St Mary's Church, Lowdham

St Mary’s Church stands in the village of Lowdham, a Grade I listed parish church built in the 13th century. The building was restored in the 19th century, first by George Gilbert Scott in 1860, then the spire was repaired in 1883 and the chancel restored in 1890. It shares its parish with two other churches, St Aidan’s in Caythorpe and St John the Baptist’s in Gunthorpe. The church’s oldest memorial is a reclining effigy of Sir John de Lowdham from 1318, dressed in chain mail and posed cross-legged. Other memorials include slate tablets to Charles Broughton and a 1695 tablet on the east wall for Petri Broughton. The church is worth visiting for its medieval origins and later Victorian craftsmanship. The 19th-century restorations by Scott and later repairs to the spire and chancel show how the building has been cared for across centuries. The effigy of Sir John de Lowdham offers a rare glimpse of 14th-century military dress and funerary art. The pipe organ, built by Charles Lloyd and rebuilt in 1963, adds musical history to the site. These features make the church an important link to the past. Inside, visitors find a small two-manual pipe organ with twelve stops, rebuilt by Cousins of Lincoln. The reclining effigy of Sir John de Lowdham lies near the nave, its chain mail and pose still clearly visible. Slate tablets on the walls record the lives of local families, including the Broughtons. The chancel, restored in the 19th century, frames the altar with simple dignity. The church’s Grade I listing reflects its architectural and historical significance.