Highways and Byways in Lincolnshire

by W. F. Rawnsley

THE HOLLOW-GATE BRIDGE

Halton Holgate stands on the very edge of the Wold, where the green-sand terminates, and looks far across the Fen to Boston. The name of the village is always properly pronounced by the natives Halton Hollygate, i.e., hollow gate or way; for the descending road has been cut through the green-sand rock, and where the cutting is deepest a pretty timber footbridge is thrown over it, leading from the rectory to the churchyard. The garden lawn has, or had, two fine old mulberry trees. These were once more common—for in the reign of James I. an order went out for the planting of mulberry trees in all rectory gardens with a view to the encouragement of the silk trade by the breeding and feeding of silkworms, whose favourite diet is the mulberry leaf. From the garden, “Boston stump” is visible eighteen miles to the south. The church is a particularly handsome one with massive well-proportioned tower, and large belfry windows, eight three-light clerestory windows on either side and a fine south porch of Ancaster stone. The rest is built of the beautifully tinted local green-sand, with quoins of harder Clipsham stone. Inside it is spacious, with lofty octagonal pillars. It is seated throughout with oak, and has several good old oak poppy-heads and some large modern ones copied from Winthorpe and carved by a Halton carpenter. Here it is worth notice that for the last hundred years Halton has never been without wood-workers of unusual talent.

Bridge over the Hollow-Gate.

HALTON CHURCH

South of the chancel two tall blocked arcades, leading to a Lady chapel long pulled down, were opened by the Rev. T. Sale, rector in 1894, who had reseated the chancel and filled the east window with good stained glass. The chapel, which now holds the organ, was rebuilt in memory of the two previous rectors, Rev. T. H. Rawnsley (1825-1861) and R. D. B. Rawnsley (1861-1882), and their wives Sophia Walls and Catharine Franklin. The fine effigy of a Crusader, called Henry de Halton, had been buried for safety and forgotten, like that of the priest at Little Steeping, and the sepulchral slab with Lombardic lettering, of Sir Walter Bec, of the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, is the oldest monument in the neighbourhood. The inscription is: “Sire Walter Bec jist ici de ki alme Dieu ait merci.” There is a fine peal of six bells, and a “tingtang,” a thing very common in Lincolnshire, and reminiscent of the pre-Reformation Sanctus bell.

We have so often seen, owing to the negligence of church authorities, damp church walls, and wet streaming down from gutter or stack-pipe, which is blocked with growing grass or sparrows’ nests, to the great detriment of the building, that it is pleasant to record the useful activity of the Halton churchwardens, of whom one has carved, and the other put together, a fine oak screen, with the names and dates of all the known rectors, churchwardens and clerks of the parish.

Halton Church.

In the north wall of the chancel is a priest’s door, which has always been in constant use. It is a beautiful bit of Perpendicular work with an exceptionally good hood-moulding and lovely carving of waved foliage in the spandrels. These north side doors are sometimes called “Devils’ doors,” as they were not only to let the priest in but also to let the Devil out, being left open at baptisms to let him fly out when the infant renounces the Devil and all his works, and becomes the child of grace. The idea that the north was the Devil’s side had possibly something to do with the repugnance, hardly yet quite overcome, to a burial on that side of the churchyard.