ALL SAINTS, BECKINGHAM
Beckingham is an ancient parish which forms part of the county boundary with Nottinghamshire. Neighbouring Barnby in the Willows - Nottinghamshire, Stragglethorpe - Lincolnshire and Fenton - Lincolnshire were all once chapelries within the parish of Beckingham.
The 12th century church of All Saints is a Grade I listed building by English Heritage and is regarded as in danger. Despite restorations in 1857,1888 and 1900 the fabric of the building is under threat.
In 1998 it was the intention to declare the church redundant and it closed, only re-opening in late 2005 after repairs to the chancel roof. In those seven years around £300,000 was spent on making the church watertight and structurally sound. It subsequently featured in the 2006 BBC Restoration TV series. Funds for a 3 stage restoration both of the external fabric of the building, which is endangered, and installation of modern facilities internally are continuing.
Repairs to the tower costing £160,000 started in January 2012. Due to on‐going building work the church currently has no heating, only three working light sockets and one working power point. There are holes in the floor between some pews. The pipe organ was damaged beyond repair and an electronic organ is used.
Sadly the bells are not in a fit state to be rung or tolled. The clock does not work. The last Quinquennial Inspection was in 2002, with the parish estimating the cost of outstanding repairs to be as much as £500,000.
As in so many villages it is the church which has the most obvious connection with the past. There was a church and a priest here at the time of the original Domesday Book. Although the church today is much larger than in the eleventh century when it would have been no larger than the present chancel.
The eighteenth century rectory is one of the largest in the county and similarly the living at Beckingham was one of the most lucrative.
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