Our Church Building.......
Dedicated to All Saint's the current building was gifted by the Rev'd. Basil Beridge and consecrated in 1871. Revd Beridge was an important person in the area - his family having been local gentry here(and at our sister parish of Algarkirk) since the time of James 2nd. He was a ‘squarson' - a local curiosity combining the roles of parson and squire (It is interesting to note that Canon Gervase Markham - born in Grimsby, was the last squarson in England, and died aged 97 years as recently as 2007). Revd Beridge was also a local magistrate for Boston. Fortunately, he was a great benefactor for Fosdyke, and at his own expense of some £8,650.00 he rebuilt All Saints Church, built a new vicarage on the site of a previous Public House, built a school for the village and brought the glebe land for the Parish up to about 100 acres - sadly, long appropriated during the ‘glebe wars' of the mid twentieth century.
The current building was erected as a replacement and enlargement of an earlier building (seen here with the Revd Beridge) destroyed by fire, which itself replaced our first church; the only reminder of which is the lovely 14th. century font with its lofty oak Victorian cover, said to mimic the famous Boston Parish Church, or ‘Stump' as it is affectionately known locally.
The noticeable tilt to our handsome chevron leaded spire is there because the tower stands on 'new' ground and not the earlier footings of the previous two church buildings. The tower house a single bell now, as two were sold off at the time of rebuilding to help defray costs. It is topped off by a wonderful gilded cockerel weather vane, restored for the centenary of the present building in 1967.
Resembling the early English style, the interior of the building is magnificently simple, and yet beautifully proportioned, only the plainest of materials are used, save the 3 lancets of stained glass which make up the imposing East window, and yet the overall effect for a small village church is a masterful example of the work of architect Edward Browning.
A reminder of the previous building is to be found in an early photograph on the North Wall.
A programme of maintenance work is now under way to make sure that this lovely building is as beautiful for future generations as it has been for us.