St
Andrew's Church which dates from 900 AD stands in the unfrequented stone
belt of South Lincolnshire and was largely rebuilt, apart from the tower,
about 1358 by the Pickworth family and ten years later the Black Death
had swept away one third of the population, including most of the elderly.
The church is built almost entirely in the Decorated style of English
Gothic architecture of the 13th and 14th centuries, with a broached spire
and an unrestored interior of old pews and a plain 13th century font,
whilst an ancient sedilia and a piscina with carved leaves and ugly heads
are still in evidence. The south door has been there for 600 years and
its decorative ironwork forms the letter C above and below in honour
of St Clement the Martyr (100 A D), the patron saint of the smith. There
is a mediaeval rood screen of the most delicate workmanship, a two-decker
pulpit still with its hour glass stand from 1693, altar rails dated 1767
and important wall paintings from the 14th century.
The rood
screen under the chancel arch is 600 years old and by
1964 it was in a very poor condition with the lower section collapsing
and parts of the decoration missing but it was restored with consummate
skill by Mr J H Palin who reproduced the missing coving, destroyed in
1566, redecorated parts hidden by unwanted coats of varnish and replaced
the decaying beam on which the screen rested. Like the 14th century woodcarver
who created this work, Mr Palin was left-handed and he was later honoured
for his fine craftsmanship with an award from the Architects' Association.
The figure of an early 15th century headless female saint still stands
on its corbel and there are beautifully furnished chapels.
Above all, there are the wall paintings which were originally painted
circa 1380 by 14th Century artists who roamed from church to church painting
religious images. They depict a number of scenes from the Bible, lives
of saints and examples of the moralities.
The murals were partly obscured during re-roofing a century later and
were lime washed and hidden in 1547 by "Order of the Council" which
stated "Popish idols and images should be obliterated, so the memory
of them remain not in the minds of the common people". They were rediscovered
400 years later after a Second World War bomb exploded in a nearby field, shaking
off some paint and plaster.
Mr E Clive Rouse set to work and by carefully chipping away the plaster, gradually
uncovered the paintings which were finally revealed in all their glory when his
work was completed in 1950, depicting scenes from the Bible, the lives of the
saints and examples of the moralities. If one wants to enjoy or indeed to study
them, one must look at reproductions and fortunately the church provides a clear
broadsheet guide for visitors. Doom, or the Last Judgement, is over the chancel
arch depicting more than sixty figures and on the nave south wall three figures
are sizzling in that very cauldron but opposite is first the ascending Christ,
then the Three Quick and the Three Dead, then the friendly figure of St Christopher
while one of the north arcade spandrels contains another picture showing the
Weighing of Souls. They are all precious as examples of 14th century art and
devotion.
This church is a favourite of Prince Charles and he came here to see
the wall paintings in 1971 while learning to fly at nearby R A F Cranwell
but found it locked although he returned in 1988 when his visit had a
more successful outcome. If anyone wishes to make the pilgrimage to Pickworth,
they will find their visit well worthwhile and the key to the church
is now available from the house opposite.
You can access the Burial records for the church here
