Church Of St Germain

The Church of St. Germain is a parish church dating back to around 1200, with significant additions and alterations in the late 13th century, approximately 1590, 1796, 1840, and 1876. A restoration in 1876 was undertaken by Kirke of Sleaford, and the chancel and vestry were rebuilt in 1904. The church is constructed from coursed and squared limestone rubble, with some red brick and ashlar dressings, and has plain tiled roofs with stone coped gables. It comprises a western tower, nave, chancel, a north transept, and a vestry.

The tower, dating from around 1591, has three stages with a plinth, clasping angle buttresses, two moulded string courses, and an embattled parapet with pinnacles and gargoyles. The belfry stage features paired louvred two-centred arched lights set within semi-circular headed, chamfered openings. A semi-circular headed window with a double chamfered surround is set into the south wall of the first stage. The west door is a reused double chamfered pointed opening from the 13th century, with a hood mould and human head label stops. Above the door is a double chamfered pointed headed window, and on the second stage, an 18th-century clock is housed within a moulded stone surround. A staircase, lit by plain vertical lights, rises up the northeast angle of the tower. The west wall of the north aisle has a 19th-century window; above it is a square opening to the roof space, and to the right is a reset medieval stone head.

The 19th-century transept, built with squared rubble, features a corbelled oversailing eaves course. It has a four-light window in the north wall, in the style of the 16th century, and a doorway in the east wall with a chamfered surround and cornice. The north wall of the north aisle has a 19th-century two-light window with a trefoil above. The 20th-century vestry has a single-light window with a scissor arched head; a similar window is in the east wall. The east wall of the chancel has a three-light window with curvilinear derived tracery. The south wall of the chancel features three matching windows, with a priest’s door set between them. The south wall of the nave has two 19th-century two-light windows with trefoils above and a dentillated brick eaves course.

Inside, the tower arch, dating from around 1200, has massive half engaged circular responds and abaci with a reset double chamfered arch. The chancel arch from around 1200, also reset, consists of triple shafts with bases and developed waterleaf capitals supporting an ill-fitting double chamfered arch. A 20th-century arch leads to the organ chamber. The nave has an 18th-century dentillated cornice and a stanchion supporting a lintel over the entrance to the transept. All fittings, including the font, are 19th century or later. A painted royal arms, dated 1796, is on the east wall of the transept. Alongside the pulpit is a fine early 13th-century grave marker featuring tapering sides and a relief cross fleury with petalled pellets between the arms of the cross. The 20th-century reredos incorporates a possibly earlier painting of the Adoration of the Magi.