Church Heritage Record 621637

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Core DetailsLocationBuildingInteriorChurchyardSignificanceEnvironmentForumAudit

Sotby: St Peter

Name:

This is the church’s legal name as given by the Church Commissioners.

Sotby: St Peter
Record Type:

A classification of the current status of the building

Closed Church
Church code:

This is a unique identification number supplied to each church building by the Church Commissioners.

621637
Diocese:

Name of diocese in which the church building is located at the time of entry.

Lincoln
Archdeaconry:

Name of archdeaconry in which the church building is located at the time of entry

Unattached or Closed Church
Parish:

This is the legal name of the parish as given by the Church Commissioners.

Not Applicable

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Statutory Designation Information

Listed Building?

The decision to put a church building on the National Heritage List for England and assign it a listing grade is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is normally based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on the historic environment.

This is a Grade II* Listed Building
View more information about this Listed Building on the National Heritage List for England web site
Scheduled Monument?

The decision to schedule a feature (building, monument, archaeological remains, etc.) located within the church building’s precinct or churchyard is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The decision is based on recommendations made by Historic England, the government’s adviser on cultural heritage.

There is no Scheduled Monument within the curtilage or precinct

National Park

National Parks are areas of countryside that include villages and towns, which are protected because of their beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. In England, National Parks are designated by Natural England, the government’s advisor on the natural environment.

The church is not in a National Park

Conservation Area

Conservation areas are places of special architectural or historic interest where it is desirable to preserve and enhance the character and appearance of such areas. Conservation Areas are designated by the Local Council.

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Heritage At Risk Status

On Heritage At Risk Register?

The Heritage at Risk programme is run and managed by Historic England, the government’s advisor on cultural heritage. It aims to protect and manage the historic environment, so that the number of ‘at risk’ historic places and sites across England are reduced.

This church is not on the Heritage at Risk Register
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Approximate Date

Approximate Date:

Selecting a single date for the construction of a church building can sometimes be very difficult as most CoE buildings have seen many phases of development over time. The CHR allows you to record a time period rather than a specific date.

The CHR records the time period for the building’s predominant fabric as opposed to the date of the earliest fabric or the church’s foundation date.

Medieval

Exterior Image

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Summary Description

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The church had become ruinous by the middle of the eighteenth century and on 25 May 1773 a Faculty was granted for the sale of two cracked bells to help pay for the demolition of the west tower, the reduction of the nave by twelve feet at the west end and the construction of a new west wall. In fact most of the nave seems to be late eighteenth-century in date.

Visiting and Facilities

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The church is closed for worship.
Date closed for worship:
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Church Website

Church Website:

www.holytrinitylyonsdown.org.uk

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Sources and Further Information

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James Miles (2018) Closed Churches [Digital Archive/Data]
Historic England (2021) Heritage List https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1063066?section=official-list-entry [Bibliography/Index]
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/
Church Buildings Council (2019) Church Bells 1 Bell [Archive/Index]
1 Bell

If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TF 204 788

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Administrative Area

County:

The administrative area within which the church is located.

Lincolnshire County

Location and Setting

This field describes the setting of the church building, i.e. the surroundings in which the church building is experienced, and whether or not it makes a positive or negative contribution to the significance of the building.

The small knot of houses and cottages which makes up the hamlet of Sotby stands in a fine though exposed position on the brow of a ridge amongst undulating open fields between Wragby and Louth, about five miles east of the former.

Church Plan

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Ground Plan Description and Dimensions

Ground Plan

Provide as written description of the ground plan of the church building and well as its dimensions.

Nave with west bell-cote; chancel.

Dimensions

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Footprint of Church buildings (m2):

Small (<199m2)

Medium (200-599m2)

Large (600m-999m2)

Very Large (>1000m2)

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Description of Archaeology and History

This field aims to record the archaeological potential of the wider area around the building and churchyard, as well as the history of site.

The chancel arch is Norman and parts of the chancel walls may be mediaeval. The church had become ruinous by the middle of the eighteenth century and on 25 May 1773 a Faculty was granted for the sale of two cracked bells to help pay for the demolition of the west tower, the reduction of the nave by twelve feet at the west end and the construction of a new west wall. In fact most of the nave seems to be late eighteenth-century in date. The chancel was rebuilt in the gothic style in 1857 by Michael Drury, a Lincolnshire architect responsible for some ecclesiastical additions and restorations and a few new churches.

Exterior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the exterior of the church building and the churchyard.

This simple two-cell church does not initially present its best aspect since it is approached from the north, and the north wall of the chancel is completely blind, the north wall of the nave pierced by only one round-headed window of c.1773 with wooden Y-tracery. The two roofs rise to virtually the same height but the nave has a shallower Georgian pitch while the chancel is steeply pitched and therefore reaches lower in spite of the fact that it covers a narrower space. The only buttress of the church appears at the east end of the nave and probably serves to strengthen a wall weakened by the insertion of a rood stair (although no evidence of such a feature now remains visible). The west wall of the nave, which seems to be that built under the Faculty of 1773 ("a strong west wall with a convenient passage into the church through the same") is indeed pierced by a round-headed doorway and there is a round-headed window above. The "cupola" for which the faculty provided has been replaced by a Victorian stone bell-cote with a round arch. The south wall of the nave has two round-headed Georgian windows similar to the single one in the north wall and the south wall of the chancel has two trefoil-headed lancets with a pointed quatrefoil above all in plate tracery. The east wall has three graded trefoil-headed lancets.

Architects, Artists and Associated People/Organisations

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Building Fabric and Features

This field is an index of the building and its major components

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Collapse Building Fabric and FeaturesBuilding Fabric and Features
STAINED GLASS (c.1875)

Building Materials

This field is an index of the building’s material composition

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Interior Image

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Interior Description

This field aims to record a written description of the interior of the church building.

The interior has plastered walls and ceilings, the nave roof having three tie-beams and collars but neither king-posts nor queen posts to give vertical support. The floor is paved with red tiles, with boards under the pews and the windows stand within plain rectangular reveals. This is a recess of unknown purpose to the north of the doorway in the west wall, and a corbel in the north-east corner. The remains of a piscina under a broad chamfered arch survive behind the pulpit. 

The chancel arch is late Norman in date, with plain responds and imposts carved with small volutes at the angles. The arch itself has two orders of roll moulding and a moulded hood. The eastern faces of the responds are chamfered. The only old stonework visible inside the chancel is a tomb- recoss of plain appearance under a four-centred arch in the north wall and a cusped trefoil-headed recess above it. In the south wall there is a double piscina with round drains under a plan two-centred arch (with no stonework showing). The roof also is concealed by plaster but is presumably a standard nineteenth-century construction.

Internal Fixtures and Fittings

This field is an index of the building’s internal, architectural components. This includes its internal spaces and those areas’ fixtures and fittings (building components which are securely fixed to the church or cathedral).

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ALTAR (c.1857)
BELL (1 of 1)
FONT (OBJECT) (c.1857)
LECTERN
PULPIT (c.1945)
RAIL
REREDOS

Portable Furnishings and Artworks

This field is an index of the building’s movable, non-fixed furnishings and artworks.

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If you notice any errors with the below outlines of your connected churchyards, please email heritageonline@churchofengland.org with the corrections needed.

This could include information on new churchyards, edits to the boundaries shown, or different land characteristics. 

We are working on adding the consecrated land found within local authority cemeteries, and in time, this data will be shown on the map.

Grid Reference: TF 204 788

To zoom into an area hold the SHIFT key down then click and drag a rectangle.

Ecology

This field aims to record a description of the ecology of the churchyard and surrounding setting.

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Ecological Designations

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The everyday wildlife of burial grounds means much to those who visit and cherish them but many burial grounds are so rich in wildlife that they should be designated and specially protected. Few have the legal protection of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or, in the case of local authority owned cemeteries, Local Nature Reserve. This makes it even more important that they are cared for and protected by the people looking after them.

Many have a non-statutory designation as a recognition of their importance. These non-statutory designations have a variety of names in different regions including Local Wildlife Site, County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Local Wildlife Site is the most common name). Their selection is based on records of the most important, distinctive and threatened species and habitats within a national, regional and local context. This makes them some of our most valuable wildlife areas.

For example, many burial grounds which are designated as Local Wildlife Sites contain species-rich meadow, rich in wildflowers, native grasses and grassland fungi managed by only occasional mowing plus raking. When this is the case, many animals may be present too, insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. This type of grassland was once widespread and has been almost entirely lost from the UK with approximately 3% remaining, so burial grounds with species-rich meadow managed in this way are extremely important for wildlife.

These designations should be considered when planning management or change.

If you think that this or any other burial ground should be designated please contact Caring for God’s Acre (info@cfga.org.uk) to discuss. Many eligible sites have not yet received a designation and can be surveyed and then submitted for consideration.

There are no SSSIs within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local nature reserves within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Local Wildlife sites within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Evidence of the Presence of Bats

This field aims to record any evidence of the presence of bats in the church building or churchyard.

The church has no evidence of bats

Burial and War Grave Information

This field records basic information about the presence of a churchyard and its use as a burial ground.

It is unknown whether the church or churchyard is consecrated. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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It is unknown whether the churchyard is closed for burial. Work in progress - can you help?
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The churchyard does not have war graves.

National Heritage List for England Designations

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There are no Listed Buildings within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

There are no Scheduled Monuments within the curtilage of this Closed Church.

Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees

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Churchyards are home to fantastic trees, in particular ancient and veteran trees which can be the oldest indication of a sacred space and be features of extraordinary individuality. The UK holds a globally important population of ancient and veteran yew trees of which three-quarters are found in the churchyards of England and Wales.

There are more than 1,000 ancient and veteran yews aged at least 500 years in these churchyards.

To put this in context, the only other part of western Europe with a known significant yew population is Normandy in northern France, where more than 100 ancient or veteran churchyard yews have been recorded.

Burial grounds may contain veteran and ancient trees of other species such as sweet chestnut or small-leaved lime which, whilst maybe not so old as the yews, are still important for wildlife and may be home to many other species.

Specialist advice is needed when managing these wonderful trees. For more information or to seek advice please contact Caring for God’s Acre, The Ancient Yew Group and The Woodland Trust.

If you know of an ancient or veteran tree in a burial ground that is not listed here please contact Caring for God’s Acre.

There are currently no Ancient, Veteran or Notable trees connected to this Closed Church

Churchyard Structures

This field is an index of the churchyard’s components.

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Significance

Setting Significance Level:

Significance is the whole set of reasons why people value a church, whether as a place for worship and mission, as an historic building that is part of the national heritage, as a focus for the local community, as a familiar landmark or for any other reasons.

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Setting Significance Description:
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Fabric Significance Level:
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Fabric Significance Description:
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Interior Significance Level:
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Interior Significance Description:
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Community Significance Level:
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Community Significance Description:
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Church Renewables

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Open the map of church renewable installations
Solar PV Panels:

This information forms part of the Shrinking the Footprint project.

No
Solar Thermal Panels:
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No
Bio Mass:
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No
Air Source Heat Pump:
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No
Ground Source Heat Pump:
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No
Wind Turbine:
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No
EV Car Charging:
Missing help text - to be added by an administrator
Unknown

Species Summary

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All of the species listed below have been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church . A few species which are particularly threatened and affected by disturbance may not be listed here because their exact location cannot be shared.

NOTE: Be aware that this dataset is growing, and the species totals may change once the National Biodiversity Network has added further records. Species may be present but not recorded and still await discovery.

CategoryTotal species recorded to date
TOTAL NUMBER OF SPECIES RECORDED 30
Total number of animal species 0
Total number of plant species 0
Total number of mammal species 0
Total number of birds 0
Total number of amphibian and reptile species 0
Total number of invertebrate species 0
Total number of fungi species 30
Total number of mosses and liverworts (bryophytes) 0
Total number of ferns 0
Total number of flowering plants 0
Total number of Gymnosperm and Ginkgo 0

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.

To learn more about all of the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.

‘Seek Advice’ Species

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If any of the following species have been seen close to the Closed Church, it is important to seek advice from an expert. You will need to know if they are present now, and to follow expert recommendations when planning works. All of these species have specific legal protection as a recognition of their rarity. All of them are rare or becoming increasingly endangered, so it is important to ensure that management and other works do not adversely affect them. In addition, there may be things you can do to help these special species. N.B. Swift and House Martin do not have specific legal protection but are included, as roof repair works often impact breeding swifts and house martins which is against the law.

This is not a complete list of protected species, there are many more, but these are ones that are more likely to be found. All wild birds, their nests and eggs are also protected by law, as are all bats and veteran trees. In a few cases, species are considered particularly prone to disturbance or destruction by people, so the exact location of where they were recorded is not publicly available but can be requested. These ‘blurred’ records are included here, and the accuracy is to 1km. This means that the species has been recorded in close proximity to the Closed Church, or a maximum of 1km away from it. As these ‘blurred’ species are quite mobile, there is a strong likelihood that they can occur close to the Closed Church. To learn about these special species, use the link provided for each species in the table below

One important species which is not included here is the Peregrine Falcon. This is protected and advice should be sought if peregrines are nesting on a church or cathedral. Peregrine records are ‘blurred’ to 10km, hence the decision not to include records here. Remember too that species not seriously threatened nationally may still be at risk in your region and be sensitive to works. You should check with local experts about this. You may also need to seek advice about invasive species, such as Japanese knotweed and aquatics colonising streams or pools, which can spread in churchyards.

N.B. If a species is not recorded this does not indicate absence. It is always good practice to survey.

No species data found for this record

Caring for God’s Acre can help and support you in looking after the biodiversity present in this special place. If you know that any of these species occur close to the Closed Church and are not recorded here, please contact Caring for God’s Acre with details (info@cfga.org.uk).

To find out more about these and other species recorded against this Closed Church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas.

The church was the centre of many people’s lives and remains a guide to their cares and concerns. Glimpses into those lives have often come down to us in the stories we heard as children or old photographs discovered in tattered shoe boxes. Perhaps your ancestors even made it into local legend following some fantastic event? You can choose to share those memories with others and record them for future generations on this Forum.

Tell us the story of this building through the lives of those who experienced it. Tell us why this church is important to you and your community.

Upload your photographs, share your videos, or compose your story below using a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Disqus account.

Refresh
WhoActionWhen
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Summary DescriptionMon 06 Mar 2023 10:58:20
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Approximate DateMon 06 Mar 2023 10:58:16
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 06 Mar 2023 10:57:25
Oliver LackAdded fabric typeMon 06 Mar 2023 10:56:57
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 06 Mar 2023 10:56:28
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 06 Mar 2023 10:56:04
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 06 Mar 2023 10:55:49
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 06 Mar 2023 10:55:29
Oliver LackAdded interior feature typeMon 06 Mar 2023 10:55:15
Oliver LackModified asset data - Modified the Interior DescriptionMon 06 Mar 2023 10:54:52
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