chamfered inner arch completes this feature.

The south aisle contains buttresses to the angles with offsets, and a pair of large plain 18th to 19th-century brick buttresses with stone coping. A much worn square-headed single-light window to the west bay, probably reset, has a fragmentary hoodmould. A square-headed three-light window to the second bay features restored tracery and an original hoodmould. Beyond the porch is a four-centred-arched three-light window with crude rounded cinquefoiled lights and a square-headed three-light trefoiled window with restored mullions and an original hoodmould. Two reset fragments of an incised 14th-century graveslab are set into the third bay. A blocked segmental-pointed arch to the east side contains a small triangular-headed single-light window.

The south porch displays a pointed double-chamfered outer arch with an inner order on chamfered shafts with moulded capitals, a string course, and a coped embattled parapet with a central merlon bearing a worn inscription with the names of church wardens, dated 1817.

The clerestory comprises four square-headed two-light windows with plain chamfered mullions and reveals.

The chancel features angle buttresses and buttresses between bays with offsets. The south side has a pointed door with continuous wave, ogee and hollow mouldings, a hoodmould and large head stops. A pair of pointed three-light windows with squared apexes and reticulated tracery adorn the south side, while a single segmental-headed three-light cinquefoiled window appears on the north side. A restored four-light east window with curvilinear tracery, a hoodmould and head stops sits beneath a rebuilt coped gable with angle gargoyles and a cross finial. The organ chamber has a 19th-century four-centred-arched two-light traceried window with a hoodmould. The vestry has an original square-headed three-light east window with plain chamfered mullions in a deeply-hollowed reveal.

The interior features three and a half bay nave arcades of pointed double-chamfered arches, with thin hoodmoulds to the north, on octagonal piers and keeled east responds with moulded capitals, mostly restored, and moulded bases, the north-west base being water-holding and those to the north on square pedestals. The half-bay abuts the tower, with its continuation on plain responds incorporated in the tower base, visible in the western aisle extensions. A tall pointed double-chamfered tower arch with a continuous outer chamfer and corbelled inner order with a carved corbel to the north side is flanked by heavy tower buttresses with chamfered lower sections projecting into the nave. The south tower aisle, now a storeroom, has a tall round-headed opening to the tower with an inserted door below. A similar opening to the north tower aisle, now the choir vestry, exists on the opposite side. A blocked pointed chamfered east arch to the south aisle, formerly leading to a chapel, and a square-headed opening to the east end of the north aisle with a small recessed triangular-headed window are also present. A pointed double-chamfered chancel arch dies into the responds.

A former entrance to the rood loft has a pointed chamfered arch in the north aisle with lower steps in situ and a rebated arch to the nave side. The chancel has a pointed chamfered door to the vestry and a 19th-century opening to the organ chamber with a pointed double-chamfered arch dying into responds.

The six-bay nave roof features chamfered and moulded tie beams with single side and ridge purlins, carved floral bosses, and an inscription reading "Wm Watkin & Jno Sampson Church Wardens 1782 Robt Pickard Carpenter". The 19th-century aisle and chancel roofs, the latter of four bays with traceried panels above tie beams and carved angel corbels to the eastern truss, follow.

The chancel contains monuments: marble wall tablets to Peter and Mary Barnard of around 1808 with paterae, moulded cornice and urn; to Margaret Maw of 1797 with faded painted arms and a carved urn; to John Maw of 1826 by Walsh and Dunbar of Leeds, with pediment and acroteria; to William Barnard of 1824 with paterae, cornice and urn; and to George Capes of 1847 with an urn. The church contains 19th to early 20th-century stained glass, that in the east window dated 1878.

A late 13th to early 14th-century octagonal font has a bowl with plain panelled sides, a moulded underside and a short shaft.