April 2012:
Southrey St. John the Devine, and Bardney St Lawrence.
Our first visit in April was to the church of St. John the Divine which is in the remote village of Southrey on the banks of the River Witham. It has a beautiful and unusual little church which, far from being a typical English country church, looks more like something that has been transported from the Australian outback. Built by the parishioners under the supervision of the local carpenter in 1898 the neat little gabled and bellcoted timber building is painted white without and sky blue within and stands on a plinth incorporating gravestones from the nearby ruins of Bardney Abbey. It has stood the test of time remarkably well and has in recent years been protected with a plastic coating.
Southrey St John the Divine
After refreshments in the church we moved on to the church of St Lawrence in Bardney which was built in 1434 after the former parish church near the abbey collapsed. The painted decoration in the chancel is particularly interesting and there is a massive grave cover from the abbey on display. There are two charity boards dated 1639 and 1603 each with a portrait of the benefactors.
Bardney St Lawrence
Back to Past Visits Main Page.