Church Of St Mary Le Wigford

Church of St Mary le Wigford, Lincoln

This is a church of 11th, 12th and 13th century date, substantially restored in the 19th century and with later additions. The structure is built of dressed stone and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. The nave and aisles are topped with coped gables.

The church comprises a west tower, nave and chancel under a continuous roof, aisles, a north chapel, and vestry.

The west tower dates to the 11th century and is of two stages. It features quoins, a string course and eaves band, and a crenellated parapet. To the west is a restored doorway, now a window, with imposts and a checkered hoodmould. Adjacent to it is a reset stone bearing Roman and Anglo-Saxon inscriptions. Above are two round-headed windows, and higher still a clock. The recessed bell stage contains round-headed twin openings with mid-wall shafts and various 11th century capitals.

The nave has small buttresses flanking the tower at its west end. The east end is provided with three buttresses, a moulded plinth and sill band, and two single lancets with hoodmoulds and stops. Above these is a pointed quatrefoil with moulded surround.

The north aisle and chapel, of 13th century date, consists of four bays with dentilled eaves and sill band to the north-east, and a 19th century side wall stack. Four buttresses are present, those to the west being larger. The south side has, to the east, two flat-headed Perpendicular three-light windows, and to their right two similar windows of 19th and 14th century date respectively. There is a renewed doorway with a 20th century leaded hood. The east and west ends have Decorated three-light windows with hoodmoulds, whilst the east end includes a diagonal buttress.

The south aisle, of four bays, has buttresses and a stepped sill band. A reset 13th century moulded south door with double shafts is present. To its right are two altered three-light windows with intersecting tracery, and at the east end a similar window. To the south is a 20th century vestry containing a reset 13th century roll-moulded arch with shafts and scallop capitals, and two interlace panels said to derive from the churches of St Benedict and St Mark.

The interior features 19th century panelled barrel vaulted roofs throughout. A chamfered tower arch with a 20th century glazed screen sits above a round-headed doorway.

The north arcade of 13th century date comprises three bays with concave-sided octagonal piers fitted with four ringed shafts and stiff-leaf capitals. Double chamfered arches have hoodmoulds and stops. The south arcade dates to the 19th century and has plain octagonal piers and capitals.

The chancel has a double chamfered arch with hoodmould and keeled responds with stiff-leaf capitals. A screen wall with wrought-iron railing and gate is present. The north side features a two-bay arcade with a cruciform central pier with detached shafts, keeled responds, double chamfered arches with hoodmoulds, and a 19th century traceried iron screen. The arcaded east end has ringed shafts and a moulded sill band. Stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell of 1877 are installed. The south side contains a gabled piscina and aumbry, a tomb recess with a seat, and an organ opening.

The north aisle contains a 13th century doorway with keeled roll moulding and shafts, and roll-moulded window surrounds with filleted shafts. A reset stained glass window of mid-19th century date is positioned to the north-east. The north chapel houses an early 14th century keel-moulded tomb recess with an effigy. Its east window has a keel-moulded surround and stained glass of 1865, with an ogee-headed aumbry to its left.

The south aisle contains a blocked double chamfered arch to the east with a 20th century screen and door.

Fittings include a 15th century buttressed octagonal font, two brass lecterns, and traceried stalls and desks all of 19th century date. A brass chandelier of around 1720 is also present.

Memorials comprise an alabaster chest tomb of 1618, possibly by Maximilian Colt, to Sir Thomas Grantham, featuring two effigies and shields in quatrefoils. A reset late 16th century floor slab is present, along with two late 18th century and two mid-19th century tablets.

The south aisle was rebuilt in 1877 by Leach of Cambridge. The church was restored in 1872 by R C Clarke of Nottingham, with the tower restored by Watkins & Son in 1908. Additions and alterations were made in 1975.