All Hallows Church, Clixby
Encyclopedia
All Hallows Church, Clixby, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the hamlet of Clixby
, about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the village of Grasby
, Lincolnshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands to the north of the A1084 road between Caistor
and Brigg
.
had survived. This was restored
in 1889 by Hodgson Fowler
. The church was declared redundant in July 1973.
and limestone
with a slate
roof. Some former openings have been blocked by brick. Its plan consists of the chancel, with a west porch which was added in the 1889. At the east end is a single bellcote. The porch has a flat roof, and it incorporates a 13th-century doorway. This has a pointed arch and its decoration includes some dogtooth carving. It is built against the blocked chancel arch, parts of which are still visible, including the ends of the nave
arcades
. The chancel stands on a plinth
, and its north wall is blank. At the east end is a late 14th-century three-light window that was restored in the 19th century. The south wall of the chancel contains a priest's door, now blocked with brick, above which is a two-light window dating probably from the early 14th century. To the east of this is another similar window.
and in the sanctuary is a piscina
, both of which have ogee
heads. On the sanctuary floor are Minton tiles. The ceiling dates from the 19th century and is decorated with Latin
inscriptions praising the Virgin Mary
. The font
dates from the 15th century and was formerly in a church at Low Toynton in Lincolnshire. It consists of an octagonal bowl with panels containing carvings of angels, other figures, a Tudor rose
, and other flowers. The base is also octagonal, and the stem incorporates carvings of saints. At the base of the altar steps is a ledger slab to the memory of a 14th-century priest. This has a Latin inscription around its margin, and is carved with a cross fleury
and a chalice
.
and consists of a square base with an octagonal shaft. It has been set on 19th-century octagonal steps, and the shaft has been extended, with a carving of the Crucifixion
at its summit. It has been designated as a Grade II listed building.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the hamlet of Clixby
Clixby
Clixby is a small village located about north of the town of Caistor, in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies in the Lincolnshire Wolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty....
, about 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the village of Grasby
Grasby
Grasby is a small village in the Lincolnshire Wolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty northwest of the town of Caistor, Lincolnshire, England....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands to the north of the A1084 road between Caistor
Caistor
See Caistor St Edmund for the Roman settlement in Norfolk or Caister-on-Sea for the town in NorfolkCaistor is a town and civil parish situated in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. As its name implies, it was originally a Roman castrum or fortress...
and Brigg
Brigg
Brigg is a small market town in North Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 5,076 in 2,213 households . The town lies at the junction of the River Ancholme and east-west transport routes across northern Lincolnshire...
.
History
The church dates from the 13th century, with additions and alterations during the following century. Deterioration occurred in the following centuries and by 1871 only the chancelChancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
had survived. This was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1889 by Hodgson Fowler
C. Hodgson Fowler
Charles Hodgson Fowler was a prolific English ecclesiastical architect who specialised in building and, especially, restoring churches.-Life:He was born in Nottinghamshire...
. The church was declared redundant in July 1973.
Exterior
All Hallows is constructed in ironstoneIronstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
with a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof. Some former openings have been blocked by brick. Its plan consists of the chancel, with a west porch which was added in the 1889. At the east end is a single bellcote. The porch has a flat roof, and it incorporates a 13th-century doorway. This has a pointed arch and its decoration includes some dogtooth carving. It is built against the blocked chancel arch, parts of which are still visible, including the ends of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
arcades
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
. The chancel stands on a plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
, and its north wall is blank. At the east end is a late 14th-century three-light window that was restored in the 19th century. The south wall of the chancel contains a priest's door, now blocked with brick, above which is a two-light window dating probably from the early 14th century. To the east of this is another similar window.
Interior
The outlines of the chancel arch are also visible on the inside of the west wall. On each side of it are recesses incorporating re-used 13th-century masonry. In the south wall is a sediliaSedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
and in the sanctuary is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
, both of which have ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
heads. On the sanctuary floor are Minton tiles. The ceiling dates from the 19th century and is decorated with Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
inscriptions praising the Virgin Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 15th century and was formerly in a church at Low Toynton in Lincolnshire. It consists of an octagonal bowl with panels containing carvings of angels, other figures, a Tudor rose
Tudor rose
The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...
, and other flowers. The base is also octagonal, and the stem incorporates carvings of saints. At the base of the altar steps is a ledger slab to the memory of a 14th-century priest. This has a Latin inscription around its margin, and is carved with a cross fleury
Cross fleury
In heraldry, a Cross fleury is a cross adorned at the ends with flowers, generally with Fleur-de-lis, Trefoils, etc. Synonyms or minor variants include fleuretty, fleuronny, floriated and flourished....
and a chalice
Chalice
A chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. This can also refer to;* Holy Chalice, the vessel which Jesus used at the Last Supper to serve the wine* Chalice , a type of smoking pipe...
.
External features
In the churchyard is a cross base dating probably from the 14th century. This was also restored by Hodgson Fowler. It is constructed in limestone and sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
and consists of a square base with an octagonal shaft. It has been set on 19th-century octagonal steps, and the shaft has been extended, with a carving of the Crucifixion
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
at its summit. It has been designated as a Grade II listed building.