St Mary's Church, Walesby

St Mary, Walesby

The church of St Mary is spiritually warm, friendly, accessible, genuine and financially sound. The church continues to be part of the wider village community by ensuring there is a comfortable blurring of the lines, a synergy, between the religious and occasional secular functions in the village. There is a well-supported group of laity who lead services and there is a strong emphasis on family worship.

Our services use Common Worship and Songs of Fellowship but we are open to innovation and change. We have a strong emphasis on lay leadership of services and maintain a healthy rota system involving a wide range of churchgoers and children/young people. We celebrate the conviviality of refreshments after Family Worship and festival services.

Walesby, interestingly has two Churches. St Mary's in the village and All Saints, the original parish Church, set up high on Walesby Hill overlooking the village.

Walesby has a population of around 200 and the parish covers some 3600 acres which includes the hamlets of Otby and Risby. The village is surrounded by beautiful rolling wolds some of which is arable farmland and some for livestock.

St. Mary's is an active Church within the Walesby group and is part of the Church Tourism Cascade system. The Church is visited by many people who, according to the visitors' book, enjoy the tranquil atmosphere here.

Location

St. Mary's is situated in the village and is about 2.5m NE of Market Rasen and about 20m NW of Lincoln. The main entrance is on Rasen Road and the Church also can be accessed by a footpath from Moor Rd. The church path is studded with the symbols of the cross interleaved with a complete circle, representing the wholeness of God.

History

St Mary's is an ‘arts and crafts' Church designed by the architect, Temple Moore and came about through the efforts of the Rev. Perceval Laurence, Rector of Walesby 1879-1913. Shortly after the rector came to the parish, the inconveniently sited Old Church was virtually abandoned and for over 30 years the people of Walesby worshipped in a ‘temporary' iron building in the village. By 1910 sufficient funds had been raised to build a new Church. Work began on 6th June 1913 and on that very day, the 84 yr old, Rev Laurence died.

Originally the tower was crowned by a small ‘candle-snuffer' spire, but this became unsafe and was removed before the Second World War.

The Church within has many interesting features including the Roll of Honour which was designed by Rev. J W. Davis, the vicar at the time, listing the names of the Walesby men who served in 1914-1918 war. Above it is a tableau in remembrance of the men who lost their lives in that war.

The windows in the church are of old Lincoln plain glass with the exception of the Memorial window. This window commemorates the safe return of the men who fought in the 1939-1945 war and also Henry Jolland who lost his life in service.

In the chancel south and vestry east there are genuine pointed medieval windows within the rectangular windows like an inner screen. Where these windows came from is unknown; they are of 15th century perpendicular type often found in Lincolnshire & Yorkshire.

The pillars, in the central arcade, divide the nave in two lengthways. They reach up into the ridge of the steeply pitched roof and are an unusual arts and crafts feature. St Mary's is well worth a visit.