Almost 90 churches and chapels in West Lindsey throw open their doors from May 11th for the area’s Churches Festival, which is now in its 27th year.
The Festival offers visitors buildings located across the stunning landscape of the district, just north of Lincoln and encompassing Gainsborough, Caistor and Market Rasen.
The first weekend (11-12 May) will see 41 churches take part in the east of the district, with 47 churches opening for the second weekend (18-19 May) to the west.
Each church offers a unique experience, from stunning architecture; stained glass and fascinating wood carvings to historic monuments, graveyards full of stories and traditional church organs (some of which the public are welcome to play).
Many buildings are also located in the Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
And alongside all that heritage and landscape is the welcome church volunteers bring to the event, including their knowledge of local history, delicious homemade cakes and lunches, plant and book sales, flower displays, exhibitions and bell ringing.
Beth Sliwinski from Sheffield, a regular visitor to the event, explains why she travels to the event from Yorkshire said: “If ever a reason is needed to visit beautiful Lincolnshire, this is it. Every church provides its own treats – interesting architecture, friendly volunteers, delicious refreshments, picturesque churchyards – even the drives from one church to the next are a pleasure.”
Long-time visitor Lexie Brookes-Ashmore, from Caistor, says she enjoys the graveyards as well as the churches: “I have been visiting the churches festival since 2012, so this will be my 12th year! My best friend and I cancel all other plans for the festival (plus the September one) and always end the day with a picnic. We love the architecture and history as well as the many interesting graves.”
Highlights from this year’s Festival include:
- Stepping back in time to the year 875, when Bishop Aelfnoth built his church at Stow, to serve as Mother Church for his Lincolnshire Diocese. St Mary’s, Stow is a treasure trove of beautiful artefacts and architecture. Other fine churches with Saxon origins can be found at Greetwell and Knaith.
- Going forward to the Norman period there are the ironstone churches of Caistor, Nettleton, Market Rasen as well as Middle Rasen with its fine Norman Archway.
- Two of the festival’s medieval ‘little gems’ not to be missed are St Oswald’s at Rand, on a deserted medieval village, and St Edith’s at Coates by Stow, with its 11th century rood loft and screen.
