A list of the church's websites 

- Deeping St James

- Deeping St Nicholas

- Crowland

- The Ness Group

A Prayer for the Welland Local Mission Partnership

Loving God, we pray for the Welland Local Mission Partnership; for all those who worship and minister in its churches and for the communities we seek to serve in your name. We give thanks for those who have cherished the buildings, nurtured the people and sustained the life of your church through prayer. Give us wisdom and courage to follow their example, holding fast to faith in Christ while being open to the guidance of your Spirit, as we seek to further your kingdom in this place. May we share our resources graciously and generously while supporting one another in love and friendship. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The Life of Saint Guthlac was written by a monk named Felix at the behest of King Ælfwald of the East Angles, to whom it was dedicated.  Written within 35 years of Guthlac's death; it was based it on the recollections of Wilfred (a hermit who visited Guthlac often) and Cissa (who was Guthlac's successor at Crowland).  Consequently, this manuscript can be considered to be the most reliable history of his life. One-two hundred years later, other works on St Guthlac's life started to appear, written in Anglo-Saxon and Latin. These included poems as well as prose, and embellishments by the various authors and through traditions that had grown up at the Abbey of Crowland as the years went on.

The Guthlac Roll is believed to have been drawn by monk(s) at Crowland Abbey in late 12th Century or early 13th Century. It is based on Felix, other histories and/or the Crowland tradition.  The Roll comprises 18 roundels on vellum measuring 2,910mm long by 165mm wide. The purpose for which the Roll was drawn is not known. However, archived as Harley Roll Y6 in the British Library, it is one of its most highly regarded illuminated manuscripts.

We have a booklet called ‘St Guthlac – His Life & the Guthlac Roll’ available online or as a paper booklet from the Church, for £1.50. It outlines the story of his life based on a translation of the earliest manuscript and tells his story through The Guthlac Roll. The booklet is sold in aid of church funds and if you would like to have a copy, either digitally or as a paper booklet, please contact our Administrator.

The history and information about the bells

There has been a ring of bells in St Guthlac's since 1766, when six bells were cast and hung for ringing by Joseph Eyre of St. Neots, Huntingdonshire. A peal of six bells all cast by the same bellfounder at the same time is unusual.

Details of the bells with their inscriptions are reproduced below from "Dean Howard's History" in the Parish Magazine of February 1930:

• No.1 - Cum voco venite (When I call come) Joseph Eyre St. Neots, Huntingdonshire. Fecit 1766. (Diameter 30¾ inches; weight 5-3-18).
• No.2 - Omnia fiant ad gloriam Dei (Let all be done to the glory of God). 1766. (Diameter 32¼ inches; weight 6-1-20).
• No.3 - Ergo sum vox clemantis (I am the voice of one crying - S Matt 3,3). Joseph Eyre, St. Neots, 1766. (Diameter 34 inches; weight 7-0-23).
• No.4 - In Dei Gloriam in Ecclesiae commodum (To the glory of God and the good of the Church). Joseph Eyre, Fecit - St. Neots, Huntingdonshire, 1766. (Diameter 36¾ inches; weight 8-2-23).
• No.5 - Lawrence Maydwell, Rector. John Mawby, John Boyall, Churchwardens. 1766. (Diameter 40 inches; weight 10-0-20).
• No.6 - Lawrence Maydwell, Rector. John Mawby, John Boyall, Churchwardens. Joseph Eyre, St. Neots - Fecit Nov 15, 1766. (Diameter 44¼ inches; weight 13-3-25).

The tenor (heaviest) bell was rehung and the bells generally put back into good order during Queen Victoria's jubilee year, 1887.

By 1989 the fittings were again in a poor state of repair, and funds were raised to re-hang the bells with new fittings in a steel frame in which space was left for two additional bells. Before rehanging, the bells were re-tuned.

To mark the Millennium, it was decided to augment the bells from a ring of six to a ring of eight to attain the octave. This was accomplished through a combination of local fund raising and support and a grant from the National Lottery Millennium Fund. The two new bells were cast and hung by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough in 1998, one of the two remaining bellfounders in England. Before hanging, the bells were blessed by the Bishop of Lincoln on 30th August 1998. They were first rung as a complete octave on 11th October 1998. Details of the new bells with inscriptions are:

• New No. 1 (treble) - Laus Deo (Praise be to God). John Taylor & Co, Loughborough 1998. (Diameter 26½ inches; weight 4-3-6).
• New No. 2 - Derek Earis, Rector. Stewart Jones and Kay Roberts, Churchwardens. JT&Co 1998. (Diameter 28½ inches; weight 5-0-24).

Each bell also has on it the Millennium Commission's medallion.

In addition to their fundraising efforts, the ringers and other volunteers prepared the tower and assisted the contractors with the work in both 1989 and 1998. They continue to maintain the bells and tower fittings to a high standard.

The Church is accessible for those in wheelchairs and there is an accessible toilet.

For information about our Church Hall, known as 'the Green School', please click here.

The Church Building

As you walk into the church, you enter through a late 13th century porch and a 12th century entrance arch, which has waterleaf capitals from the earlier building. The door is 19th century but holds 13th century iron tracery of slender leaf patterns, considered to be unlike any other medieval design.

The main part of the church, called the nave, is surrounded by 3 arches with quatrefoil pillars; the arches to the North Aisle are Norman (late 12th century) and those to the South Aisle are Early English (early 13th century). The Clerestory was added in 15th century, its roof beams being supported on grotesque corbels.

The Chancel Arch includes decorative shafts by James Fowler of Louth who was responsible for a major restoration of the church in 1877/8. The motifs on the shaft supports and the ends of the Choir stalls symbolise the change in character of the area when this Church was built, depicting that “where once there were bitterns amongst the rushes there are now partridges amongst the corn". The Chancel roof incorporates six angel supporters with folded wings, carrying shields, books and scrolls.

In the Chancel on each side of the East Window are 14 century carved canopied niches which contain plaster figures of St Hugh of Lincoln and St Guthlac. Below the window, the Altar Reredos is an intricate mosaic depicting two kneeling angels in the pre-Raphaelite tradition and a central cross.

On the south wall are the St Guthlac Windows. These contain twelve roundels depicting scenes from the life of the saint, copied from the seven hundred year old St Guthlac Roll, held at the British Library. More information can be found in our Booklet “Saint Guthlac: His Life and The Guthlac Roll”.

Below the windows, are a piscina (14th century), two sedilia (early 16th century) and an arch which are scrolled and crocketed; a priest’s doorway and a former alms window.

The north wall has an aumbry, a reset tomb recess with mid 13th century carved stone coffin lid below and blocked arch, believed to be of the early Church, above.

To the north is our Organ, built by William Hill of London and installed in 1882. In 2019 it was completely dismantled, refurbished and improved by Clevedon Organs. A substantial grant towards the project cost was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A film about the restoration of the organ can be watched on the Churches YouTube channel or the Resources page of this website.

The North Aisle, widened in 1878, accommodates the Lady Chapel; in medieval times it accommodated a Guild Chapel for All Saints. To the right of the Altar is a reset archway to the organ chamber, having a 12 century shaft with waterleaf capital. To its right is the entrance to the rood loft, which formerly crossed the Chancel Arch.

The east end of the South Aisle, with its 14 century piscina and aumbry, accommodated the chapel for the Guild of Our Lady in medieval times. Nearby, on the south wall is the Memorial to those who fell in the two World Wars. The west end incorporates a Baptistry with a 14 century octagonal Font having shields and other carved designs around its basin and base.

The attractive stained glass windows were installed between 1878 and 1920. The most artistically significant is the Archangels’ Window in the North Aisle with its grisaille glass designed by Herbert Hendrie.  Information on all of the windows can be found in our booklet 'The Stained Glass Windows of St. Guthlac's Church and the people to whom they were dedicated'.

The Tower, built in the 1440s, incorporates on its outer walls: a portcullis, the coat of arms of Lady Margaret Beaufort (mother of Henry VII, who lived for much of her childhood and the early years of her second marriage in the area); a clock installed in 1763; and two early 18 century sundials inscribed “The Day is Thine” and “The Night Cometh” on the south and north sides respectively.

Internally, the shafts of the arch to the Nave have bell shaped bases and octagonal embattled capitals. Within the tower there is a peal of eight bells, six of which were cast by Joseph Eyre of St Neots in 1766. Two new bells were added in1998 with the help of the Millennium Commission, cast and hung by Taylors.

For more information about the Church building, please pick up a copy of the booklet “St Guthlac’s Church Market Deeping ~ A Short History & Guide”.

All our booklets can be found in the church, near the main door as you come in, for a small cost (ranging between £1.50-£2.50).

We are based in the south of Lincolnshire, in the small town of Market Deeping, and are committed to supporting people locally and beyond. We seek to share the love of God, along with the hope and joy which flow from this, through our worship, prayer and action.

The Church is open daily between 9am-5pm for your own private prayer and reflection.

The Church Hall, known as The Green School, is just across the road from the Church.

We have excellent links with various local groups and schools in the area, including our Church School, ‘William Hildyard Church of England Primary School’.  We are also part of the Welland Local Mission Partnership, where we work together with other local Parishes.

To find out more about us, please read our Vision and Values.

Our Vision:

Our vision statement seeks to express some of what we find important at St. Guthlac’s:

• Reaching out in love – God loves his people and we aim to share this by supporting others in various ways.
• Growing in faith – We are a growing church, both in terms of people who come to the church for worship or as part of one of our groups, and in terms of encouraging and supporting people’s individual faith to develop, deepen and grow.
• Welcoming all – Following the example of Jesus, we welcome everyone to experience the love of God, whatever your background, identity or personal situation.

Our Mission Statement

St. Guthlac's Church seeks to share God’s love by building a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community rooted in faith. We express our commitment to compassion and spiritual growth through worship, prayer and action, reaching out to support others locally and beyond. Together, we aim to grow in faith, share God’s love and encourage all to discover and live out their unique calling in God's love. 

Our Values

St. Guthlac's core values are based around who we are and what we do:

• We are rooted in faith in a loving God, and express our faith in various ways, including through worship, prayer and music, both when we meet together and individually.
• We are a loving community, sharing the love of God through compassion in our words, thoughts and actions.
• We are a welcoming church, encouraging friendship between all.
• We are supportive, which we express through pastoral care and practical actions for those within the church, the local community and beyond.
• We are an inclusive church, inviting everyone with us in experiencing God’s love as your true self, the unique individual God made you to be.
• We are a growing church, encouraging participation in the life of our church and local community, and for each person to deepen their faith in God and understanding of how that impacts their daily life. 

'These three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.’ (1 Corinthians 13.13)

Here is our leadership team: