St Peter
Normanby le Wold, Lincolnshire
The village of Normanby le Wold has a population of between 60 and 70 and within its parish boundaries has the trig point for the highest point of Lincolnshire at 550ft.
Built, like most Wolds churches, of ironstone, it is quite a grand building for this area. It is mostly Early English, but was restored in 1871 by James Fowler of Louth. It wasn't a severe Fowler restoration, for although he provided new furnishings, he left behind a lot of interesting features.
In the chancel are a series of interesting monuments. In a niche in the north walls is a 13th century cross slab. On the south wall is a painted stone monument in a severed classical style. Erected in 1605 it incorporates the rather battered kneeling effigies of the lord of Claxby, John Witherwick (died 1595) his wife Elizabeth FitzWilliam and their only daughter. On the wall beside it is an armorial brass to Elizabeth's second husband William FitzWilliam who died in 1634 and their daughter Mary Monson who died in 1638.
Moving to the nave there is a striking late Victorian painting of the Annunciation. Said to come from St Paul's church in Burton on Trent in Staffordshire, it is one of seven similar paintings in the area. GF Bodley did work at St Paul's and it is possible he was responsible for the painting.