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Grade I listed.
The parish church of St Wulfram is one of the largest medieval churches in the country, seating around 700 people. Constructed in the early 1300s, at 282 ft. the spire is one of the highest in the country on a parish church, dominating the views of the town. The church is built of Lincolnshire limestone, probably from around the Ancaster area.
The spacious interior has fine vistas across the broad nave and aisles. Inside and outside is a whole gallery of carved stone heads, most of them medieval, some no doubt portraits of local people of the time, some grotesques, some animals.
THE CHANCEL
The chancel is dominated by the Victorian reredos, incorporating Italian paintings. It was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and extended by Sir Walter Tapper (who also designed the organ case and font cover)
THE CHAPELS
The church has four remaining chapels in distinctive styles:-
1. The Lady Chapel – c1350 with splendid window tracery. This chapel can be reached from the South aisle of which it is a 14th century extension.
2. Crypt Chapel – c1350 restored 1899 – is beneath the Lady Chapel and is where the Reserved Sacrament is kept.
3. Corpus Christi Chapel – 1450. With its clear glass in large Perpendicular windows, this is the lightest part of the church. An excellent example of 15th century Perpendicular work.
4. St Michael's Chapel – furnished in 1960. It is in the north aisle and has a modern stained glass window depicting St Michael about to strike Satan.
5. St Katharine’s Chapel – (now a vestry and not open to the public). This was a chantry chapel founded in 1496 by Thomas Hall, a wool merchant, who lived in Grantham House to the east of the church. Formerly the founder’s tomb stood beneath the broad archway through which the room is now entered.
THE FONT
The medieval font c1496 is surmounted by a tall and elaborate fixed cover of 1899 designed by Sir Walter Tapper. Inside the cover are three carved figures depicting Edward the Confessor, St Hugh of Lincoln and St Wulfram. The imposing wooden cover commemorates Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and was installed at a cost of £300.
THE NEW PORCH
The glass porch, dedicated by Robert, Bishop of Lincoln on 15th October 2000, celebrated the new millennium. The Porch designed by Matthew Thomas, won The Presidents Award, a national prize for church architecture.
THE CRYPT
The 15th century stairhead with original door leads to the 14th century Crypt beneath the Lady Chapel. The original medieval stone altar whose recess is probably where the relics of St Wulfram were kept.
THE NAVE
The site of the former Norman church. The eight pillars with decorated shafts and carved capitals are those of this late Norman cruciform church c 1180 and they originally had semi-circular arches. Some of the capitals are of French character and have fine heads carved above them. The pair of double pillars mark the west wall of the Norman church. The larger arches in front of the rood screen were made to give light and space for the former Rood screen. The present screen, the roofs and the open-plan layout all date from the 1860s.
THE SOUTH AISLE
This has been much altered over the years with its 15th century doorway and windows of 14th and 15th century. This aisle contains the Harrington and Saltby tombs with good heraldic carvings.
THE HARRINGTON TOMB
A branch of the family of Harrington was settled at Grantham in Edward I's days and members of the family were residents in, and benefactors of the town for a very long period. John and Baldwin Harrington were generous benefactors of the Church Guilds of Grantham and lie buried here, and no doubt many other members of the family. The tomb is of late 14th century date and, like the Saltby tomb further down has been sadly mutilated.
THE TOMB OF RICHARD SALTBY AND WIFE MARGARET
Richard was Lord of Gonerby Manor and a very generous benefactor of the Church Guilds of Grantham. The Chapel of the Guild of St John the Baptist was adjacent to or enclosed this tomb. Richard provided the great part of the endowment for the Guild chaplain.
The tomb is of 14th century date and part of an inscription still remains on the slab which, until the middle of the 19th century bore the date 1369. There is deliberate mutilation of the angels forming the cusps of the arch. Sadly, this is now at the back of the coffee shop and used as a surface to place items on such as leaflets etc.