St George's Church, Goltho
Encyclopedia
St George's Church, Goltho, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the former village of Goltho
, Lincolnshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church is situated in a field surrounded by a clump of trees, and can be approached only by footpaths. It stands to the south of the A158 road
, 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Wragby
, and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Lincoln. The church is all that remains of a deserted medieval village
.
of the church was built in about 1530 by the Grantham family of Goltho Hall (now demolished), and the chancel
was added in about 1600. Alterations and additions were made in the early 18th century and in the late 19th century.
. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave with a bellcote at the west end, and a narrower, lower chancel. Entry to the church is by the west door, above which is a blocked window. The bellcote has a single round-headed opening. On the north side of the church is a small opening high on the wall and, to the east, a large rectangular window. In the north wall of the chancel is a large window with a pointed head. At the east end is a blind oval window. The south wall of the chancel contains a single large pointed window, and there is a large rectangular window in the south wall of the nave. Immediately to the west of this window is part of the arch of a blocked doorway.
Inside the church, the walls are painted white, and the fittings pale blue. There are niches
in the north and south walls of the nave. Two 17th-century gravestones have been incorporated into the floor of the nave. The fittings include a double-decker pulpit
, a reredos
, box pew
s, carved altar rails, and carved bench ends.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the former village of Goltho
Goltho
Goltho is a village of Anglo-Saxon roots situated in Lincolnshire, England. It lies south of the A158 and west of Wragby.-History:There was a Romano-British settlement at Goltho in the 1st and 2nd centuries....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church is situated in a field surrounded by a clump of trees, and can be approached only by footpaths. It stands to the south of the A158 road
A158 road
The A158 road is a major tourist route that heads from Lincoln in the west to Skegness on the east coast. The road is located entirely in the county of Lincolnshire and is single carriageway for almost its entirety. The road is approximately long...
, 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Wragby
Wragby
Wragby is a small town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located approximately north-west from Horncastle and about north east of the city of Lincoln.- History :...
, and 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Lincoln. The church is all that remains of a deserted medieval village
Deserted medieval village
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village is a former settlement which was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are fewer than three inhabited houses the convention is to regard the site as deserted; if there are more...
.
History
The naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
of the church was built in about 1530 by the Grantham family of Goltho Hall (now demolished), and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was added in about 1600. Alterations and additions were made in the early 18th century and in the late 19th century.
Architecture
St George's in constructed in red brick, and has a tiled roof with wooden eavesEaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave with a bellcote at the west end, and a narrower, lower chancel. Entry to the church is by the west door, above which is a blocked window. The bellcote has a single round-headed opening. On the north side of the church is a small opening high on the wall and, to the east, a large rectangular window. In the north wall of the chancel is a large window with a pointed head. At the east end is a blind oval window. The south wall of the chancel contains a single large pointed window, and there is a large rectangular window in the south wall of the nave. Immediately to the west of this window is part of the arch of a blocked doorway.
Inside the church, the walls are painted white, and the fittings pale blue. There are niches
Niche (architecture)
A niche in classical architecture is an exedra or an apse that has been reduced in size, retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse. Nero's Domus Aurea was the first semi-private dwelling that possessed rooms that were given richly varied floor plans, shaped with niches and exedras;...
in the north and south walls of the nave. Two 17th-century gravestones have been incorporated into the floor of the nave. The fittings include a double-decker pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
, a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
, box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s, carved altar rails, and carved bench ends.