Building record MLI89595 - Church of St Mary, Wilsford

Summary

Parish church with probable late Saxon origins.

Type and Period (3)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Modern - 1000 AD? to 2050 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

A church at Wilsford is mentioned in Domesday Book, and this church has several Anglo-Saxon elements remaining. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7} The wooden bench ends are of possible medieval date, and are carved with an assortment of figures. {8} The arrangement of the south aisle arcade is unusual, and it is suggested that this may be due to a recluse having been accommodated in the church. The remains of a chapel can also be seen there, with the piscina and aumbry still remaining. It is known that a chapel was restored or repaired by a rector in 1479. {9} John Bagworth, a vicar at Wilsford in the 15th century, was suspected of having heretical opinions and his books and writings were investigated by the bishop. {10} Parish church with elements dating from the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. The building was restored 1860-1 by Kirk and Parry. It is constructed of coursed limestone rubble and ashlar, and features slate and leaded roofs with raised stone coped gables. The church is comprised of a west tower and spire, clerestoried nave, north and south aisles, south porch. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate entry in the National Heritage List for England. {11}{12} Various details of the standing fabric of Wilsford church suggest that it may have been of high status in the pre-Conquest 11th century, possibly even of minster status. The remaining Anglo-Saxon stonework in the church includes two re-used decorated stones, a grave cover and a grave marker, both in the north aisle. There are also several examples of re-used stones with 12th-13th century cross pattee decoration. {13} Historic graffiti at this church was recorded in January 2016 by the Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project. The survey identified a large number of historic marks, mainly located within the porch, and including a variety of mason's marks, crosses and pentagrams amongst many other symbols. {14}{15}

Sources/Archives (15)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: C.W. Foster and T. Longley. 1924. Lincolnshire Domesday and Lindsey Survey. 51/12.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: John Charles Cox. 1924. Little Guide: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.337.
  •  Index: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Card Index. TF 04 SW: 7.
  •  Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. TF 04 SW: Y.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.801.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: H.M. Taylor and J. Taylor. 1965. Anglo-Saxon Architecture. vol.2, pp.664-5.
  •  Report: North Kesteven District Council. 2006. Wilsford Conservation Area. Appendix 1, p 25.
  •  Graphic Material: City and County Museum. Photographs of wooden bench ends in St Margaret's church, Wilsford. -.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Rev. Edward Trollope. 1872. Sleaford and the Wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn in the County of Lincoln. pp.321-4.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Graham Platts. 1985. Land and People in Medieval Lincolnshire. p.239.
  •  Index: Department of the Environment. 1990. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 4/118.
  •  Website: Historic England (formerly English Heritage). 2011->. The National Heritage List for England. http://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/. 1360639.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Paul Everson and David Stocker. 1999. Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture: Volume 5 - Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire. pp.74-5, 272-3, 318, figs.389-91.
  •  Index: Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project. 2013->. Lincolnshire Medieval Graffiti Project Surveys. -.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Matthew Champion. 2015. Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of England's Churches. -.

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Grid reference Centred TF 00662 43022 (28m by 18m) Surveyed
Civil Parish WILSFORD, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (3)

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Record last edited

Mar 31 2026 12:25PM

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