St Andrew's Church, Billingborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church, Billingborough |
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Church of St Andrew, Billingborough
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| 52°53′39″N 0°20′23″W / 52.894053°N 0.339766°W | |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1251 or 1312 |
| Dedication | St Andrew |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 1968 |
| Architectural type | Perpendicular, Decorated |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 375 |
| Spire height | 150 feet (46 m) |
| Materials | limestone, rubble |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Billingborough |
| Deanery | Deanery of Lafford |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lincoln |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Andrew's Church is a very old and important church in Billingborough, Lincolnshire, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. It's dedicated to Andrew the Apostle, one of Jesus's first followers.
This church is considered a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very special historic place. It's located about 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Sleaford, right on the edge of the flat, open area called the Lincolnshire Fenlands. St Andrew's is part of a group of churches in the Deanery of Lafford and the Diocese of Lincoln.
Contents
History of St Andrew's Church
Early Beginnings and Changes
There was a church in Billingborough even before the current one, mentioned in the old Domesday Book from 1086. The St Andrew's Church you see today was built a long time ago, either in 1251 or 1312. Over the years, more parts were added until the late 1400s.
The church has also been repaired and updated several times. Big restoration projects happened in 1868 and 1891. The church's records, called the parish register, go all the way back to 1561.
Bells, Roofs, and Windows
In 1717, five bells were put into the church by Henry Penn. These bells were re-hung in 1846. Later, in 1914, a sixth bell was added.
The main part of the church, called the nave, got a new roof in 1870. In 1887, new wooden benches and a carved pulpit were added, and the side walkways, called aisles, were repaved.
The chancel, which is the part of the church near the altar, was rebuilt in 1891. A special window was added in 1892 to remember the Duke of Clarence, who had passed away. A decorative screen behind the altar, called a reredos, was added in 1894. New stained glass was put into the west window in 1912. The church organ was also repaired in 1929.
Past Church Leaders
The first recorded Church of England rector (a type of priest) at Billingborough was John Jackson, who served from 1546 to 1577.
One interesting person connected to the church was Reverend Robert Kelham. He was the vicar for 50 years until he passed away in 1752. He was also the village schoolmaster. His son, also named Robert Kelham, became a lawyer and a historian. He wrote an illustrated version of the Domesday Book and a dictionary of the old Norman language.
In 1968, St Andrew's Church was officially given its Grade I listing by English Heritage, recognizing its historical importance.
Recent Times
In 2010, St Andrew's became part of a larger group of churches in the Gilbertine Benefice of Lafford Deanery. This linked it with churches in nearby villages like Aslackby, Dowsby, Horbling, Pointon, and Sempringham.
Around 2011, people worked to raise money to fix the wooden supports for the church bells. Repairs were also needed for some stained glass windows that had been damaged.
Looking at St Andrew's Church
Outside the Church
St Andrew's Church is built from limestone and rubble, with smooth stone on the outside. It has a chancel, a nave, north and south aisles, a tower with a tall spire, and a south porch. The church shows different styles of English Gothic architecture, including Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular.
The tower, built in the mid-1300s, has a battlement (a wall with gaps for defense) and strong corner buttresses. A small stair turret helps people get to the top of the tower. The tower holds six bells and has clocks on the east and west sides. You can see bell openings on all four sides. There are also gargoyles that help drain water from the roof.
At each corner of the tower are fancy crocketed pinnacles, which are supported by small flying buttresses. These connect to the tall, 150-foot (46 m) octagonal spire. The spire is known for being very tall and slender. It has three levels of small windows, called lucarnes, placed around its sides.
The top of the nave also has a battlement and corner pinnacles. It has many large clerestory windows, which are so close together that there's more glass than stone! These windows, from the 1400s, have three pointed sections. The roofs of the nave and chancel are made of slate.
The south porch, built around 1312, has a pointed-arch entrance. The church door inside the porch has old ironwork from the 1300s. The porch has windows on its sides and stone benches inside.
Inside the Church
St Andrew's Church can seat up to 375 people. Inside the nave, you'll see arcades (rows of arches) from the early 1300s. These arches are supported by quatrefoil piers, which are columns shaped like four-leaf clovers. There are three arches on the north side and four on the south.
The south aisle, which is as old as the porch, has a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) and a locker at its east end. The chancel, rebuilt in the 1800s, also has a piscina.
Besides the window for the Duke of Clarence, there are other stained glass windows. One in the south aisle remembers a Dr Blasson, and another in the chancel remembers Lieutenant C. R. Winckley, who died in World War I. The east window shows the coats of arms of important historical figures like Eleanor of Lancaster and the Marmion family. The east window in the south aisle has small pieces of medieval stained glass, including a figure with a halo.
Inside the church, there are also marble monuments and plaques that remember eighteen different people from between 1719 and 1848. These include plaques for Reverend Robert Kelham and Thomas Buckberry, who set up a charity in 1827 to give bread to the poorest people in the parish. The church also has old silver items like a chalice from 1829 and a paten (a plate for the bread used in communion).
