The Church of St Helen, Biscathorpe stands nearly alone, its former village having long since disappeared. Rebuilt on the site of the old church in 1847 by W. A. Nicholson in a fanciful Gothic style – more than fifty grotesque faces perched high on the steeple peer down onto visitors.
Photo Credit: Ben Abel for the Victorian Society.
Grade II*-listed, 1847, W.A. Nicholson
The Church of St Helen stands in Biscathorpe Park near the site of a deserted medieval village. It was built on the footprint of an older church in 1847, by local architect W. A. Nicholson, and is significant for its complete Victorian interior, which includes poppy-headed benches, a panelled pulpit, and a small stone-glazed font in the Gothic style. The east window has nineteenth-century stained glass with a reused centrepiece from the Deposition; the ceilings are in timber-ribbed panels with rose bosses; and the mouldings for the windows and doors are noted for their portrait human head stops. An absence of regular maintenance over a period of years has left the building in desperate need of repair, and the interior is now partially exposed to the elements. The plaster foliate stops are now falling off, and internally and externally the rendered walls are crumbling. A remedial plan is sorely needed.
Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society President, said: ‘St Helen’s is an exquisite little church nestled amongst trees in the beautiful Lincolnshire Wolds. It is a delicate and fascinating work of architecture and a remarkable survival. The church is now closed to regular worship, but given the quality of the building, handing it over to the Churches Conservation Trust or the Friends of Friendless Churches is one obvious option to ensure it is saved. Whatever happens, urgent repairs are clearly now required. In the longer term, a sensitive new use for it is needed, one that preserves the lovely and largely intact interior and its original suite of furnishings’.
Status Update / March 2026
This historic church currently lies vacant and in a ‘very bad’ condition, according to a recent survey by Historic England. It is at immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric and no solution has been agreed. The site is not currently advertised on the open market, but it is hoped a new owner will be found to safeguard its future.