Gravestone of Elizabeth Church in Churchyard of St James's Church is a Grade II listed building in the South Kesteven local planning authority area, England. First listed on 9 March 2011. Gravestone.

Gravestone of Elizabeth Church in Churchyard of St James's Church

WRENN ID
solitary-hinge-spindle
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
South Kesteven
Constituency
Rutland and Stamford MP: Alicia Kearns (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
9 March 2011
Type
Gravestone
Address
Gravestone of Elizabeth Church in Churchyard of St James's Church, Castle Bytham
OS grid reference
SK 988 183
Coordinates
52.75364, -0.53685
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The gravestone of Elizabeth Church is a small, rectangular, upright monument made of moulded limestone ashlar, erected in 1725. It features decorative carving that resembles fabric falling in multiple drapes, with fringed curtain pulls at both corners. At the top, there is an angel's face with a winged collar, flanked by trumpets. The inscription is mostly legible and reads, "HERE Lieth the Body of [...] Elizabeth Church(?) Who Departed this life March the 29th 1725 in the 25th year of her Age." This gravestone is situated approximately 5 metres south of the chancel of St James's Church.

The gravestone is located in the churchyard of the Grade I listed St James's Church, which dates back to the late 12th century. The churchyard is surrounded on all sides by the church and contains various limestone and slate headstones from the 17th to the 20th centuries.

This gravestone is designated at Grade II for several reasons: it is an early Georgian monument from 1725, it retains its essential form and decorative carving, the majority of the inscription is still readable, and its design, which features the imagery of a draped curtain, has a dramatic and artistic quality. Additionally, it has strong group value with the nearby Grade I listed church and two other Grade II listed gravestones from the late 17th and mid-18th centuries, all located in the prime burial area just south of the chancel.

Local climate

Gravestone of Elizabeth Church in Churchyard of St James's Church sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 81% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 83% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 35 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 54% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Gravestone of Elizabeth Reynor in Churchyard of St James's Church Grade II 1 m
  2. Gravestone of Mary Higgins in Churchyard of St James's Church Grade II 6 m
  3. Church of St James Grade I 19 m
  4. War Memorial in Churchyard of St James's Church Grade II 21 m
  5. The Priory Grade II* 36 m
  6. Barn at the Priory Grade II 51 m
  7. The New Castle Inn Grade II 54 m
  8. Manor House Grade II 81 m
  9. Stable Block at the Manor House Grade II 88 m
  10. K6 Telephone Kiosk by Shelter on Island Grade II 89 m