Читать книгу Records, Historical and Antiquarian, of Parishes Round Horncastle онлайн

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The Church is dedicated to St. Swithun. The west door is a good specimen of Norman work, with dog-tooth pattern running round the semi-circular arch, in bass relief; the capital of its south pillar has a head, with serpents whispering into each ear. The north capital is a conventional acanthus. The inner eastern door of the tower is also Norman, but plain. The Nave has north and south aisles of three bays; the eastern-most column of the north arcade, under the removable flooring of the Vicar’s seat, has the original round Norman plinth, the only one preserved. The Church of stone was cased in brick, in the early part of the eighteenth century (1736), when the present large, perpendicular windows were placed in the north and south walls, three in each. Placed against the west wall, south of the west entrance, is a large slab, commemorating John Ealand, who died in 1463, and his wives Alice and Elizabeth. This was formerly in the floor of the north aisle. Above is a tablet in memory of members of the family of J. Bainbridge Smith, D.D., formerly Vicar, as well as Rector of Sotby, and of Martin, and Headmaster of the Horncastle Grammar School. The Font is octagonal and massive, but plain. There is a handsome oak lectern with eagle on swivels, the gift of Mrs. Taylor Sharpe, of Baumber Park, in memory of her eldest son, who died in 1891. The pose of the eagle is very natural.