NASSINGTON. CHURCH: ST MARY & ALL SAINTS

A warm Saturday afternoon in September 2006, and I visited Nassington's St Mary the Virgin and All Saints church on the first day's shooting for this site. Beautiful church, that dominates the landscape for miles around. This has become an area that I am particularly fond of, and I have visited fairly regularly from then on. Some exquisite views to be had of this church, either coming in from Elton or Southwick. Glorious open countryside with just a few church spires standing out. Unspoiled and beautiful!

 It is thought that the area where the church stands today has been a place of worship for 1,000 years. It is thought that there was a large Saxon church here, that probably resembled the one at Barnack.

  This is a very small village to have such a grand church. Nassington was once in the Diocese of Lincoln, which stretched from the Humber to the Thames. Nassington was chosen, between the years 1118 and 1121, to be the base of a Prebendary of Lincoln. The prebendary was to exercise authority over the surrounding parishes and a Prebendal house was built close to the church. This was a crucial moment for St Mary and it brought ealth and importace to the church and stimulated its rebuilding and extension.

 . According to the well produced and informative history booklet that was available from the church there was a fire at the church at the turn of the 13th Century. This was at a time in which there would have been no heating at all in the building. Those found guilty were excommunicated as they had "grievoufly molefted the church of Naffington". This was a very severe punishment in those days

  The church had major restoration work done on it in the 1880's. In that time part of a Saxon Cross was uncovered. This is carved on all four sides and is said to have dated from the 10th Century. Amongst other carvings this has on it a representation of the Crucifixion. It has been estimated that, if complete, the cross would have stood some ten feet high.

  The clock pictured below, which can be found on the North wall is dated 1695, and was made in Stamford. It was in use on the church tower for 200 years. This was restored in 1982 and is in working order.

  The wall paintings on the North wall are in a poor state of repair. They were uncovered in the 1880's by the Revd Barrett with the aid of a pen knife!