St Mary, Thoresway

St Mary’s is a Grade II parish church in Thoresway, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire, in the Diocese of Lincoln, rebuilt from ruin by James Fowler while retaining Norman masonry.

Overview

Historic England records a parish church with twelfth- and thirteenth-century features, mostly rebuilt in 1879–86 by James Fowler, in coursed ironstone rubble with limestone ashlar dressings and slate roofs with decorative ridge tiles and a wooden west bell turret. The plan is nave with north and south aisles, north porch, rectangular chancel and north vestry. The nineteenth-century west front reuses part of a twelfth-century tower arch as a central round-headed composition with inserted lights and an oculus. Lincolnshire Heritage Explorer notes that the church was rebuilt from a ruinous condition in 1879–80; the former western tower was taken down before 1879 for safety, and its east arch remains inside.

The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture records late-thirteenth-century nave arcades and Romanesque features in the north nave doorway and the reused west tower arch. The north porch has a round-headed doorway with grooved imposts. The east window is a pointed three-light opening. Four floor-stones, three with floriated crosses, are older than the Victorian rebuild. There is no regular published opening time.

Further Information

• Historic England list entry 1165474
• Lincolnshire Heritage Explorer MLI51683
• CRSBI: St Mary, Thoresway