A LOOK AT LANGTOFT CHURCH

Historical Background

Welcome to St Michael’s Church Langtoft.

The building dates from the 13th century and stands on the site of an earlier building of roughly the same dimensions.  It seems likely that the construction of the ‘new’ church was made possible by the relative wealth of the village at that time. 

This prosperity arose from the unusually mild climate England was then experiencing.  Records show that there were 2000 sheep kept in the parish in 1270.   The Vicar of Langtoft was successfully demanding double and triple offerings at weddings and funerals.  Church festivals (called Church-Ales) were being celebrated to such excess that they were banned by the bishop in Lincoln in 1239!

Sadly, these good times passed. By 1313 the climate was cool and wet and the flat, low-lying grazing land was too waterlogged to support sheep.  Harvests were poor and the village suffered from famine. Climate change, albeit perhaps arising from different causes, is not a new phenomenon.

The Church

The Church is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels.           

Christian tradition gives St. Michael four offices:

To fight against Satan.  
To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death. 
To be the champion of God’s people. 
To call men’s souls away from earth and bring them to judgement.