Church history  |  A walk inside St George's  |  Time to think?

The Tower is rather unusual because of its rectangular plan. It was probably originally built in the early thirteenth century, and the earliest complete arch in the building is that from the tower into the nave, with its nail-head decoration to the capitals, Early English in style. The large west window was inserted later, in the fourteenth century. It seems likely that the top section of the tower was rebuilt in the seventeenth century.

The Nave has a rather complicated architectural history. It would appear that the thirteenth century piers were rebuilt and heightened in the fourteenth century, when octagonal sections were added to the earlier round columns and bases. The capitals are octagonal, though one is slightly different. The arches are fourteenth century, with a double chamfer. In the mid-fifteenth century the nave was extended east-wards at the same time as the new chancel was being built. The small arches at the east end of the arcades probably originally gave access to chapels at the ends of the aisles. These arches differ slightly in their mouldings and one has capitals. The clerestory of the nave, of four two-light windows, and the tie-beam roof, which sadly lacks its angels, appear up date from the middle of the fifteenth century also, though the clerestory could equally well be later. Most of the bosses to the roof have gone, but one, carved with a bird, may represent a pelican in its piety, a medieval symbol of Christ. The lectern, made in 1905, is a copy of a typical late medieval brass lectern, and was recently brought to St George's from St Michael's, Stamford, now closed and declared redundant.

In the South Aisle there is a memorial window to J. C. Traylen, a Stamford architect who was responsible for repair work on many churches in the area. His interests, as well as his profession, are represented in the glass. In another window here there are a few fragments of medieval glass. The South Transept, added in the late nineteenth century, has a number of photographs illustrating some early drawings relating to the Garter windows (see Chancel, below). Also in this transept is some modern glass.

The Chancel is the finest part of the Church. It was built in the middle of the fifteenth century at the expense of Sir William Bruges, the first Garter King of Arms, who also paid for the glazing of the original seven chancel windows with high quality painted glass, showing figures of the original Knights of the Garter and scenes from the life of St George. Only two figures, those of St Catherine (holding her wheel) and St Anne, teaching the young Virgin Mary to read, survive from the fifteenth century, and these were not part of Bruges' glass. Below these two figures are a number of fragments of medieval glass. The mitred head is of an unknown bishop or possibly St Thomas; it was probably made about the same time as the figures above. The head of a knight was part of one of Bruges' windows, though again it is not possible to identify whom it represents. The two outer panels of this window contain nineteenth century glass. In the opposite, north-eastern window of the chancel are a number of small "quarries" with the garter motto, Hony soyt qui mal y pense. A number of these seem to be nineteenth century copies.

The roof of the chancel, with its fine angels, was also the gift of Bruges. The central angels on each side carry on their shields two of the "Signs of the Passion", the pierced heart and the wounded hands and feet. Their purpose was to remind worshippers of Christ's sufferings. On the north wall, blocking one of the windows is a particularly fine memorial to Sir Richard Cust and other members of his family, placed in the church in 1797. The vestry and organ chamber are both nineteenth century and their openings have destroyed two of the mid-fifteenth century windows of the chancel.

At the east end of the North Aisle is a small brass tablet commemorating Tobie Norris (died 1626, the figure '2' has been reversed). He and his family were bellfounders in the town for about 100 years, and many churches in the area have bells from their foundry. Above the tablet is part of one of the medieval screens of the church, the only fragment left. The woodwork was of good quality, another of Bruges gifts to the church. Further to the west in this aisle is a fine medieval memorial tablet - details about this are printed below it. At the west end of the aisle are some more fragments of the medieval glass, including another garter quarry, and some faces.

The visitor with more time to spend might find it interesting to see how many memorial tablets commemorate members of the forces who died in various parts of the globe - or to read some of the other tablets, especially those to the Northon family above the pulpit, and the Rev. Lascelles Carr in the north west corner of the chancel.

The churchyard has a number of interesting headstones, most of limestone and one or two of slate. On leaving the church it will be noticed how the whole exterior of the church, except the tower, appears to be of the perpendicular style a good example of the way in which the outside of churches were often 'brought up to date" even if the whole of the interior could not receive the same treatment.

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