WESTBOROUGH LINCOLNSHIRE

Church Post Code NG23 5HJ

Open to visitors

CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS

It is curious how a single Vale of Belvoir Angel gravestone could find its way in to a church grounds, several miles away from the next nearest. This is what we have here though, with the stone in question in memory of Martha Musson.

The stone is in very good condition but is not standing any more, being propped up against another gravestone.

This one is unusual in that the angel appears half way down the stone. The first line 'Here lies ye body' is carved in relief; the background being carved out from around the letter, leaving the letter standing proud of the stone.

It continues 'of Martha the dauter of John Musson by Margret his wife she died June the 11 1726 aged 5 years'.

Those who suggest that these masons were semi literate would have their suggestion backed up by the spelling of 'dauter'. There is also spacing issues, with 'Margret' being completed in small lettering above. What can't be argued is their skill in other areas, the carving of the angel a thing of great skill.

At the foot of the grave can be seen 'Short was her race long is her rest God takes them soon who he loves best'.

SOME NOTES FROM MY VISIT

It was a warm and thundery morning in South Kesteven and I was visiting the church of All Saints at Westborough; part of a four day churchcrawling tour of the area whilst staying in digs at Grantham.

It had been a good start to the day; which had begun at Claypole some three miles to the north before moving on to Dry Doddington, with whom Westborough forms a parish; with the church there notable for its leaning tower, which leans over at an angle of around five degrees, with is steeper than the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Westborough recorded a population of 361 at the time of the 2021 census, with this including the population of Dry Doddington. It sits a mile or so east of the A1, with the River Witham running close by to the east. Grantham is some 12 miles away to the south east and Newark is eight miles to the north east.

The church of All Saints dates back to the late 12th century and there was a church mentioned here at the time of the Domesday Survey in 1086; two small circular openings on the north wall are thought to be windows dating from the Saxon period. The church that we see today consists of west tower, nave with north and south aisles and clerestories, north and south porches, north west vestry and chancel.

This early 13th century cruciform structure would have consisted of west tower, a nave with north and south aisles and chancel. The church was enlarged during the 14th century with north and south transepts added, along with the clerestories, south porch and battlements.

There was a period of rebuilding in the early 1750’s, at which point the tower was rebuilt and an existing ring of bells recast and rehung. The north porch was added during the 18th century; and there were further periods of rebuilding during the 19th century.

Standing to the south of the church and taking in the exterior we see a church of pleasing proportions. The three stage west tower is without buttresses but is battlemented; a two light shuttered window positioned on all sides at the belfry stage. The south porch appears to have had its walls heightened at some point and has an empty image niche over the door, which doubtless would have held a statue prior to the reformation. Two very weathered stone heads look out from the label stops.

The clerestory, which is battlemented, consists of three two light windows; there used to be a south transept here and a large 17th century window of five lights occupies the place that this would have stood. Looking at the exterior from the north, the north transept is large and impressive, battlemented with elaborate five light window to the north.

The long slim chancel has a steeply pitched tile roof with single lancet windows to north and south with a five light window to the east.

When Thomas North saw his study of the church bells in Lincolnshire published in 1880 he notes that there were four bells in the ring here, with all four cast by Thomas I Hedderly in 1752; with the situation today being exactly the same. The first of the ring is inscribed ‘Tho Hedderly made vs all good luck attend vs all’. The second is inscribed, much to the concerns of my spell checker ‘We will sing with a chearfvl nise 1752’.

The third is inscribed with the name of John Rimington and William Pepper, who were the church wardens of the day and the fourth ‘The chvrch’s prais I sovnd all ways’.

North was very thorough in his research and he has listed some financial transactions from the time of the 1752 castings, which were obviously re casting of existing bells. There was a costing of 5s/3d for ‘careying’ the bells from Westborough to Hedderly’s foundry at Nottingham and 10s/6d for bringing the bells back. There is also a part payment for Hedderly’s work of £31 17s/6d.

The visitor enters in through the north porch, which leads to a north door which dates to about 1190. Moving inside, it was evident that a Harvest Festival had taken place, or was about to take place. It was bright and welcoming inside, with the lack of stained glass here helping in that respect.

There are two bays and a crossing bay to north and south with clustered piers and moulded capitals; the Royal Coat of Arms for George II set above the slim late 12th century chancel arch. An oak screen separates nave from chancel. Looking to the west the tower arch is 18th century, with the tower being rebuilt at that time.

Moving in to the chancel; this has a triple medieval sedilia and double piscina in their traditional positions against the south wall. The altar itself is plain and simple, with just candlesticks and some produce from the Harvest Festival on it. The walls of the chancel are decorated with memorial plaques for previous Rectors and their families. The five light east window is of clear glass and there is no stained glass to be found here at all.

There are a set of 15th century bench ends in the chancel; which have been built in to more modern benches. These depict grotesque beats which have their tongues out in gesture of insult.

For me the highlight of the interior was in the form of two small wall paintings on the north wall of the nave, which flank the tower arch; painted at the same time as the tower was rebuilt. Each of these is a memento mori symbol; reminding the onlooker that Man is mortal and will die. Death was an ever present part of life; life expectancy was around 40 years, due in part to a very high infant mortality rate. It was still more than possible to live a long life but the message that life is fragile was hammered home, encouraging the onlooker to live a good Christian life, trust in God and not to be caught short when your own time came; as it might be later than you thought!

The left hand painting as we look at is used Old Father Time as a memento mori symbol. This rather cheerful looking figure holds and hourglass and a scythe; ‘Tempus Fugit’ time flies, the sands of time have run out for those who have already departed and they will run out likewise for you!

The right hand painting is of a skeleton; again passing on the same message that you will follow in the way of the deceased. This is a pictorial equivalent of the lines of text that were sometimes seen on gravestones which read ‘Remember Man as you pass by as thou are now so once was I’.

The skeleton is quite weathered and features are difficult to pick out but it appears to be carrying a shovel and an arrow. The shovel is one of the gravediggers tools, along with a pick each being a symbol of mortality. The arrow was used as a symbol of sudden death; reminding me of a wonderful finely carved slate gravestone at Teigh in Rutland which shows a woman going about her daily routine with death in the form of a skeleton peering from behind a curtain, arrow in hand with death about to come unexpectedly.

The font is ancient, dating from the 12th century; octagonal with interlaced arches on the bowl and leaves in the spandrels. A cross slab in the bay of the south transept dates from the same period, having been brought inside, having previously sat in the church grounds.

Moving outside, there is the base and shaft of a 15th century medieval cross close to the south porch. This has its own Grade II Listing; nothing else in the grounds is listed. On one slate gravestone a skull and crossed bones points out the same message that the wall paintings did inside the church.

Close by we see a beautifully carved angel in flight, blowing a trumpet. The trumpet was an often used symbol of the resurrection; with text on a banner held by the angel reading ‘The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible’ with this coming from I Corinthians Chapter 15 verse 52. The quality of this carving is exquisite with every feather in the angels wings individually highlighted.

And so to the Belvoir Angel; which as mentioned above is a good way from home given that the masons were likely from Hickling around 25 miles away, with Westborough being one of only nine churches in Lincolnshire to have a Belvoir Angel in their grounds.

I enjoyed this church very much. There was a real sense of peace and calm here; with an interior that is uncluttered and tasteful. This is an honest, decent parish church that is obviously well loved and as such is to be treasured. It was time to hit the road again, with the heat meeting me as I left the cool interior. Some work was still ongoing in the fields; so all had not quite been safely gathered in at that point. The forecasts were suggesting that the heat would break at some point, and that it did a couple of days later in a spectacular fashion. The church here was open at the time of my visit and is well worth taking a look at.