Carlby. CHURCH : ST STEPHEN

After leaving Witham On The Hill I aimed at neighbouring Carlby, a small village on the Lincolnshire side of the Lincolnshire/Rutland county line. Weather conditions were improving as the day progressed, this no mean feat in itself in the English non Summer of 2007!, and thankfully the wind had eased off as well.

  Being perfectly honest, the church at Carlby was my least favourite visited that day. Not just because it was the only church out of the four that I found locked. Those who are regular visitors to this site will probably know my love of gargoyles and grotesques. Nothing like that here, and I was just a little disappointed.

  However, on to the plus points. The church was in a nice setting, and in very well maintained grounds. In the grounds a gravestone to one Oliver Smith caught the eye. The inscription reads "Affectionate Remembrance of Oliver Smith, Who Died Suddenly In His Chair, May 21st 1872, Aged 54 Years"