St Peter's Church, South Somercotes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter's Church, South Somercotes |
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St Peter's Church, South Somercotes, from the south
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| OS grid reference | NZ 274 513 |
| Location | South Somercotes, Lincolnshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Peter |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 9 March 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | limestone, greenstone and ironstone, red brick Roofs of slate and lead |
St Peter's Church is an old Anglican church in the small village of South Somercotes, Lincolnshire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This special building is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust.
The church is about 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Louth. It stands out in the flat landscape with its tall spire. Because of this, people sometimes call it "The Queen of the Marsh." It is a Grade I listed building, which means it is very important historically.
History of the Church
The church was first built around the year 1200. Over the next three centuries, new parts were added, and changes were made. The church was repaired in 1866 and again in 1896.
Over time, the ground beneath the church moved. This caused the building to sink a little. To keep it safe, the church needed special support for its foundations. This work was done after the Churches Conservation Trust took care of it.
Church Architecture
St Peter's Church has many interesting features. Let's explore what it looks like, both inside and out.
Outside the Church
St Peter's is built from different kinds of stone. These include limestone, greenstone, and ironstone. You can also see some red brick. The roofs are made of lead and slate, with red tiles along the top.
The church has a main area called a nave. On either side of the nave are side sections called aisles. There is also a porch on the south side. The church also has a chancel (the area near the altar) and a tall tower at the west end. A tall, pointed spire rises from the tower.
The tower has strong supports called buttresses. On the west side, there is a 15th-century doorway. It was put into an older 14th-century window. This window has three sections with stone patterns called Y-tracery. The top part of the tower has openings for bells. Above this is a parapet (a low wall).
The spire is octagonal (eight-sided). It has small windows called lucarnes. The lower windows have two lights, and the upper ones have one light. The north aisle wall has a two-light window, a doorway, and two three-light windows. The north wall of the chancel has a round-headed window with three lights. The east end of the church has corner buttresses. The east window is round-headed and has three lights.
The south wall of the chancel has a small, blocked 13th-century doorway. A semicircular window was put into it. There are also two more three-light windows in this wall. The south aisle wall has two three-light windows. There is also a 16th-century gabled porch. This porch is made of red brick with bands of greenstone. The west window of the porch has two lights.
Inside the Church
Inside, the tower has a tall arch from the 14th century. Both sets of arcades (rows of arches) have five sections. They have round piers (pillars) and pointed arches. If you look closely at the spaces above the arches, you can see carved human heads!
The arch leading to the chancel is from the 13th century. There is a screen from the 14th century that was repaired in the 19th century. In the south wall of the chancel, there is a small aumbry (a cupboard for sacred items).
The altar rails are from the early 18th century. The choir stalls (seats for the choir) are from the 19th century. The font (used for baptisms) is from the 15th century. It has an eight-sided bowl with carvings of the Arma Christi (symbols of Jesus's suffering). Beneath the bowl, there are more carved human heads. The font stands on a base with decorated ribs. There is also a pink marble monument in the church from 1906.
See also
