June 2016:
ROUGHTON, St Margaret.
*Click on photos to enlarge them*
It was a cold and windy day for our June visit to Roughton St Margaret of Antioch. Roughton (locals pronounce it Rooton) is five miles south of Horncastle and is in the Bain Valley Group of churches.
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We were met by Joyce Woodthorpe, deputy churchwarden who explained the other churches in the group are Coningsby St Michael, Kirkby on Bain St Mary and Tattershall Holy Trinity. Raising funds for the upkeep of the church is vital, and events were often planned and shared between the churches in the group to maximise attendance and therefore increase the much needed funds.
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The church is built of greenstone, limestone and brick. The Tudor brick is the same type used in the building of nearby Tattershall Castle. The church is mainly 13th and 14th century although the lower tower is Norman greenstone and the top part built of later Tudor brick. There are two bells in the bell tower which were hung for swing chiming from wooden hooped headstocks. They are still rung regularly. The church is deceptively large with tower, nave and chancel, but no side aisles. It was built in stages when parishioners had money available to extend and improve
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Inside it is clear that the church has a damp problem. The walls were redecorated in 2006, but the paint is peeling badly in places. There is a quinquennial inspection due soon. This five yearly inspection by an architect or surveyor reports on the state of the building and recommends repairs required to keep it in good order.
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