St Michael, Swaton, Lincolnshire

I Location

Site Location
Swaton
National Grid Reference
TF 133 376
County
traditional: Lincolnshire
now: Lincolnshire
Diocese
medieval: Lincoln
now: Lincoln
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Michael
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Exterior, general view of church

Exterior, general view of church

Cruciform church with 13thc. chancel and crossing tower, the rest mostly of the 14thc. Restoration in 1851-56. A blocked 12thc. window in the S transept, but of Romanesque sculpture there are three chevron voussoirs.

IV Interior Features

5. Interior Decoration

c. Miscellaneous

(i) Three chevron voussoirs
Chevron voussoirs in NW crossing pier

Chevron voussoirs in NW crossing pier

Chevron voussoirs in NW crossing pier, close-up view

Chevron voussoirs in NW crossing pier, close-up view

Located in the NW crossing pier on the S face of the W side of the pier and 1.92 m above the top of the crossing pier's plinth. The highest voussoir is in good condition and most of it is visible. At the bottom of the voussoir is a lateral chevron on soffit and above it directional face chevron pointing to top of arch. The middle voussoir is badly damaged but the remains of its directional face chevron is in alignment with that of the voussoir above it. The lowest voussoir is almost completely chipped back but there is just enough of the lateral chevron on soffit to show that it too aligns with its neighbor.

Dimensions
max. h. of voussoirs 0.61 m
max. w. of voussoirs 0.235 m

VII History

The village is mentioned in he Domesday Survey but no church is recorded.

VIII Comments/Opinions

Pevsner cites only a single voussoir block here, but in fact there are three. The alignment of the voussoirs demonstrates that they belong together as part of a larger whole. The awkward preservation of the stones in this location, where an ashlar block would have been much easier to use, suggest that these voussoirs are in situ and are probably part of the original 12thc. N arcade of the nave. The blocked window in the W wall of the S transept indicates that the church was already here in the 12thc. and, taken with this evidence, probably already in its cruciform plan.

IX Bibliography

  • N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire. London 1990, 735.