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Churches - Exterior - Architecture
 
Ancaster, St Martin, Clerestory
Ancaster, St Martin, Clerestory
Ancaster, St Martin, Clerestory

The clerestory, topped by battlements and pinnacles, dates from the 15th century.

May 2015

Ancaster, St Martin church, clerestory
Asgarby, St&nbspAndrew, Tower
Asgarby, St Andrew, Tower
Asgarby, St Andrew, Tower

Detail of plain parapet together with crocketted angle pinnacles, crocketed flying buttresses and crocketed spire.

DB 21 March 2020

Asgarby, Saint Andrew, church, tower
Aubourn, St Peter (New Church), Doorway
Aubourn, St Peter (New Church), Doorway
Aubourn, St Peter (New Church), Doorway

Detail of doorway surround. Work of John H Hakewill*.

October 2016

* John Henry Hakewill (1810-1880) was an architect who undertook church restoration work principally in Suffolk, Wiltshire and Nottinghamshire.

Aubourn, St Peter new church, John H Hakewill.
Benington, All Saints
Benington, All Saints
Benington, All Saints

The Perpendicular tower has a four-light western window, two-light bell openings and a flower frieze under a plain parapet.

Undated postcard published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd. 

Benington,
Benniworth, St Julian
Benniworth, St Julian
Benniworth, St Julian

"3 stage C12 west tower heavily restored in C19, with single stage clasping buttresses with plinth.

C12 west door heavily restored in C19"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1063091 

DB 9 September 2018

Benniworth, Saint Julian, Church
Bicker, St Swithun, Nave, Clerestory
Bicker, St Swithun, Nave, Clerestory
Bicker, St Swithun, Nave, Clerestory

The twelfth-century nave clerestory at the west end of the nave consists of just two lights flanked by blank openings, all with shafted reveals, cushion capitals and roll moulded heads.

September 2011

Bicker, St Swithun, clerestory
Branston, All Saints
Branston, All Saints
Branston, All Saints

The little used west door at Branston is Norman with blank arcading of the same period on either side.

June 2013

Branston, All Saints church
Brant Broughton, St Helen, Sundial
Brant Broughton, St Helen, Sundial
Brant Broughton, St Helen, Sundial

On the south side of the church are two sundials of uncertain date, one in the angle of the buttresses at the south-east corner of the nave and the other between the south-east buttresses on the wall of the tower.

Mark Acton, 2008

Brant Broughton, St Helen, Sundial
Brigsley, St Helen, putlog hole
Brigsley, St Helen, putlog hole
Brigsley, St Helen, putlog hole

On the north side of St Helen's a few putlog holes survive. They were fixing points for wooden scaffolding during building construction.  Usually they were filled when work was completed.

August 2014

Brigsley, St Helen church, putlogs
Broughton, St Mary
Broughton, St Mary
Broughton, St Mary

The most outstanding feature of St Mary's is the Anglo-Saxon tower with herringbone masonry and attached staircase tower.

The staircase is not bonded in to the tower, hence is later addition.

There are only three other similar towers in England - one of them in Lincolnshire at Hough on the Hill.

February 2015

Broughton, St Mary church, staircase, herringbone masonry, Anglo Saxon tower
Cadney, All Saints
Cadney, All Saints
Cadney, All Saints

This stoup (for holding holy water) is within the porch and to the right of the entrance door.

February 2015

Cadney, All Saints church, stoup
Careby, St Stephen
Careby, St Stephen
Careby, St Stephen

The porch, on the south side, dates from the Early English period. Stiff leaf capitals alongside.

March 2017

Careby, St Stephen
Coates by Stow, St Edith
Coates by Stow, St Edith
Coates by Stow, St Edith

View from the west of the bellcote.

A west tower was proposed in the early 13th century and the arch linking it to the nave can be seen here in the external wall of the church.

June 2016

Coates By Stow, St Helen, bellcote
Coningsby, St Michael
Coningsby, St Michael
Coningsby, St Michael

The passageway between tower and nave,

August 2013

Coningsby, St Michael church
Conisholme, St Peter
Conisholme, St Peter
Conisholme, St Peter

This date stone above the south doorway is inscribed

H(?) - D
1764
C - W

It is not clear what this refers to. The church was remodelled on a number of occasions, including the rendering of the south wall of the nave.

June 2015

Conisholme, St Peter church, date stone
Conisholme, St Peter
Conisholme, St Peter
Conisholme, St Peter

The bellcote of 1860 viewed from the north-east.

June 2015

Conisholme, St Peter church, bellcote
Dembleby, St Lucia, bellcote
Dembleby, St Lucia, bellcote
Dembleby, St Lucia, bellcote

Kirk's design for the bellcote - not his most successful, with its juxtaposition of rock-face and ashlar stone - includes nailhead decoration, an architectural embellishment typical of the Norman period.

April 2018

Dembleby, St Lucia, bellcote
Digby, St Thomas Martyr, Tower Parapet
Digby, St Thomas Martyr, Tower Parapet
Digby, St Thomas Martyr, Tower Parapet

Some ferocious-looking beasts guard the tower parapet, while the crocketted spire holds evidence of modern communication. 

Jean Howard 2 August 2024

Digby, St Thomas Martyr church
Eastoft, St Bartholomew, bellcote
Eastoft, St Bartholomew, bellcote
Eastoft, St Bartholomew, bellcote

The tall bellcote with steeply pitched roof is situated at the east end of the nave.

August 2015

Eastoft, St Bartholomew church, bellcote
Firsby, St Andrew, Nave, Bellcote
Firsby, St Andrew, Nave, Bellcote
Firsby, St Andrew, Nave, Bellcote

The double bellcote is built over the west end of the nave, a common design feature of Victorian country churches.

Below the bellcote - not visible here - is a rose window in plate tracery.

May 2016

Firsby, St Andrew bellcote
Fiskerton, St Clement, putlogs
Fiskerton, St Clement, putlogs
Fiskerton, St Clement, putlogs

The tower of St Clement's at Fiskerton still contains putlog holes, originally created to support scaffolding during construction.

The normal practice was to fill these holes in - or possibly saw off the timber inserted in them - when the tower was completed.

September 2008

Fiskerton, St Clement, round tower, putlog holes, scaffolding
Glentworth, St Michael, bell opening
Glentworth, St Michael, bell opening
Glentworth, St Michael, bell opening

The twin bell-openings with dividing shaft on the south wall of the tower are typical of the late Saxon period (11th century).

May 2015

Glentworth, St Michael church, bell opening
Great Gonerby, St Sebastian, Tower
Great Gonerby, St Sebastian, Tower
Great Gonerby, St Sebastian, Tower

" C15 west tower of 5 stages with moulded plinth and clasping buttresses, embraced by north and south aisles"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1062882 

"The tower contains three bells - the treble and tenor bells are from the medieval Nottingham foundry of Richard Mellows, about 1500, and the second bell was cast by Thomas Hedderly at Nottingham in 1765"

http://www.great-gonerby-church.uk/public/building.php 

DB 11 March 2019

Great Gonerby, Saint Sebastian, Church, tower
Great Hale, St John the Baptist, Tower
Great Hale, St John the Baptist, Tower
Great Hale, St John the Baptist, Tower

"3 stage C11 tower of plain unbuttressed 'Lincolnshire' type, embattled C15 parapet and crocketted angle pinnacles"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1168767  

Church Guide compiled by Revd R Rose 1976 states :-

"The clock was constructed to commemorate the Coronation of King George V.

It was fixed in the tower and set going on 25th January 1912" 

DB 28 July 2018 

Great Hale, St John Baptist, church, tower
Great Steeping, All Saints, bellcote
Great Steeping, All Saints, bellcote
Great Steeping, All Saints, bellcote

The small bellcote at the west end of the church is topped by a tiny spirelet.

September 2015

Great Steeping, All Saints church, bellcote
Great Steeping, Old Church, bellcote
Great Steeping, Old Church, bellcote
Great Steeping, Old Church, bellcote

The simple square bell-turret or bellcote is weatherboarded, presumably a twentieth-century finish.

July 2016

Great Steeping, old church, bell cote
Haconby, St&nbspAndrew
Haconby, St Andrew
Haconby, St Andrew

A fine piece of carved stone decoration on the battlements at the east end of the nave roof.

October 2017

Haconby, St Andrew
Halton Holegate, St Andrew, bell opening
Halton Holegate, St Andrew, bell opening
Halton Holegate, St Andrew, bell opening

The large bell opening high in the tower of St Andrew's. It is in Perpendicular style.

May 2016

Halton Holegate, St Andrew, bell opening
Hameringham, All Saints
Hameringham, All Saints
Hameringham, All Saints

The bell turret with its wooden base and pyramidal roof is 19th century work.

June 2015

Hameringham, All Saints church, bell turret
Hareby, St Peter & St Paul
Hareby, St Peter & St Paul
Hareby, St Peter & St Paul

A stylish bellcote.

The English Heritage listing simply describes it as 'a C19 trilobe and a gabled bellcote corbelled out from ashlar buttress with ogee headed bell opening'.

May 2016

Hareby, St Peter & St Paul church
Harmston, All Saints, Tower
Harmston, All Saints, Tower
Harmston, All Saints, Tower

"Norman west tower the only remains of the medieval church which was rebuilt in 1717, and then largely rebuilt again in 1868 by the architect Withers.

The late Cll west tower has an opening on each face, at bell chamber level, each is made up of coupled round-headed openings with columns with scalloped capitals between.

The crenellated top with 8 pinnacles is Perpendicular"

DB 8 May 2018   

Harmston, Church, All Saints, Tower
Harpswell, St Chad, Tower
Harpswell, St Chad, Tower
Harpswell, St Chad, Tower

"Cll west tower with plinth and quoins"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1309029 

The Church Guide states that "the tower is in part at least built onto earlier Anglo-Saxon walling" 

Note the Culloden Memorial Stone with clock above.

DB 25 September 2018

Harpswell, Saint Chad, Church, tower, Culloden Memorial, clock
Hatton, St Stephen
Hatton, St Stephen
Hatton, St Stephen

This stone fragment, now resting close to the south door of the church, was part of the medieval building replaced by James Fowler.

August 2013

Hatton, St Stephen church
Hough on the Hill, All Saints
Hough on the Hill, All Saints
Hough on the Hill, All Saints

Window opening in Anglo Saxon stair turret.

Aug 2012

Hough on the Hill, All Saints
Ingoldsby, St Bartholomew, Tower
Ingoldsby, St Bartholomew, Tower
Ingoldsby, St Bartholomew, Tower

"C16 ashlar rather squat 3 stage tower "

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1146549 

DB 18 February 2019


Ingoldsby, Saint Bartholomew, Church, tower
Irnham, Saint Andrew, Tower
Irnham, Saint Andrew, Tower
Irnham, Saint Andrew, Tower

Base of west tower.

"Recut C12 west door with chamfered hood and imposts, above a single rectangular light"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1308771 

DB 27 June 2018  

Irnham, Saint Andrew, Church, tower
Kelby, St Andrew, North Wall
Kelby, St Andrew, North Wall
Kelby, St Andrew, North Wall

The north side of the church shows evidence of a former aisle or two chapels.

Mark Acton, 2018

Kelby, St Andrew
Kirmond le Mire, St Martin, Bellcote
Kirmond le Mire, St Martin, Bellcote
Kirmond le Mire, St Martin, Bellcote

The small bell turret has a shafted opening and a gable above.

June 2014

Kirmond Le Mire, St Martin church, bellcote
Langton by Horncastle, St Margaret
Langton by Horncastle, St Margaret
Langton by Horncastle, St Margaret

"North side of nave with outline of 2 blocked, pointed bays of C13 north arcade"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1252132 

DB 29 February 2020

Langton By Horncastle, Saint Margaret, Church
Langton by Wragby, St Giles, Tower
Langton by Wragby, St Giles, Tower
Langton by Wragby, St Giles, Tower

"Early C14, 4 stage, ironstone west tower with 3 stage angle buttresses"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1063104?section=official-list-entry 

DB 10 September 2023

Langton by Wragby, St Giles, Church, tower
Leasingham, St Andrew, tower
Leasingham, St Andrew, tower
Leasingham, St Andrew, tower

Much of the tower dates from the early 1200s (Early English period).

The twin bell openings are from that period though Pevsner suggest that they were modified later.

June 2017

Leasingham, St Andrew, bell openings
Lincoln, St Peter at Gowts, Tower
Lincoln, St Peter at Gowts, Tower
Lincoln, St Peter at Gowts, Tower

"West tower, unbuttressed, 2 stages, has chamfered plinth, quoins, string course, eaves band, coped parapet and pyramidal roof.

Round headed west doorway, C19, with relief in tympanum.

Above, a round headed window, and above again, a clock and a similar window, both with hoodmoulds"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1388599 

DB 4 February 2019

Lincoln, Church, Saint Peter at Gowts, tower
Londonthorpe, St John Baptist, Tower
Londonthorpe, St John Baptist, Tower
Londonthorpe, St John Baptist, Tower

"C13 coursed rubble tower in 2 stages with corner buttresses ... Spire replaced in C19 with saddle back plain tile roof"

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1919 states :-

"The church of St. John the Baptist is a small building of stone, in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, consisting of chancel and nave, both with clerestory, aisles, south porch and a western tower with saddle-back roof containing 3 bells:

the porch, south aisle and chancel are embattled, and ornamented with light buttresses and rich pinnacles:

the interior was restored and reseated in 1879 at a cost of £1,047  raised by subscription:

there are 162 sittings"

DB 25 March 2019

Londonthorpe, Saint John the Baptist, Church
Louth, St James, Tower
Louth, St James, Tower
Louth, St James, Tower

Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire 1913 states

"A lofty tower of three stages, erected in 1516, with a pierced and panelled parapet, four large octagonal turret-pinnacles connected by flying buttresses with the spire, and twelve smaller pinnacles; the crocketed spire, to the cross by which it is surmounted, is 147 feet in height, and the total height from the floor of the church is 294 feet"

"in 1843 the spire was seriously injured by lightning, but was subsequently restored under the direction of the late Mr. L. N. Cottingham, and completed in 1846, at a cost of £1,746 19s. 3d." 

DB 12 September 2018

Louth, St James, Tower
Market Stainton, St Michael, Tower
Market Stainton, St Michael, Tower
Market Stainton, St Michael, Tower

"Mid C14 west tower with plinth and C18, 3 stage brick diagonal buttresses with greenstone set- offs"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1359971 

DB 22 October 2018

Market Stainton, Saint Michael, church, tower
Nocton, All Saints, North Porch, Door
Nocton, All Saints, North Porch, Door
Nocton, All Saints, North Porch, Door

Detail of the foliage at the head of the shafts alongside the NW porch entrance.

March 2016

Nocton, All Saints, door
Nocton, All Saints, Tower
Nocton, All Saints, Tower
Nocton, All Saints, Tower

Tower viewed from the east. 

"Three storey square tower with angle buttresses, octagonal bell chamber and octagonal spire 130 ft high ... 

Four tall geometric tracery bell openings above and 4 lucarnes in spire"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1061911 

DB 7 December 2019

Nocton, All Saints, Church, tower
North Kelsey, All Hallows, Norman slab
North Kelsey, All Hallows, Norman slab
North Kelsey, All Hallows, Norman slab

This Norman slab with closely set horizontal zig-zag is in the south wall of the nave.

It is possibly a grave slab.

May 2016

North Kelsey, St Nicholas, Norman slab
Reepham, St Peter & St Paul
Reepham, St Peter & St Paul
Reepham, St Peter & St Paul

"South side of nave with outline of 3 early C13 pointed arcade bays"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1064025?section=official-list-entry 

The south aisle was removed C18 and the arcade filled in. 

DB 14 May 2022

Reepham, St Peter & St Paul Church, image
Reepham, St Peter & St Paul
Reepham, St Peter & St Paul
Reepham, St Peter & St Paul

"South side of nave with outline of 3 early C13 pointed arcade bays. Foliated capital on corbel head between first and second bays from east, with octagonal abacus"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1064025?section=official-list-entry 

DB 14 May 2022

Reepham, St Peter & St Paul Church, image
Rigsby, St James, Nave, Bell-Turret
Rigsby, St James, Nave, Bell-Turret
Rigsby, St James, Nave, Bell-Turret

The elaborate bell-turret of St James's, corbelled out and with a spirelet, is described by Pevsner as "just High Victorian".

September 2015

Rigsby, St James church, bell turret
Rothwell, St Mary Magdalene, bell opening
Rothwell, St Mary Magdalene, bell opening
Rothwell, St Mary Magdalene, bell opening

In the tower a twin bell-opening with centre shaft, typical of the Anglo-Saxon period.

April 2017

Rothwell, St Mary Magdalene, bell opening
Roughton, St Margaret, Chancel
Roughton, St Margaret, Chancel
Roughton, St Margaret, Chancel

The unusual design of the gable end at the east end of the church.

June 2013

Roughton, St Margaret church
Roughton, St Margaret, Tower
Roughton, St Margaret, Tower
Roughton, St Margaret, Tower

Detail of the brick tower at the west end of the church showing one of the two-light bell-openings.

June 2013

Roughton, St Margaret church, bell opening, brick
Saltfleet, St Botolph, Turret
Saltfleet, St Botolph, Turret
Saltfleet, St Botolph, Turret

This detail of the former school/church illustrates what Pevsner calls "an impish SW spirelet".
 
A stone plaque can be seen on the right-hand edge; the text has almost completely eroded but may have referred to the building's date and original purpose.

Jean Howard, 10 April 2022

Saltfleet, Saint Botolph Church
Saxby, St Helen
Saxby, St Helen
Saxby, St Helen

St Helen's bell turret with ogee cap.

January 2014

Saxby, St Helen, ogee cap, bell turret
Skillington, St James, porch detail
Skillington, St James, porch detail
Skillington, St James, porch detail

Leaf capitals at the south porch entrance (late thirteenth century).

March 2017

Skillington, St James porch
South Elkington, All Saints, Chancel
South Elkington, All Saints, Chancel
South Elkington, All Saints, Chancel

Buttresses at the south-east corner of the chancel are made from chalk and ironstone.

All Saints' church is one of a few surviving Wolds buildings in which chalk has been used.

September 2012

South Elkington, All Saints, chalk
Stamford, All Saints
Stamford, All Saints
Stamford, All Saints

The Early English blind arcades and Perpendicular windows on the south side of the nave of All Saints.

September 2011

Stamford, All Saints
Stixwould, St Peter, Tower
Stixwould, St Peter, Tower
Stixwould, St Peter, Tower

"The 4 stage tower with embattled and pinnacled parapet has corner buttresses.

Blocked west door has 4 centred arched head and square label with human head stops.

Above is a 3 light perpendicular style window, a lancet, and to belfry stage paired lights with panel tracery and square surrounds"

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1063163 

DB 20 March 2019

Stixwould, Saint Peter, Church, Tower
Sturton by Stow, St Hugh
Sturton by Stow, St Hugh
Sturton by Stow, St Hugh

The bellcote over the west gable at St Hugh's is simply constructed in timber with tile and copper cladding.

May 2014

Sturton by Stow, St Hugh church
Thimbleby, St Margaret
Thimbleby, St Margaret
Thimbleby, St Margaret

The short west tower at Thimbleby has an octagonal upper stage and a small spire.

June 2013

Thimbleby, St Margaret church
Torksey, St Peter, capital
Torksey, St Peter, capital
Torksey, St Peter, capital

The three-bay arcade of the thirteenth century has quatrefoil piers with stiff-leaf capitals.

August 2017

Torksey, St Peter
Usselby, St Margaret
Usselby, St Margaret
Usselby, St Margaret

The charming but neglected bell-cote has weatherboarded sides, louvred bell openings and a concave pyramidal lead roof.

May 2016

Usselby, St Margaret, bell cote
Wainfleet All Saints, church bell turret
Wainfleet All Saints, church bell turret
Wainfleet All Saints, church bell turret

The western bell-turret with its tiles and ornamental lead roof was added to the church in 1932.

July 2014

Wainfleet All Saints, church, bell turret
Withcall, St Martin
Withcall, St Martin
Withcall, St Martin

Enlarged photograph of the bellcote over the chancel.

July 2013

Withcall, St Martin church, bellcote
Wold Newton, All Saints, Bell Cote
Wold Newton, All Saints, Bell Cote
Wold Newton, All Saints, Bell Cote

A closer view of the elaborate bell cote.

June 2014

Wold Newton, All Saints Church
Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Hood Mould
Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Hood Mould
Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Hood Mould

The east window has two attractive hood mould stops: this to the south depicts a queen.

Jean Howard, January 2024 

Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Hood Mould
Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Statue Niche
Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Statue Niche
Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Statue Niche

In the north wall of the chancel this former fifteenth-century window has been remade during the nineteenth century to create a niche for a sculpture, now missing.

Jean Howard, January 2024 

Yarburgh, St John the Baptist, Statue Niche