St Andrew

About

St Andrew's is the Grade I listed Anglican parish church of Billingborough, a village on the western edge of the Lincolnshire Fens in the South Kesteven district, about 7 miles southeast of Sleaford. It sits within the ecclesiastical parish of Billingborough, part of the Billingborough Group of churches in the Deanery of Lafford, Diocese of Lincoln. The church seats around 375 people and is built predominantly in the Decorated and Perpendicular Gothic styles.

A church stood at Billingborough in the 11th century, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. The present building dates from either 1251 or 1312, depending on the source, with substantial later additions through to the late 15th century.

History

The church's north and south aisles and its south door date from the 13th century, while the porch — with its 14th-century ironwork door — was added around 1312. The three-bay north and four-bay south nave arcades both date from the 14th century, and the nave's embattled parapet and closely spaced three-light clerestory windows were added in the 15th century, along with the octagonal font on its pedestal. The church retains small amounts of medieval stained glass in the tracery of several windows.

The northwest tower rises 150 feet over four stages, its battlemented top crowned by a recessed octagonal spire with three tiers of lucarnes. Five bells were installed in 1717 and rehung in 1846.

The church underwent significant Victorian renewal: the nave was reroofed in 1870 at a cost of £780, with further improvements made in 1887. In 1891 the 14th-century chancel was rebuilt, and the following year an east window was installed in memory of the late Duke of Clarence, with a reredos added in 1894. A west window followed in 1912, and the organ — originally built by Brown and Son of London — was restored in 1929 at a cost of £200. A more recent addition is the southwest window, made by the stained glass artist John Hayward in 1980.

St Andrew's was designated a Grade I listed building on 30 October 1968.