St. Guthlac’s Church is a Grade I listed building, which has been a place of worship for over 800 years. It is very well kept and there is a beautiful mosaic behind the altar. The church building is a large area with pews (church benches), a small area with children's toys and colouring by the entrance, and towards the back there is a small area to make drinks, and an accessible toilet with baby changing area. The Church is accessible for those in wheelchairs, or with prams. You can come up the path and into the church as there are no steps. There is infrared heating in the church, but do bear in mind it is a large and old building, so we suggest dressing warmly.

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

The Church Building - Some history

St Guthlac’s Church has features dating from the 12th century onwards, reflecting its long history. The entrance includes a 12th-century arch and a 13th-century porch, while the main part of the church, known as the nave, has arches from the Norman and Early English periods.

The carvings on the ends of the choir stalls symbolise the change in character of the local area when the Church was built -On one side is bitterns amongst rushes and on the other are partridges with corn. You can also see in the Chancel ceiling, six carved wooden angels with folded wings, carrying shields, books and scrolls.  On each side of the main window behind the altar, are 14 century carved figures of St Hugh of Lincoln and St Guthlac. Below the window, the Altar Reredos is a beautiful, intricate mosaic depicting a cross in the middle, with two kneeling angels either side in the pre-Raphaelite tradition. On the south wall, opposite the organ, are the St Guthlac stained glass Windows, which contain twelve circular scenes from the life St Guthlac, based on scenes from The St Guthlac Roll, held at the British Library. The church also has other beautiful stained glass windows, including the notable Archangels’ Window in the North Aisle. More 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 organ, built by William Hill of London and installed in 1882, was fully restored in 2019 by Clevedon Organs, with substantial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A film about the restoration can be watched on the Resources page of this website.

On the south wall of the nave, is the local War Memorial commemorating those locally who served and lost their lives in the two World Wars.

The tower of the church was built in the 1440s and outside features a clock installed in 1763, along with two historic 18 century sundials, inscribed with the words, 'The Day is Thine' and 'The Night Cometh'.  Also outside, you can see the coat of arms of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, who had strong connections with the area.

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) and feature more detailed information about the building.

The Bells

St Guthlac’s Church has had six bells since 1766. They were made by the same bellfounder, Joseph Eyre of St Neots, Huntingdonshire, at the same time, which was quite unusual at the time. Each bell has its own inscription, with messages about faith, the glory of God and the life of the Church. Two of the bells also name the Rector and Churchwardens at the time, Rev'd Lawrence Maydwell, John Mawby and John Boyall.

In 1887, coinciding with Queen Victoria's jubilee year, the bells were repaired and improved. Further work took place in 1989, when they were re-hung with new fittings and re-tuned.

To mark the approaching millennium in 2000, two new bells were added. They were made by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, who are one of the two remaining bellfounders in England.  One of the bells has a Latin inscription meaning 'Praise be to God' and the other records the names of the Rector and Churchwardens at the time, Rev'd Derek Earis, Stewart Jones and Kay Roberts. Both bells also carry a Millennium Commission medallion. They were blessed by the Bishop of Lincoln and all eight bells were first rung together in 1998. The project was made possible through local fundraising, community support and a grant from the National Lottery Millennium Fund. The bell ringers and other volunteers assisted the contractors with the work in both 1989 and 1998. The bells continue to be maintained by dedicated volunteers, who help keep them in very good working order.

If you are interested in learning how to ring the bells or in joining our group of bell ringers, we'd love to hear from you - Please see the ‘Groups & Activities’ page for more information.

Saint Guthlac

The Church is dedicated to Saint Guthlac who lived in the late 7th and early 8th centuries. Guthlac was a local Anglo Saxon hermit who came to the Island of Crowland from the Monastery at Repton. As a young man, Guthlac was a soldier, before dedicating his life to God, which he did so by becoming a monk, and through offering spiritual guidance to others, and spending time alone in prayer and reflection. A few years after Guthlac died, around age 40, Crowland Abbey was founded in his memory by Ethelbald, King of Mercia.

The life story of Saint Guthlac was first written down by a monk called Felix, at the request of King Ælfwald of the East Angles. Written within 35 years of Guthlac's death, it drew on the memories of people who had known him. Later, other stories about Guthlac appeared, which included poems, and details and traditions that had grown over time at Crowland Abbey.

The Guthlac Roll is a beautifully illustrated manuscript, believed to have been created by monks at Crowland Abbey in the late 12th or early 13th century. It tells the story of St Guthlac, drawing on the earlier written accounts and local traditions. Made from vellum (prepared animal skin), The Roll features 18 circular illustrations and stretches almost three metres long. We do not know exactly why it was created, but today it is treasured as an important historical work and one of the most highly regarded illuminated manuscripts at the British Library.

For more information, a booklet called ‘St Guthlac – His Life & the Guthlac Roll’, which tells the story of Guthlac's life through The Guthlac Roll, is available online, or in paper from the Church for £1.50. If you would like a copy, please contact our Administrator.