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St Mary

St Mary

Claxby CP

Lincolnshire

C13, C15, C16, 1871 restoration by James Fowler of Louth

Architectural Features

The 3 stage tower has a plain chamfered plinth, 2 chamfer moulded string courses and roll moulded cornice to battlemented parapet, which although much restored dates from C15 and has 8 pinnacles and 4 gargoyles.

The bell openings to each face are C15 2 light openings heavily recut, with hood moulds.

The north aisle has a plain chamfered plinth, a C19 lancet west window, a blocked C13 north door with chamfered arch

plain hood mould, a 3 light C16 window with shallow 4 centre head.

The south side has 2 recut late C13 trefoil headed windows with hood moulds and C19 label stops.

The clerestorey to both north and south faces has 2 two light recut C16 windows.

The south doorway is C15 with concave moulding.

Interior: The 2 bay C13 north arcade has octagonal column and responds with double chamfered arches.

The C13 tower arch has triple chamfers and the C13 chancel arch is double chamfered.

The chancel imposts are both carved heads, that on the north is of a man pulling his mouth open and on the south he sticks his tongue out whilst both hands hold up the arch.

Font in the church of St. Mary, Claxby, Lincolnshire.

The fittings, stone pulpit, oak screen and font are all from the C19 restoration.

Font in the church of St. Mary, Claxby, Lincolnshire.

© David Wright

The chancel is floored with Minton tiles and has a fine C19 stone reredos with gilt mosaic decoration.

The east wall of the nave has C19 painted designs and texts and the stained glass also dates from the restoration.

Monuments: In the chancel under a recess on the north side is a C13 tomb slab with a quatrefoil headed cross and a shield, said to be the tomb of the founder Brayboeuf.

On the south side is a tomb erected in 1605 to John Witherwick d. 1595.

Above the chest is an inscription panel and on this are 2 kneeling figures of a man and a woman facing each other across a prayer desk.

Behind the woman is a further female figure, now headless.

This group is flanked by single Doric columns supporting an entablature which has recesses filled with coloured glass.

The frieze is also decorated with coloured glass circles.

Beyond are 3 brasses, to Fitzwilliams Armiger d. 1634, with a shield and helmet over the inscription

to Jane Burnaby d. 1653, and to Mary Monson d.l638 with a scrolly shield over the inscription.