St Nicholas' Church, Fulbeck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Nicholas' Church, Fulbeck |
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Church of St Nicholas, Fulbeck
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| 53°02′34″N 0°35′17″W / 53.042864°N 0.58816078°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Founded | 10th-century |
| Dedication | Saint Nicholas |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 20 September 1966 |
| Architectural type | Norman, Perpendicular |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | limestone, rubble |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Fulbeck |
| Deanery | Deanery of Loveden |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lincoln |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Nicholas' Church is an old and beautiful church in Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, England. It's a special building, listed as Grade I, which means it's very important historically. The church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, a famous saint.
This church is well-known for its connections to the Fane family, who lived at Fulbeck Hall. You can find many memorials to them inside. It also has a very old baptismal font from the Norman period, which is over 800 years old!
The church is part of the Church of England and serves the local community. It's also part of a group of churches in the area, including St Vincent's at Caythorpe and another St Nicholas' at Carlton Scroop.
Contents
Church History: A Look Back in Time
Early Beginnings: Domesday Book Era
Records from the Domesday Book in 1086 show that Fulbeck already had two churches and two priests. This tells us that the area has been a place of worship for a very long time. The current church has parts that date back to the 9th century.
Victorian Changes: Restoring the Church
Between 1887 and 1888, the church had a big makeover called a "Victorian restoration." A person named Charles Kirk led this work, which cost a lot of money (£1,350). They added a new arch in the chancel (the area around the altar) and made the east window bigger.
Before this, in 1871, the chancel was rebuilt. From 1853 to 1858, new pews (church benches) were put in, and the old pillars were fixed. Only small parts of the original church, built between the 9th and early 13th centuries, remain today.
Later Additions: Aisles and Roofs
More changes happened in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 14th century, the aisles (side sections) were replaced. New doorways and a porch were added. These parts are still there after the Victorian restoration.
In the 15th century, the sides of the nave (the main part of the church) were made taller. A new flat lead roof was put on, supported by a new clerestory (a row of windows high up). The old roof was very steeply pitched.
Church Leaders and Important People
The church's official records of births, deaths, and marriages go back to 1565. The first recorded rector (the main priest) of Fulbeck was Alexandri Seyton in 1542. Over the centuries, many different people have been in charge of the church.
An interesting person buried here is Harriet Arbuthnot (1793–1834). She was a famous diarist and social commentator in the 19th century. Harriet was born at Fulbeck Hall and became a close friend of the Duke of Wellington.
Protecting the Church: Grade I Listing
In 1966, St Nicholas' Church was given an English Heritage Grade I listing. This means it's considered a building of exceptional historical and architectural importance.
Recent Challenges: Roof Theft
In 2011, parts of the church roof were stolen. This was part of a series of thefts in Lincolnshire. After this, the porch and south aisle roofs were replaced with strong stainless steel.
Church Architecture: What to See
Outside the Church: Exterior Features
St Nicholas' Church is built from limestone and rubble (rough stones). It has roofs made of lead, slate, and special stainless steel. The church has a chancel, nave, north and south aisles, a tower, and a south porch. It shows styles from both the Norman and Perpendicular periods.
The West Tower: Tall and Detailed
The west tower is in the Perpendicular style and has three levels. On top, it has eight crocketed pinnacles (small, pointed towers). Each corner has one, and there's one in the middle of each side. Some of these pinnacles have funny-looking grotesque gargoyles at their base.
The belfry (bell tower) openings have four lights (sections) each. They are two-tiered and have louvers, with trefoil (three-leaf shape) openings at the top. The lower part of the tower is from the 13th century and has buttresses (support structures) on each wall. You can even see a small piece of Anglo-Saxon sculpture embedded in the north wall of the tower. The tower holds six bells and a clock.
Clerestory and Aisles: Windows and Decorations
The clerestory windows, high up on the north and south sides, are from the 15th century. Each has three lights with cinquefoil (five-leaf shape) surrounds. You can still see hints of older, round 10th-century windows.
The top edge of the clerestory has a raised latticework pattern with quatrefoil (four-leaf shape) designs. Between the windows are more pinnacles, supported by interesting corbels (carved supports). A very unusual pinnacle on the south-east corner of the nave shows the arms (family symbol) of the Myddleton family. It includes a Wyvern (a type of dragon) and a Harpy (a mythical bird-woman) holding a shield with a lion.
The south porch, built in the 14th century, has a gabled roof and stone benches inside. The north and south aisle roofs were added in the 19th century. The windows in the south aisle are from the 14th century and feature trefoil heads and quatrefoils.
Inside the Church: Interior Features
St Nicholas' Church can seat 356 people.
Tower Arch and Old Roof Lines
The tower arch, from the 15th century, has two half-columns supporting a pointed arch. Above this arch, you can see the raised outline of the roof of the much older Saxon nave. This shows how tall the church was originally. Inside the tower, there are 15th-century stairs that lead up to the belfry.
The chancel and its arch were completely restored in 1888. Most of the chancel's furniture is from the 19th and 20th centuries. However, it still has a sedilia (seats for clergy) from the 13th century. In the north wall, there's a recess that holds a 16th-century iron-bound chest.
Some of the choir seats use parts from 15th-century seating, including original misericords (small ledges on folding seats). The large east window in the chancel is beautiful and was made around the time of the 1888 restoration.
Behind the pulpit in the north wall of the nave, there's a small piece of a 12th-century arch. Above it, a 15th-century arched opening once led to a roof loft. The main arcades (rows of arches) in the nave are from the 13th century.
Doorways and Font: Ancient Details
The north and south doorways are from around 1300. The south door, made of oak, is from the 14th century and has a small wicket door (a door within a door). Near the south door, there's a 17th-century alms box for donations.
The church's baptismal font is a highlight. It's from the late 12th century and is drum-shaped. It has eight-sided pillars at each corner of a square base. Between these pillars are five narrower, twisted columns with intersecting arches. Around the rim of the font, there's a cable moulding (like a twisted rope) and dog-tooth moulding (a zigzag pattern). This font was heavily restored in the 19th century.
The church also has some old silver items, including a 1626 chalice (cup) and its cover, and a 1724 paten (plate).
Memorials: Remembering People
Inside the church, you'll find many monuments and plaques. Most of these are dedicated to the Fane family, starting from the late 17th century. Others are for different families.
Fane Family and Others
In the south aisle, there's a monument to Elizabeth Shaw (died 1736) with cherubs and an urn. Another monument is for Elizabeth Brown (died 1683). A stone slab from 1680 remembers Timothy Thorold (died 1641), who was a doctor.
Among the Fane memorials in the north aisle, the oldest is for Neville Fane (died 1680). It's a curved slab with an urn and painted heraldic shields.
Thomas Ball's Story
There's a special slab memorial dedicated to Thomas Ball, who was a faithful servant to Sir Francis Fane. It says he died in 1673 at 74 years old. He was a servant for 50 years and traveled with Sir Francis to many countries like Holland, Denmark, Germany, France, and Flanders. The inscription says he saw the "splendor and changeability" of European courts and armies.
War Memorial
In the churchyard, there is a memorial that remembers six men from the parish who died in the First and Second World Wars.
Lychgate and Cross: Entrance to the Churchyard
At the entrance to St Nicholas' churchyard, you'll see the church lychgate. This is a covered gateway, and it's a protected structure in the village. Next to the lychgate is an octagonal (eight-sided) cross base and shaft. This cross dates back to the 14th century, with some parts added in the 19th century. It is listed as Grade II, meaning it's also historically important.
Rectors: Church Leaders Through Time
Over many centuries, St Nicholas' Church has been served by numerous rectors, who are the main priests in charge of the parish. These leaders have guided the church community through different periods of history.
Images for kids
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Fane family plot
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Baptismal font – 12th-century
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Clerestory and tower from the south-east corner
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Chancel and nave from the east
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Nave and chancel from the west
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Tower arch showing roof line of the earlier Saxon nave
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Memorial to Thomas Ball
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Lychgate
