England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Scampton St John the Baptist

The Parish

The parish of Scampton lies in western central Lincolnshire roughly 6 miles north of the city of Lincoln. Scampton sits on the B1398 road which connects Lincoln with Kirton in Lindsey. Scampton sits along the B1398 which performs a smoothed right-angled bend through the village, properties either lie alongside that road or on a narrow lane headed westwards. Scampton is a spring-line village, the B1398 following the base of the rather gentle escarpment of the Jurassic limestone through a series of such villages. The land was fertile and arable farming dominated as it does in much of the county, in addition the limestone was quarried both for local building stone and also for burning to make lime. Today Scampton is irrevocably linked to the events which transpired from its airfield which lies on top of the escarpment to the east and is still a working air-base. Scampton airfield was the launch site for the notorious Dambusters raid of World War II and there are numerous aspects of that raid about the village, the inn is Dambusters Inn and there are memorials in the church to those who did not return. Scampton is drained westwards by small brooks which soon meet the River Till and turn south, the latter meets the Witham to pass through Lincoln and then follow that rivers' canalised course to the North Sea through Boston. Scampton is sited at just 20 metres above the sea at its church, the top of the escarpment touches 60 metres in places northwards as local high spots. Scampton parish was typically sized for the area covering a little over 2,100 acres and supporting a population of around 200 parishioners. Domesday Scampton recorded 35 households which made it into the largest 20% of settlements by population, the manor's assets, however, indicate a very similar rural area as it is today, held by Gilbert of Ghent there were 11 ploughs, a moderately sized meadow and a mill.

The Church

St John's church sits on the western side of the B1398 just after its route turns northwards. This is church which has been much modified in later times, Pevsner struggles to find much of the medieval remaining to describe, there are a few fragments from the 14th & 15th centuries mostly in the Perpendicular style. Historic England recognise the tower arch as 14th century as well as the plinth of which the tower sits, a re-cut 14th century window also sits in the south wall of the chancel. A few more remnants confirm 16th century work, the 3-bay northern arcade being the main feature along with the chancel arch and the arch from chancel to the northern chapel. Much else is from relatively modern times, Pevsner reports a thorough remodelling from 1794 whilst the chancel and northern aisle were both extensively reworked in 1877 which also saw most of the stained glass renewed. There is small layby immediately outside of the churchyard allowing a leisurely visit, metal gates pierce the post and rail fencing around. Sadly for the photographer there are trees close to the church along its entire southern face and also its northeastern corner restricting the angles available for images.