Cuxwold Church and Village a Look at the History
Cuxwold is a small but beautiful village set in a slight hollow in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
Described by Arthur Mee as “tiny and remote and prettily set” Cuxwold does indeed feel a little remote when there but it’s only just off the main arterial road in Lincs.
Midway between Irby Upon Humber and Caistor sits St Nicholas church on a slight rise in the ground.
Much of the original building has been lost to time and restoration although the base of the tower appears to have early Norman or possibly even late Saxon origins. The tower arch is Norman and, as the tower, possibly even a little earlier.
The main restoration to the church was carried out in 1860 by the ubiquitous James Fowler and it decent job he seems to have done.
It’s easy to criticise Fowler nowadays for having, at times, been less than sympathetic and lacking in care when it comes to preserving original features.
That’s all well and good but at the time what did he have to work with ?
What state was the building in ?
How much money did he have to play with ?
I suspect he did the best he could with what he had at his disposal.
The font has survived the centuries and is of the Norman period and trough like in design, there is also a monument to the Thorold family circa 1810.
The Thorold family also commissioned the building of Cuxwold Hall in 1861.
An enthusiastic antiquarian, Henry Thorold commissioned the design a a building replicating the Tudor Gothic style possibly the equivalent of the Mock Tudor Mansion of its time !
That may be a little unfair as now, of course, it is of age but even that arbiter of architectural taste Pevsner suggests the Hall
“looks out of place in rural Lincolnshire”
St Nicholas Church ~ Cuxwold Lincolnshire
Another point of interest lies but one mile from the village and was the scene of one of my earliest historical trips Ash Holt Long Barrow
If you know of anything at all related to the village or church then please do leave a comment - likewise if you have any connection or interest
All the best
Rod
chris said,
April 15, 2010 @ 7:18 pm
Hi,this is my first look at this site,its great.I have been looking into my family tree and discovered my gt gt grandfather lived and worked in Cuxwold.Last year i went to have a look and to my surprise i found his headstone in the churchyard,Joseph Harrison.It really is a lovely village and church but i would love to know more about life there one hundred years ago.
Rod said,
April 15, 2010 @ 7:39 pm
Hi Chris,
thanks for the comment and welcome to the site.
It’s a beautiful spot there, pleased you made the trip and found the gravestone.
It’s worth checking back because we’re always adding content and if anything interesting turns up about the history of Cuxwold then I’ll be adding it to this page
All the best
Rod
Amiguru said,
April 15, 2010 @ 10:47 pm
Chris,
I can’t help on ‘a hundred years ago’ but can manage 125 if that will do? My 1885 Kelly’s Directory entry for Cuxwold states that the Church Register dates from 1683; the incumbent then was Rev. Charles Marsh Eckersley Hallsworth B.A. of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. William Thorold Esq. was Lord of the Manor and sole land owner. The population was 101 and guess what……..Joseph Harrison was the Parish Clerk!
Hoping that this of some use and I’ll keep an eye out for anything else I feel might be pertinent.
Regards,
Neville
Rod said,
April 16, 2010 @ 9:16 am
Chris,
how’s that for the 5 star deluxe service - awesome Neville
I’m sat here smiling - it’s just great
Many thanks
Rod
Amiguru said,
April 16, 2010 @ 11:23 am
Rod,
On 9 June 1871 provisional protection of patent was given to “….Charles Frederick Whitworth, of Cuxwold, near Caistor, in the county of Lincoln, for the invention of improvements in apparatus for fastening park, farm, and other gates or doors.”
I wonder if it was that self latching spring-loaded type with a knob at the top.
Regards,
Neville
chris said,
April 16, 2010 @ 4:21 pm
Wow,thanks for the info Neville its fantastic.This will give me lots to work on now and the prospect of finding a photo of Joseph.I have been in the church its lovely,and as Joseph was a carpenter maybe he made something that is still inside.Chris.
Rod said,
April 16, 2010 @ 7:25 pm
Neville,
more gems - I really need to get more churches covered so we have a home for everything that turns up.
I’ve about 50 waiting in drafts all visited and photographed
Best
Rod
rachel said,
January 19, 2011 @ 11:54 pm
Rod,
Just wanted to say this site is amazing……..your contributers are fantastic and Neville is indeed awesome! Thanks for providing such an interesting and informative site. I always refer to it when planning a lincolnshire adventure day or just fancy a browse through local history.
Regards
Rachel