St Chad's Church, Harpswell
| St Chad's Church, Harpswell | |
|---|---|
Lindsey | |
| Deanery | Corringham |
| Parish | Harpswell |
| Clergy | |
| Priest(s) | Revd Mark Briscoe |
St Chad's Church, Harpswell, is a parish church in the Church of England in Harpswell, Lincolnshire.
History
The ancient church of St Chad in the village of Harpswell, about 12 miles north of the city of Lincoln, was established c.1042 and has one of the few complete Anglo-Saxon towers remaining in England.[1]
The church had thirteenth- and fourteenth-century additions, in particular its Norman south arcade was extended in this period, and the whole church was heavily restored in 1890–91.[2] Research indicates that the church, which stands very close to a spring (one of a number at the foot of the Jurassic limestone scarp with ritual associations) was constructed on a much older pre-Christian ritual site connected with water cults.[3]
It is a Grade I listed building.[2]
Monuments
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There are a number of historical
There is also a large stone slab bearing the figure of a fully
of "Harpperswelle" called John Gere, who died around 1300.On the north wall of the
Other notable features
There are some exceptional oak
The stained glass contains fragments of mediaeval glass and the font dates from the Norman period.
A section of the churchyard is set aside for the graves of service personnel. Comprising a Service Plot of four rows, it contains the war graves of a Royal Engineers soldier, eighteen British airmen and one Canadian airman, and six non-World War graves.[7] A former RAF base, RAF Hemswell (formerly known as Harpswell Aerodrome when it was first opened in 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps) adjoins the parish.[8]
Current use
It is part of the Diocese of Lincoln, now under the joint Glentworth Benefice.[9]
References
- ^ St Chad's listing on Genuki website
- ^ a b Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1309029)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ^ Everson, P.L., Taylor, C.C. and Dunn, C.J., Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire, p46 (1991).
- ^ This is not to be confused with a further memorial to a W. Harrington, Rector, who died in 1697.
- ^ Burke, J., A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. II (1836), pp.268-270, pub. Henry Colburn, London.
- ^ "Fountayne, John (FNTN732J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ CWGC Cemetery Report. Breakdown obtained from casualty record.
- ^ Halpenny, B.B., Action Stations: 2. Wartime Military Airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, p.107, pub. Stephens (1984).
- ^ Diocese of Lincoln website details of St Chad's