The A453 Churches takes in the five villages along the A453, Barton-in-Fabis, Gotham, Kingston-on-Soar, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, and Thrumpton.
Here you will find a brief history of our churches. Further extensive details can be found on the Church History Project website; clicking on the picture of the church will take you to that section of their website.
We hope you find the information interesting and helpful.
St George, Barton-in-Fabis …
St George
Manor Road, Barton-in-Fabis, NG11 0AA
There has been a church here in Barton since the early twelfth century. The present church of St George is a Grade 1 listed building which dates from the mid-fourteenth century and incorporates a number of architectural styles, including an ornate sedilia, and piscina niches from pre-Reformation days. The chancel contains the tomb and alabaster effigies of William Sacheverell and his wife Tabitha, Lord of the Manor who died in 1616. There are several other tombs and memorials to other members of the Sacheverell family around the church. The organ was built in 1893 by Alex Young and Sons of Manchester, and was installed in the church in 1965.
Further details about St George’s …
St Lawrence, Gotham …
St Lawrence
Leake Road, Gotham, NG11 0HW
In 1980 St Lawrence church celebrated it’s 800th birthday, and although the village itself is mentioned in the Domesday Book no church is mentioned. An early form of the present church is believed to have existed before the mid-twelfth century. The church of St Lawrence is a Grade 1 listed building which is open every Saturday from 10:00am to 12:00pm. For access at other times please get in touch.
Construction of the south aisle took place towards the latter end of the Norman period and the four rounded pillars of the south aisle are reputed to be from the late Norman Transitional period, c.1200; each having a different capital. The tower and spire were probably built next in the thirteenth century. The construction of the north aisle with octagonal pillars having moulded capitals was begun shortly after 1300, together with the north and south porches. The original organ from 1870 was replaced in 1953 by Messrs E. Wragg of Nottingham.
The church was re-ordered in 2010 with flexible seating and a servery allowing us to hold concerts and events, and is a fine example of a traditional building made suitable for the twenty-first century.
Further details about St Lawrence …
St Winifred, Kingston-on-Soar …
St Winifred
The Green, Kingston-on-Soar, NG11 0DA
The Babington family built the first church here (St Wilfred) in the sixteenth century and installed their own priest. Prior to this there had been a thirteenth century chapel served by a priest from Ratcliffe-on-Soar. The present day church contains the Babington Monument from 1538 which amongst other things contains over a hundred babes-in-tuns, a rebus on “Babington”. Because of the Babington Monument the church is included in “England’s Thousand Best Churches” by Simon Jenkins. It is a Grade 1 listed building which is open every day from 9:00am to 5:00pm. In the 1900s the 2nd Lord Belper built the tower and extended the nave. The original dedication to St Wilfred was changed to St Winifred in the nineteenth century. The organ is by Wilkinson & Sons of Kendal, and was donated by the 3rd Lord Belper in 1936, and the old one was sold to Holy Trinity church at Ratcliffe-on-Soar.
Further details about St Winifred …
Holy Trinity, Ratcliffe-on-Soar …
Holy Trinity
Main Street, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, NG11 0EB
There has been a settlement at Ratcliffe-on-Soar since the Iron Age, with a church there since Domesday. The church was the mother church of the area which shows its importance at the main crossing of the river Soar, but as other crossing places became more important the influence of the church also declined. The present day stone church was probably started late in the twelfth century with the tower and nave added later on. It is a Grade 1 listed building which is open every day from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Please note: The church does not have any heating, so please do wrap up warm in the winter months. The church, like Barton, contains tombs of the Sacheverell family. The past seven years have seen a major undertaking of restoration to the church through the work of SPAB and volunteers from the village and further afield. The church boasts four fine alabaster monuments from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and a collection of alabaster slabs. The organ was purchased from Kingston church in 1936.
Further details about Holy Trinity …
All Saints, Thrumpton …
All Saints
Church Lane, Thrumpton, NG11 0AX
All Saints Church lies within the Thrumpton Conservation Area which encompasses most of the village. The village of Thrumpton, like Gotham, appears in the Domesday book, and again there is no mention of a church. The first mention of the church is in 1210 when it was acquired by the Priory of Norton from the Powdrells. It is a Grade 2* listed building which is open every Wednesday evening from 7:30pm to 9:00pm during bell ringing practice. For access at other times please get in touch. Significant works to the church have been carried out over the years the last major work being an extensive rebuilding of the east end of the Nave and Chancel in 1870 by the Byron family. In 2004 the tower was subject to significant repair and restoration work. The organ is a Bevington from 1871; restored in the 1990s.
Further details about All Saints …