Weight: 1008 lbs Bell 1 of 6
Founded by Joseph Eayre 1765
Dove Bell ID: 7444 Tower ID: 12998 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Wiggenhall: St Mary Virgin
Overview
Grid reference: TF 582 144
It is one of the earliest churches to have a considerable use of brick in its walls and it is a fine example of a large country church built at one time with only the north and south doorways re-used from the earlier building. Thus it presents a uniformity of style.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Churches Conservation Trust
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower; nave of five bays with aisles and clerestory; south porch; long chancel.
Description of Archaeology and History
The north and south doorways are Early English work of the thirteenth century. The rest of the church appears to be an early Perpendicular building of one long campaign (though probably with the uppermost stage of the tower rather later than the rest). The church was restored in 1862 and 1870 by G.E. Street who provided new roofs throughout in a remarkably sympathetic style. Indeed it would be easy at first to think that the church had avoided any nineteenth century restoration.
Exterior Description
It is one of the earliest churches to have a considerable use of brick in its walls and it is a fine example of a large country church built at one time with only the north and south doorways re-used from the earlier building. Thus it presents a uniformity of style.
To begin with the west tower, this is a proud structure of three stages buttressedat the western angles with paired angle buttresses. Within both these corners rise spiral staircases and the projections thus formed between the buttresses give the tower an unusually substantial appearance. The buttresses, moreover, have ashlar facing on the outer edges and moulded stones on the outer edge of the base as though to suggest the plinth which scarcity of good building stone precluded. The eastern angles have no buttresses. The lowest stage is blind to north and south but has a west window of two cinquefoiled lights with panel tracery and heads carved at the stops of the moulded hood. The middle stage is slightly set back above a projecting weathering and has small rectangular loops in the north, west and east sides. The uppermost stage has belfry openings of the same design as the west window but less tall. It terminates in an embattled parapet above a moulded course decorated with square fleurons at intervals, and the parapet makes octagonal turrets out of the slightly awkward junction of the buttresses and staircase projections at the top of the tower. These have gargoyles, that at the south-west explicitly masculine and that at the north-west clinging with all four clawed feet to the moulded course.
The nave is symmetrical, of five bays with north and south aisles and clerestory. The four east and west windows of the aisles are of uniform design, each of three lights with the outer pair pointed but the middle one lower with a cinquefoiled head and panel tracery above. There are two-light cinquefoiled windows to each bay save the westernmost (which are both occupied by doorways), the uniform design only varied by the heads of lions (the charge of the Kervile family who lived at the hall from c.1100 to 1624), wimpled ladies and men with their tongues out (these three or four types are frequently repeated). There are angle buttresses at the corners of the aisles and single buttresses at the mid-points. The north clerestory is earlier than the south. It has three-light windows under four-centred arches with intersecting tracery but no hoodmoulds. The south clerestory has richer two-light windows with cinquefoiled main lights and tall panel tracery above, each under a square-headed label. The south porch has a moulded plinth, two-light windows in the side walls similar to those of the nave aisles and an outer arch of two chamfered orders which become moulded round the curve of the arch. At each side of the south gable the buttresses are set back and the corners of the porch itself are chamfered and have the remains of canopied niches for statues. The sundial above the outer door has a curly iron gnomon and is inscribed "Joseph Rockley Churchwarden 1742; Tempus Fugit". The floor inside is paved with pamments of red clay and there are brick benches along each side.
The chancel is long and has no ancillary vestries or chapels. The north and south walls are divided into two equal bays by buttresses and there are angle buttresses like those of the nave aisles at the eastern corners. In the western corner of the south wall with the aisle there is a small projection housing the rood stair. The windows have two cinquefoiled lights with panel tracery and plainly moulded hoods. There is a small priest's doorway just to the east of the middle buttress of the south wall. The eastern bay of the north wall is blind. The east window, which appears to have been renewed at one of the nineteenth-century restorations, has four tall cinquefoil headed lights and panel tracery.
The north doorway has two orders of nook-shafts carrying a two centred arch with two shallow chamfers separated by a deep hollowed chamfer. The hollow-moulded hood terminates in wisps of stylised foliage and the shafts have round moulded capitals and bases. The south doorway is much more ambitious and has again two orders of nook shafts, the bases moulded but the capitals more trumpet shaped, and a richly moulded arch of several subsidiary filletted orders. The hood has the heads of a king and a bishop at each end. The door appears to be of great age with mediaeval ironwork. A notable feature of the porch is the stone vaulted roof with filletted ribs parallel to the end walls.
Interior
Interior Description
The interior of the church shows the same uniformity as the exterior. The nave arcades are carried on quatrefoil pillars with moulded bases and conflated octagonal capitals above the shafts. The arches are of two chamfered orders. The clerestory windows are set within plain reveals and the aisle windows have internal moulded hoods which may be nineteenth-century. The fine roof of the nave is certainly all nineteenth-century, but well in keeping with the style of the building. It has embattled tie-beams at eacn bay supporting octagonal king-posts with four-way struts at the top. The space between the rafters is plastered. Some original oak timbers survive in the south aisle roof. The doorway to the tower stair is stoutly bound with iron. The tower arch is plain but the chancel arch has a simple outer moulded order which reaches to the floor and an inner chamfered order resting on half-round attached pillars. The nave is coated throughout with mediaeval benches and there are parclose screens at the east end of each aisle, forming a small chapel in the south aisle which houses the Kervile monument and providing an organ chamber in the north aisle. A further screen at the west end of the north aisle forms the vestry and beside the first pillar on the north side stands the font. The rood stair, with brick steps, survives in the south east corner of the nave.
The chancel is long and dignified. The panelling inserted by Caroe in 1930 does much to improve the sanctuary. Street had set the altar up on several steps but these have recently been removed and the floor paved with York stone slabs in the eastern part leaving only a footpace at the altar, perhaps not giving quite enough elevation in a large church such as this. The walls are plastered and covered with off-white limewash like those of the nave and the windows retain some old painted glass and some clear greenish glass which also seems to be of a considerable age and subtly qualifies the light entering the building. The roof has high collars and thin curved braces in six bays and the south sanctuary window sill comes low to provide sedilia the eastern jamb an angle piscina behind a short pillar, has a cinquofoiled arch and octofoil drain.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th Century
Two oak altar tables, both apparently from the now roofless church of St. Mary, Tilney-cum-Islington a short distance to the north.
Reredos
1930
The reredas, which is only an oak frame for hangings with a cresting which picks up features (a small arch and scrolls) from the Kervile monument, was designed by W.D. Caroe.
Pulpit
17th Century
The pulpit is hexagonal, seventeenth-century in date and made of oak. It stands on its own tester placed upside down on the floor with all the dentiles broken off one order of the frieze but lozenges remaining on the other. The lower panels of the pulpit are plain, the upper are single round arches with cusping and running guilloche.
Lectern
1518
The lectern is a brass eagle on a ringed stem and is inscribed "Orate pro anima fratris Robti Barnard gardiani Walsingham Anno Domini 1518". The lectern retains its three small on feet and indeed the only missing feature is the series of claws from the eagle's feet ; it is one of relatively few remaining mediaeval brass lecterns in this country.
Font (object)
The font is a plain octagonal bowl (which may be seventeenth-century rather than mediaeval) set on a moulded octagonal stem and this itself set on two big octagonal steps against the western free-standing pillar of the north arcade. It is surmounted by a moulded octagonal frame supporting an octagonal canopy with pillars alternating with turned pendants end round arches between, the whole with a spire-like canopy of low pitch crowned by a pelican in her piety standing on an orb.
Organ (object)
The organ is a good two-manual instrument by George Maydwell Holdich with tracker action.
Screen
The screen to the vestry in the north-west corner of the aisle is made up of panels separated by big roll-mouldings above subsidiary mouldings.
Screen
The parclose screens at the end of each aisle are each of five bays, of oak with cinquefoiled main lights and tracery above with decorative cresting along the top, all much restored.
Rail
c.1950
The communion rails are of oak, c.1950, plain with recessed panels on the uprights.
Bells
Bell 2 of 6
Founded by John Warner & Sons 1873
Dove Bell ID: 45979 Tower ID: 12998 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 3 of 6
Founded by John Warner & Sons 1873
Dove Bell ID: 45980 Tower ID: 12998 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 4 of 6
Founded by John Draper 1638
Dove Bell ID: 45981 Tower ID: 12998 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 5 of 6
Founded by John Warner & Sons 1873
Dove Bell ID: 45982 Tower ID: 12998 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Bell 6 of 6
Founded by John Draper 1638
Dove Bell ID: 45983 Tower ID: 12998 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: TF 582 144
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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