Riby Church ~ The Cathedral in the Wolds
St Edmunds Church in Riby Lincolnshire is known locally as the Cathedral of the Wolds and still has a 14th century Norman doorway and 500 year old tower - a beautiful building
The church sits on the edge of a park known as Riby Grove and was rebuilt in Victorian times.
There still remains plenty of the earlier build though with remains extant of 12th and 13th century work which has survived the 1868 rebuild.
The whole area is steeped in history, namely the Civil War . . .
Battle of Riby Gap.
A continued connection with conflict sees a fitting tribute to those from the village who lost their lives in World War I with a granite memorial in the churchyard.
If you go and visit you’ll not be disappointed as it is a classic Cruciform layout in the gothic style rebuilt with rough hewn stone which, in my opinion at least, adds character and compliments the earlier phases sympathetically.
To the left you’ll see one of the carved heads acting as a window frame corbel and further down a close up of one of the grotesque gargoyles mounted to the top corners of the tower
How to get there
The village is on the A1173 just off the A18 Barton Street on the road to Caistor
St Edmund’s Church Riby in Lincolnshire
We would like to find out more of this church and its history so if you can help please do leave a comment. Anything at all is of interest even reminiscences or accounts of your visit
A Grotesque Gargoyle
Keep checking back for even more Lincolnshire Churches and of course the full story of the Battle at Riby Gap - I bet you can hardly wait 
Please do leave a comment if you know anything at all about this church - thank you
All the best
Rod
David J. Smith said,
December 24, 2009 @ 5:50 pm
Hi Rod, seasons greetings.
I didn’t know where else to park this, so I put it here. I wondered if you knew about St. Andrews church in Immingham and it’s famous gargoyle? I know Neville knows about it as it was he who showed it to me.
On the top of the church bell tower there is a gargoyle doing what can only be described as a ‘moony’ towards Killingholme. The story goes that when Killingholme wanted a church building, the residents of Immingham agreed to help with the construction on condition that the people of Killingholme helped to build Immingham’s church.
Killingholme’s church was built, but when it was time to build Immingham’s church, they were let down by the residents of Killingholme.
The gargoyle shows what the people of Immingham thought of its cheating neighbours.
It’s good to know that they had a sense of humour in those days.
Regards
Dave
Rod said,
December 25, 2009 @ 8:33 am
David,
I’ve made a note of that on my sheets so I’lll know to photograph it when I visit - many thanks, it’s great to have the advance info, normally these things come to light after I visit
Season’s Greetings
Rod
chris keyworth said,
December 25, 2009 @ 9:14 am
yer i know about that one, there is still quite a bit of bad feeling towards the residents of killingholme, there are also some mooring rings mounted on the church so that boats could be tied up to it when the sea used to encroach into the marshes, its worth a look rod…
regards
chris
Steve... said,
December 25, 2009 @ 10:21 am
I remember reading somewhere that the original Saxon site of Riby was near the crossroads and later moved to the present higher ground.
chris keyworth said,
December 25, 2009 @ 11:54 am
yes thats right steve, when they put the pipline across the field behind the houses they found loads of burials and a lead font i have done a bit of detecting on there over the years and found quite a bit of stuff saxon and roman coins, there is quite alot of interesting places around Riby….
regards
chris
chris keyworth said,
September 15, 2010 @ 8:46 pm
an interesting point and one for you to look into Rod, in the exterior walls of the church at riby there is a human jaw bone set into the wall apparently it had teeth years ago but they have now fallen out you need to revisit i think rod and have a goood look around..
also i have located one of the original civil war swords from the battle of riby gap so soon there will be some pictures for you, it is in private hands and still resides in Riby village so it hasnt moved far…
regards
chris
Rod said,
September 16, 2010 @ 7:27 am
Chris,
the jaw bone sounds absolutely fascinating - I’ll have to revisit.
As to a civil war sword - fabulous
Thanks as always Chris
Best
Rod
Jim Harris said,
December 18, 2010 @ 9:34 pm
My Mother grew up at Riby Grove (1912 to 1932) and lived in the large mansion that use to be on the property (just at the end of the row of trees.). She and her sister attended St Edmunds. I still have an oil painting of this church in Riby Grove that I inherited from her. I understand there is a memorial in the grounds of the church of the names of those from Riby (and maybe Stallingsbourgh?) who died in WW1. I lost two great Uncles in the that war, I know the name of one of them but not the other. Do you have a picture of that memorial with the names on it?
Rod said,
December 19, 2010 @ 8:50 am
Hi Jim.
thanks for the comment and welcom to the site. Was the surname of your Uncles Lee ?
I don’t have a picture of the monument, I’ll take one when I visit next Jim.
Here are the names listed on the monument.
Pte JOHN J BELL Seaforth Highlands Sep 1915
Capt EDWARD BUCKLEY York & Lancasters Sep 1917
Sec Lt ROY BUCKLEY Manchesters Jan 1917
Sergt ALFRED COX Lincolns July 1916
Pte FRED GOODHAND Australians Apr 1917
Pte WALTER LEE Lincolns Sep 1918
Pte WILLIAM H LEE Lincolns Apr 1917
L/Cpl CHARLES H PATTINSON Lincolns Sep 1916
Pte BENJAMIN SMITH Lincolns July 1916
Pte CHARLES W WEBSTER Duke of Wellingtons May 1917
Gunner FRED WEBSTER RGA Sep 1917
Pte FRED WILSON Lincolns Apr 1917
Jim said,
January 25, 2012 @ 4:00 am
Alfred Cox was one of my Great Uncles killed in WW1, the other is not listed, which I learned recently (from a cousin in NZ) was named Thomas Cox, they both served in the 10th Lincolns and were both killed on the Somme. C’est la guerre.