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Description

COLSTERWORTH HIGH STREET SK 9224-9324 (west side) 11/13 Church of St. John the Baptist 20.9.66 G.V. I Parish church. C11, mid and late C12, C13, 1305, C14, C15, 1809, 1876 chancel rebuilt by James Fowler of Louth. Ashlar, squared limestone rubble, lead and slate roofs. Western tower, nave plus clerestory, aisles, south porch, chancel, north organ chamber and vestry. The 3 stage ashlar tower of 1305, has wide clasping stepped buttresses, deep chamfered and bell moulded plinth, chamfered string course, battlemented parapet with human head corbel table, panelled and crocketed corner pinnacles, ogee headed and pinnacled rounded central merlon, angle grotesque corbels. On the south side the west buttress plinth bears a worn inscription recording the building of the tower in 1305 by Thomas Somerby. To each face the belfry has 2 light louvred openings with cusped heads, quatrefoils over and hood moulds with animal or human head stops. On the south side above the belfry light an early C19 clock face, to second stage a narrow pointed blocked light, the stone beneath the window inscribed with a face, and above a narrow ogee headed light with plain hood mould. The 2 light west window, recut C19, has Y tracery and hood mould with debased animal head stops. To either side are incised geometric consecration crosses. The north side has consecration cross, incised face and ogee headed light. The squared limestone rubble and lead roofed north aisle has C15 3 light west window with panel tracery and hood mould with beast head label stops. The C13 north doorway in pointed moulded surround with annular angle shafts has hood mould with human head stops. To the west a 2 light pointed window with C19 tracery and to the east a large flat headed 3 light window with moulded surround, C19 tracery and hood. The C15 ashlar clerestory has moulded parapet, 3 two light windows with trefoil heads to the lights in round headed openings with hood moulds. The C19 vestry has pointed doorway flanked by single 2 light openings and a 3 light eastern window. The 1876 chancel, built to commemorate Sir Isaac Newton, has slate roofs and a 3 light eastern window with beneath a coat of arms set in a quatrefoil. On the south side are 4 lancets. The coursed limestone rubble south aisle has late C14 east window with 3 ogee headed lights, 4 centred head and hood mould. To the east of the porch a 3 light C14 window and to the west one of 2 lights, both with flat heads and ogee heads to the lights. The west window is of 2 lights with Y tracery. The 1809 south porch has double chamfered outer door with side benches. The C15 inner doorway has single chamfered 4 centred head and hood mould with possibly earlier niche over. The clerestory is as the north with the addition of an ashlar sundial. Interior. The north aisle arcade is of 3 bays, the stonework above the easternmost 2 bays is herringbone work, terminating against a line of quoins above a square pier, possibly indicating the extent of the original C11 church. The 2 bays have semi-circular headed square cut arches, the easternmost one has lightly incised zigzag decoration, supported on central squat drum pillar with scalloped capital. The later C12 westernmost bay has square cut round arch with hood mould, half round responds with crocketed imposts. The C14 south nave arcade has quatrefoil filleted piers with annular capitals, octagonal responds, double chamfered arches with hood moulds and human head label stops. The early C14 tower arch has 4 chamfers and hood mould with double octagonal responds and annular capitals. Above the arch the earlier nave roof pitch can be seen. The wide C14 chancel arch has double chamfered arch, octagonal responds, C19 hood mould. In the north aisle wall the opening to the rood loft stair survives and an aumbry. At the east end of the north aisle a C19 archway leads to the organ chamber. The chancel 2 bay north arcade is C19 in C13 style and the rear of the south wall lancets have angle shafts. The nave roof has moulded principals and cambered tie beams with large timber corbels. Fittings. All fittings are C19 including the mosaic and reredos, except for C17 chest in south aisle. In the organ chamber a quatrefoil plaque inscribed ET 1806, bearing Newton's Arms and an inscription in memory of Sir Isaac Newton of this Parish and on the north wall a plaque in marble with limestone sundial inset, records that Newton aged 9 years cut with his penknife this dial, the stone given by C. Turnor, Esq. The octagonal font has part C15 stem with panels in part bearing pointed arches containing sacred symbols and floriate designs, and also C12 billet moulded blank arcading the panels filled with fleurons and trefoils. The C19 bowl repeats this theme. 2 fragments of Anglo Saxon Cross shafts, one by the chancel arch bears interlace patterns to all faces. Listing NGR: SK9302924153

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