St Helen's Church, Willingham by Stow
Willingham on Stow is a small village in the depths of rural Lincolnshire, just north of Stow with its Norman Minster. The village is mentioned in Domesday Book and the church dates from the C11th, although it was virtually rebuilt in the late C19th. Only a blocked Norman doorway in the south wall hints at its Norman origins. The tower is thought to be C14th. It is a very simple church with little decoration apart from the tall pinnacles on the tower.The inside is equally plain. On a dull damp Late September day it was very dark inside the church and stretching the camera to the limits when taking photographs. There is a single nave with a wood barrel roof and a round Norman chancel arch. The arch into the base of the tower is pointed, Early English. The monuments on the walls of the base of the tower were reassembled here when the church was rebuilt. At the base of the arch are carved Victorian angels holding a cross. The processional banner is set in a frame to the left of the arch. The bowl of the font with its arches is late Norman. It rests on a later base. The altar has a carved wood front with a decorative reredos above. The east window depicting the Crucifixion is by Burlison and Grylls. The south chancel window is by Clayton and Bell. The two stained glass windows in the south wall of the nave are modern. The woodwork in the church is Victorian, although there are some C15th pew ends at the back of the church. The church is in the centre of the village and set in its graveyard high above the road. The church is open during the summer months. Contact the church warden for details. There is no parking by the church but it is possible to park on side roads off the main road. If you are wanting to take pictures, make sure you visit on a bright day.
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