St Helen
Brigsley, Lincolnshire
The church that serves this beautiful little village in Lincolnshire has a fascinating tower showing many stages of the building’s history and is situated in a quiet lane, perched on a precarious slope.
The church is in the Perpendicular and Decorated styles, with chancel nave and vestry. The church was restored under the direction of SS Teulon in 1859. The nave retains its medieval arcades with some carved capitals. It also has some fine but grotesque and very unusual statues and carvings inside including a bishop with big ears and hand raised in benediction. St Helena was the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine.
In the churchyard is a memorial to 166 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. It is made up of a propeller blade and hub on marble plinth and is a fragment of Lancaster ND-913 A4-M2 of 115 Squadron, Witchford. There is a lovely stained glass window featuring the church and multiple Lancaster bombers, also a memorial to 166 Squandron.
Nearby RAF Kirmington was a Class A airfield of the Second World War. Construction began in 1941, and the airfield was opened for use by Bomber Command in summer 1942. Closed in 1953, it was used for agricultural flying until being converted for commercial use and opening as Humberside Airport in March 1974.