Holbeach St Matthew
Encyclopedia
Holbeach St Matthew is a fenland
hamlet in the South Holland district of southern Lincolnshire
, England. It lies 6 miles (9.7 km) north-east from Holbeach
and 1 miles (1.6 km) from The Wash
.
In 1885 Kelly’s
noted that the village was in the ecclesiastical parish
of Holbeach Marsh, that a school for 72 children was about to be built, that its area was of 9240 acres (37.4 km²), and had an 1881 population of 743. The hamlet's chapel of ease
, dedicated to St Matthew, was built 1868-69 by Ewan Christian
in Early English style, and was capable of holding 110 persons. It is constructed of brick, has a combined nave
and chancel
, a south porch, and an east of nave turret with bell. The chapel, now redundant, has been converted to residential use.
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
hamlet in the South Holland district of southern Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England. It lies 6 miles (9.7 km) north-east from Holbeach
Holbeach
Holbeach is a fenland market town with in the South Holland district of southern Lincolnshire, England. The town lies from Spalding; from Boston; from King's Lynn; from Peterborough; and a by road from the county town of Lincoln. It is on the junction of the A151 and A17...
and 1 miles (1.6 km) from The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
.
In 1885 Kelly’s
Kelly's Directory
Kelly's Directory was a trade directory in the United Kingdom that listed all businesses and tradespeople in a particular city or town, as well as a general directory of postal addresses of local gentry, landowners, charities, and other facilities. In effect, it was a Victorian version of today's...
noted that the village was in the ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Holbeach Marsh, that a school for 72 children was about to be built, that its area was of 9240 acres (37.4 km²), and had an 1881 population of 743. The hamlet's chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
, dedicated to St Matthew, was built 1868-69 by Ewan Christian
Ewan Christian
Ewan Christian was a British architect. He is most notable for the restoration of Carlisle Cathedral, the alterations to Christ Church, Spitalfields in 1866, and the extension to the National Gallery that created the National Portrait Gallery. He was architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners...
in Early English style, and was capable of holding 110 persons. It is constructed of brick, has a combined nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, a south porch, and an east of nave turret with bell. The chapel, now redundant, has been converted to residential use.