All Saints, Westborough, Lincolnshire

I Location

Site Location: Westborough
National Grid Reference: SK 850 443
County: traditional: Lincolnshire
now: Lincolnshire
Diocese: medieval: Lincoln
now: Lincoln
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): All Saints
Type of building/monument: Parish church

II General Description

: Exterior, general view of church

Spacious parish church consisting of chancel, nave, and side aisles built c.1300, a N transept of the late 13thc. (S transept collapsed in 1750), and a W tower rebuilt 1752. The clerestory was added in the 14thc. or 15thc.; the sacristy on the N side of the chancel may have been added at this time. There is a Romanesque font in the nave.

V Furnishings

1. Fonts

(i)

: Font, SW side

: Font, NE side

: Font, NW side

The font is located in the nave toward the W end and on axis with the N arcade. Font sits on a modern octagonal plinth. The base of the font itself is chamfered with a water holding base that rises upward in the form of a bell capital to become the font stem. Font is octagonal, of light, grey stone. Large crack runs completely around bowl. Eight bay arcade around font, each side consisting of a large arch. The columns on these arches have polygonal bases and capitals while the arches are decorated with nailhead. Inside each of these bays is an intersecting arcade of seven columns with plain bases and capitals carrying plain arches. Above the intersecting arcade are two large leaves that vary in type; from the E bay moving clockwise they are as follows:

1: two down-turned leaves.

2: two upright leaves.

3: similar to 2 but with smaller leaves (?) at top centre.

4: as 2.

5: uncarved.

6: two upright leaves with two volutes on each leaf.

7: two large, down-turned leaves with volutes.

8: two large, down-turned leaves, no volutes.

In each of the spandrels at the top of the font is a downward pointing trefoil leaf. Cable mould on lip.

Dimensions

h. of bowl	1.00 m (incl. base, but not the modern plinth)
int. diam.	0.535 m
ext. diam.	0.72 m

VII History

Domesday Book records a priest and a church here under the ownership of Geoffrey Alselin.

VIII Comments/Opinions

Given the polygonal form of the column bases, capitals, and the font itself, this probably dates from the late 12thc.

IX Bibliography

Domesday Book: Lincolnshire. 64,15.
N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire. London, 1990, 789-90.