July 2014:
ASHBY PUERORUM St. Andrew's.
Our
July 2014 visit was to St Andrew's church at Ashby Puerorum. The
name of this village was changed in the thirteenth century when
Bishop Oliver Sutton assigned the revenues of the vicarage to the
upkeep of the Cathedral choirboys.
Above photographs taken during the Group's visit to Ashby Puerorum.
The church is situated between Horncastle and Louth. And is built largely of Lincolnshire greenstone with limestone dressings. The Perpendicular tower contains two bells the largest of which was cast about 1150 and is the oldest in Lincolnshire. The other bell was cast in about 1350.
The history of these bells is particularly interesting. It seems feasible that, on completion of the central tower of the Cathedral circa 1307 a complete reorganisation of the bells there took place. The trend at that time was towards larger bells and it may have been considered that the two bells given to the Cathedral circa 1150 by Bishop Robert de Chesney were too small for further use there. Because of the close association of Ashby with the Cathedral perhaps the bell was given, together with a new one, on the completion of the tower at this church only some seven years after the central tower at the cathedral was completed. A twelfth century bell casting pit was discovered at the Lawn Visitor Centre on Union Road near the Cathedral in the 1980s and it is an interesting possibility that the twelfth century bell could well have been cast there.
Our excellent guide drew our attention a series of brasses from the mid sixteenth century in memory of the Littlebury family. The more agile of the group were invited to climb on to the church roof from which there are spectacular views across the Wolds.
This was a most interesting visit. and I am grateful to Phil Stanyon for assisting with the text and to Max Kitchen for the photographs. JRK
The history of these bells is particularly interesting. It seems feasible that, on completion of the central tower of the Cathedral circa 1307 a complete reorganisation of the bells there took place. The trend at that time was towards larger bells and it may have been considered that the two bells given to the Cathedral circa 1150 by Bishop Robert de Chesney were too small for further use there. Because of the close association of Ashby with the Cathedral perhaps the bell was given, together with a new one, on the completion of the tower at this church only some seven years after the central tower at the cathedral was completed. A twelfth century bell casting pit was discovered at the Lawn Visitor Centre on Union Road near the Cathedral in the 1980s and it is an interesting possibility that the twelfth century bell could well have been cast there.
Our excellent guide drew our attention a series of brasses from the mid sixteenth century in memory of the Littlebury family. The more agile of the group were invited to climb on to the church roof from which there are spectacular views across the Wolds.
This was a most interesting visit. and I am grateful to Phil Stanyon for assisting with the text and to Max Kitchen for the photographs. JRK
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