Broughton is a large village built to the side of Ermine Street, the Roman Road which crosses the River Humber near Winteringham. The church is in the centre of the village and set above the road. It is surrounded by a large churchyard, with the old grave slabs moved to the edge. The trees in the churchyard would make photography impossible in the summer.
St Mary’s Church is remarkable for its C11th Saxon tower with attached circular tower turret. This still has its small Saxon windows and herringbone masonry in the north and south walls. At the base of the south wall is a Saxon door. The top course with battlements and crocketed pinnacles was added in the C15th.
Excavations in the C19th found the remains of a small Saxon chancel to the east of the tower. The foundations of the Norman church survive under the present building.
The rest of the church is an attractive building with a C12/13th well buttressed chancel and C14th nave with later side aisles. At the end of the chancel and nave is a decorative carved stone cross. The clerestory was added in the C15th. The north chapel was rebuilt in 1670 for the Anderson family and their memorials are in here.
The church was restored in the C19th and presumably the vestry on the north wall dates from that time. It does look rather incongruous with its ashlar walls against the rough cast masonry of the rest of the church.
Inside the church, there is more Saxon herringbone masonry on the east wall of the tower. This has a typical Saxon door at the base and high in the wall above is what could be another door. It is worth going into the base of the tower, now used as a storage area, to find another Saxon doorway giving access to a spiral staircase in the circular tower.
Arcades of octagonal pillars with simply carved capitals and pointed arches separate the nave and the side aisles. The pulpit and font and rood screen all date from the C19th restorations as do the stained glass windows.
On the north wall of the chancel is a splendid C14th monument to a member of the Redford family. Dressed in armour he is lying on a tomb chest with coats of arms. Next to it, a doorway leads into the Anderson Chapel with an alabaster and marble monument to Sir Edmund Anderson who died in 1661. On the wall above is a memorial to another Sir Edmund Anderson who died in 1676.
This is now used as a small chapel. Tucked away in the corner is the beautiful carved Jacobean altar.
The church is locked apart from services, although the vicar will arrange for it to be opened for visitors. It is worth visiting for the Saxon work in the tower. There is parking along the road outside. The post code is DN20 0HY and the grid reference is SE 960086.
There are more pictures “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/churches/england/lincolnshire/lincolnshire_one/broughton/index.html
