St George's Church, Goltho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St George's Church, Goltho |
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St George's Church, Goltho, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | TF 116 775 |
| Location | Goltho, Lincolnshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint George |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 30 November 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | c. 1530 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Brick, tiled roof |
St George's Church is an old Anglican church in Goltho, Lincolnshire, England. It is no longer used for church services. This church is a very important old building. It is protected by law as a Grade II* listed building. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it.
The church is in a field. You can only reach it by walking on footpaths. It is about 2 kilometres southwest of Wragby. It is also about 11 kilometres northeast of Lincoln. St George's Church is the last building left from an old village that used to be here. This village dates back to the 800s. There was even a Roman settlement on this spot before that. Sadly, the church was badly damaged by fire in 2013.
History of St George's Church
The main part of the church, called the nave, was rebuilt around 1530. This was done by the Grantham family, who lived at Goltho Hall. The back part of the church, known as the chancel, was added later, around 1600. Some changes and additions were made to the church in the early 1700s. More work was done on it in the late 1800s.
On October 21, 2013, a fire destroyed the inside of the church. Only the walls and the small tower for the bell were left standing. Experts believe the fire was most likely caused by a lightning strike. The Churches Conservation Trust does not have insurance for its buildings. Because of this, the church has not been repaired since the fire. As of 2020, you cannot go inside the church.
What the Church Looked Like
St George's Church was built with red bricks. It had a roof made of tiles and wooden eaves. The church had a simple design. It had a main room (the nave) and a smaller, lower room at the back (the chancel). There was a small tower for a bell at the west end.
You would enter the church through a door at the west end. Above this door was a window that had been blocked up. The bell tower had one round opening for the bell. On the north side of the church, there was a small opening high on the wall. Further east, there was a large rectangular window. The north wall of the chancel had a big window with a pointed top. At the very east end, there was a round window that was just for decoration. The south wall of the chancel had one large pointed window. There was also a big rectangular window in the south wall of the nave. Next to this window, you could see part of an old doorway that had been blocked up.
Inside, the walls were painted white. Most of the church's furniture was painted a light blue. There were special spaces, called niches, in the north and south walls of the nave. Two old gravestones from the 1600s were part of the floor. The fire destroyed many of the church's old fittings. These included a tall Georgian pulpit (where the priest would speak). There was also a beautiful altar screen from the Queen Anne period. The church had box pews, which were like small enclosed seating areas. It also had fancy altar rails and carved bench ends. At the west end of the nave, there was a small balcony. This was probably used by singers or musicians.
The famous English artist John Piper drew this church. His drawing showed how small and charming the church was. It was the last visible part of the old village of Goltho. This drawing was included in a book of poems by Poet Laureate John Betjeman.
Outside the Church
In the churchyard, there is a special grave. It belongs to an officer from the Royal Air Force. He died during the First World War. This grave is looked after by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
See also
