St Mary
Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire
The church holds the old standard and roll of honour of 101 Bomber Squadron based at RAF Ludford, the squadron that suffered the highest number of casualties of any squadron during WWII.
Today Ranby is a small hamlet situated just off the Roman Road linking Caistor to Horncastle. However at one time it was a larger settlement. ‘Randebi’ is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book consisting of 29 households, a mill and one church.
Rebuilt in 1861 by Victorian architect James Fowler, St German’s has a lovely limestone colouring with slate roof. Although the church is not open daily it is worth the effort to obtain the keys and take a peek within. Here you will find a richly mounded Vestry fireplace, the 19th century tie beam roof over the nave and the wagon roof over the chancel, and 19th century pews with their small doors.
Also well worth a look are the pulpit, altar rail, choir stalls, chair and the octagonal stone font with its cusped panels with flower heads and coats of arms.