Bingham’s Parish Church has been around since the early 1200s, and it’s almost certain that a church had existed prior to that date. Its spire can easily be seen whichever way you approach Bingham and was built out of Ancaster stone. Apparently it took over 70 years to complete, and because of the sheer weight of the tower, the thickness at the foot of the tower is over 1½ metres thick. At each corner of the tower are grotesque gargoyles which would have spouted rainwater from the spire onto any visitors below! Whilst admiring the outside and spotting the carvings, admire the recently renovated lychgate. Originally constructed in 1881, it enabled coffin bearers to take shelter before taking the final few steps into church. On the gable end of the porch, take a look at the carving of a house-martin’s nest and consider the scene as local dignitaries sat and conducted parish business from the stone seats (this included the receiving of tithes and rents and announcing important council decisions).
Bingham’s bell-tower houses a bell cast in 1588 to commemorate the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and others were cast in 1647 and 1662. I wonder how many peals that bell has made over Bingham in 3½ centuries?
Immediately inside the church is the font, thrown out in the civil war but returned to its rightful place (with some restorative work) in the 1920s. The pillars in Bingham Church are all "topped" with interesting carvings, and it is believed that the oak and vine leaves were copied from Southwell Minster. But in addition to the leaves, you’ll see human faces (believed to be the masons and locals who helped fund the church), grazing animals, and grotesque heads depicting the seven deadly sins.
To the right of the entrance is the choir vestry, which is once believed to have been a schoolroom, and on either side of the door are marks purported to be caused by generations of children sharpening their slate pencils whilst waiting to enter class. A great story, me-thinks!
At the front of the church, hanging on the wall to the right of the chancel, is a carved wooden statuette of Ann Harrison. She died in 1928 at the age of 99 and had been a regular churchgoer all her life. The story goes that she raised charitable money by collecting food scraps and then selling them for pig food! The nave is separated from the chancel by a "rood screen", which has original 15th-century carving at its base, and shining through this screen are the colours from the east stained-glass window. It's a superb sight on a bright sunny day!
In the south transept is a medieval washbasin, and in the nave hangs a modern cross (1992) as a memorial to local people who died in World War II.
An annual Flower Festival is held every May, so if you’re in the area at that time of year, it's well worth calling in.