Church Of St Andrew

The Church of St Andrew is a parish church dating from around 1307 with later 14th-century additions. It was restored in 1867 by Kirk and Parry and again in 1887–8 by J. Fowler of Louth. Built of limestone ashlar with Westmorland slate and lead roofs, it comprises a west tower and spire, clerestoried nave, north and south aisles, transepts, chancel, south porch and north chapel.

Exterior

The tall three-stage tower has a moulded chamfered plinth, stepped and gabled setback buttresses, moulded string courses, and a plain parapet. Its set-back spire features tall angle buttresses and three tiers of gabled lucarnes in alternating directions. The belfry stage contains tall two-light louvred openings with deeply moulded pointed surrounds and quatrefoils. The lower parts of the buttresses have crocketted gabled niches containing statues. The tall three-light west window has cusped trefoil heads to the lights with trefoils and quatrefoils over in a moulded pointed surround, the arch dying into the reveals. Above are two plain rectangular lights.

The north aisle has a chamfered plinth and plain parapet with stepped setback buttresses. It contains three-light reticulated traceried windows—one to the west and three to the south—and a pointed doorway with moulded head dying into the reveals. The clerestory has four three-light windows with tight reticulated tracery to the heads and chamfered pointed surrounds. The north transept has a large five-light 19th-century window to the north with 19th-century cusped geometric tracery and chamfered surround. To the east are two three-light windows with reticulated tracery matching that of the clerestory. In the easternmost bay of the nave are two 14th-century windows. The lower is of three lights with cusped mouchettes; the upper is also of three lights with geometric tracery to the head. Both have wave moulded surrounds.

The chancel has a bell moulded plinth and an openwork parapet with sinuous cusped tracery beneath a concave moulded string course with fleurons. The crocketted gabled buttresses contain ogee headed statue niches, also with crocketted gables and human head stops. The nave wall has two three-light 14th-century windows with elaborate cusped mouchettes and quatrefoils to the heads, both with wave moulded surrounds. The lower north chapel also has a moulded plinth with gabled niches as well as tall panelled octagonal crocketted pinnacles. Beneath is a crypt lit by two plain rectangular windows. In the west wall is a 19th-century pointed doorway, and to the north is a recut two-light window with cusped ogee heads to the lights. In the east wall a pointed two-light window with cusped Y tracery lights the crypt, and above is a 19th-century window, also of two lights, with stiff mouchettes.

The chancel east window is tall and broad, of seven slender lights, and in its head is a virtuoso display of intersecting cusped tracery with daggers, mouchettes, quatrefoils and lozenges in the wildest profusion. The north wall of the chancel contains three-light windows, tall with pointed heads containing daggers and quatrefoils, each with a moulded surround. There is also an ogee headed priest's door with floriate finial. In the easternmost bay of the nave two windows balance those to the north; there is also an ornate octagonal pinnacle with richly crocketted gables.

The south transept has two three-light geometric traceried windows to the east with pointed wave moulded surrounds. The buttresses are gabled with richly crocketted statue niches and projecting human headed stops. To the north is a large five-light window with beautiful cusped flowing tracery forming mouchettes, trefoils and quatrefoils, all in a wave moulded surround. The south aisle has three three-light reticulated traceried windows in chamfered pointed surrounds and a plain parapet. The clerestory has three windows of three lights with geometric tracery to the pointed heads. At the west side is a narrow four-centred arched doorway with chamfered surround.

The gabled south porch has a moulded plinth and setback angle buttresses with richly crocketted niches and floriate finials. The pointed and richly moulded outer arch has triple shafted reveals. In the gable are statues and shields against a background of seaweed carving with a cusped sinuous motif framing panels with a recut Christ in Majesty at the centre. Side benches and original cross-braced roof timbers survive in the porch. The inner doorway has a moulded pointed head and single shafted reveals. Above is a statue bracket with carved foliage. The 19th-century door is enriched with cusped tracery.

Interior

The tall triple chamfered tower arch has filleted triple responds and annular capitals. Four-bay north and south nave arcades are octagonal with quirked angles and engaged annular capitals, double chamfered arches with human head label stops. There are single similar lower arches into the transepts. In the south transept is a triple sedilia with cusped and moulded arches supported on circular shafts with foliate capitals. Beyond is a trefoil headed piscina and an armorial statue bracket. In the east wall is a plain rectangular aumbry. In the east wall of the north transept is a single triangular headed niche.

The tall chancel arch has a double wave moulded head and engaged triple filleted reveals with engaged annular capitals. The richly furnished chancel has on the south side a triple sedilia and a double piscina, and on the north an Easter sepulchre, a doorway to the north chapel and the builder's tomb. The large triple sedilia has cusped ogee arches supported on moulded piers with foliate capitals. Above are crocketted gablets with ballflowers against a background of seaweed carving. In the upper parts of the rectangular frame are carvings of Christ in Majesty, the Blessed Virgin Mary and saints. The double piscina has cusped ogee arches in the manner of reticulated tracery. Paired engaged side shafts support a crocketted canopy with large floriate knop and seated human figure label stops.

The Easter sepulchre, one of the most celebrated English examples, consists of a small triangular central niche in a tripartite stone framework. The panels are framed by roll moulded shafts terminating in pinnacles. Below the niche the Sleeping Soldiers recline beneath crocketted gables. To either side are pairs of figures and above the Risen Christ is attended by censing angels. This last scene is also contained within a crocketted gable from which sinuous strapwork friezes run down to either side. The upper panels are filled with seaweed carving and overall is a cornice with monsters. To the left of the Easter sepulchre is the door to the north chapel which has a richly moulded slightly pointed head dying into the reveals. Beyond again is the tomb of Richard de Potesgrave, builder of the chancel. It is a broad moulded and pointed tomb recess with elaborate ogee cusping to the underside. The effigy is clad in full vestments, but the face has been despoiled. The edge of the slab supporting the effigy has a hollow chamfer containing ballflowers with brattishing.

Fittings

The 19th-century limestone ashlar and marble reredos is in 14th-century style with triple cusped ogee arches and crocketted gables flanked by blind cusped arcades. Otherwise all fittings are 19th-century apart from the fine 14th-century font which is of octagonal tub form with cusped and crocketted gabled arches to the panelled sides with a zone of fleurons above and three circular steps beneath. A notable stained glass east window of 1897 by T. F. Curtis illustrates the Te Deum and the Benedicite. There is other glass dated 1915 by Curtis, Wood and Hughes dated 1909 in the chancel and in the nave and yet more in the south transept dated 1922.

Monuments

Apart from the de Potesgrave tomb in the chancel, there is a 14th-century effigy to a civilian in the north transept. The figure appears as a praying bust in a quatrefoil surround. Also in the north transept is a matrix for a double brass to a 15th-century knight and lady with armorials, and in the north aisle a slab with marginal black letter inscription. There are two similar 15th-century slabs in the central aisle before the chancel arch.