Gainsborough Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Gainsborough Old Hall, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England
Gainsborough Old Hall, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England
The church dates from the 12th century onwards and was restored by Fowler in the late 19th century. There is a large west tower, nave and chancel in one, and north vestry. The church is entered by the west doorway of the tower which dates from the late 12th century. The tower is of three stages with six large buttresses. It is some 16'3" square internally. Large size is an indication that the population at the time was greater. There is a large arch into the nave. The tower was enlarged in the late 14th century and there are battlements with pinnacles and gargoyles. There are three bells. By the late 18th-century the church was too big for the inhabitants of the parish and was in very poor condition. It was therefore rebuilt, except for the tower. In 1870 the nave and chancel were converted into one by James Fowler. The north vestry was added. Therefore the majority of the church except for the tower is from the 19th century, including the font. The reredos is by A. B. Skipworth and Conrad Dressler. The organ was originally built by Benjamin Flight and was purchased in 1935 from the Wesleyan Chapel in Kirton in Lindsey. It has recently been restored.
Photo by Jules & Jenny (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)
St Laurence's church, Corringham, dates from the 11th C.onwards with 1882 restoration by Bodley and Garner. The lych gate was built in the 1880's and the South porch was rebuilt by Bodley. The tower was built in the 10th C. to a pre-existing wooden church (burnt down by the Danes) and is built in Jurassic limestone quarried from the Lincoln Edge. The tower arch with seven roll mouldings stands on a plinth of four chamfered set-offs and is 17 ft 6" high. The south and west faces of the tower contain stones showing charred red brown colour, evidence of the torching by the Danes. In 1849 the nave roof was altered from being a pitched roof to a "flat" roof, and the Anglo-Saxon doorway above the tower arch served no purpose so it was blocked up. The font is situated under the tower arch and was made by George Green of Gainsborough in the 1849 restoration. The north aisle dates from 11C and was enlarged in 14C. The Lady Chapel dates from 13C and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The ceiling, by G.F. Bodley (1884), contains the "M" motif - representing the Magnificat. The Chancel has a rood screen made of oak, the base is the original rood screen which was taken down in 1565 and sold to Thomas Broxholme for 16 shillings. It was later discovered at the Vicarage and re-erected by Bodley in 1884. The choir contains choir stalls with misericords. There is an Easter Sepulchre between the north door and the east wall and this has been re-used for the recessed tomb of William de Gare 1277-1290, Archdeacon of Lincoln. The Organ was installed in 1884 by Messrs. Wordsworth and Maskell of Leeds and paid for by public subscription. It has a tracker action. In the 1950's it was electified and in 1974 it was cleaned and restored by Cousans of Lincoln when a balance swell pedal and two extra stops were added. The organ case was decorated by Bodley with Latin verses from the Psalms. The Lancet window in the West tower wall is a 13th C. window with the stained glass being inserted in 1878 by C. Kempe (1838-1907) showing John the Baptist, the prophet Isaiah, and King David. The two north aisle windows are Perpendicular (14C) and have clear quarries with emblems, in colour, representing the Passion of Christ - nails, rope, dice, lance with sponge on reed and the scourges. Pic by Jenny.
Photo by Jules & Jenny (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)
14th to 15th Century. The tower of the church is immensely tall. The two upper stages of the tower are a late 18th century addition to the medieval original. The church itself, of clerestoried nave with aisles and shorted chancel, is medieval, but done up in 18th century Gothick dress (by Thomas and William Lumby, 1772-74), many of the fittings are clearly Georgian Gothick. Inside the nave arches are in the 14th century Decorated style, with octagonal piers. Over the nave is a Gothick plaster vault, hiding the old oak roof above. The white marble font is by Richard Hayward and dates to 1775. On the south side of the chancel is the black incised slab to Sir Gerard Sothill,(d.1410) which F.A. Greenhill regards as foreign work, and exceptionally fine. The knight lies in full armour, his feet on a greyhound, and his head supported by angels: ‘Hic iacet dominus Gerardus Sothill miles, qui obit primo die Augusti Anno Domini millesimo CCCV cuius anime miserere Deus. Amen.’ A restoration of the church in 1888 added the present porch, stripped the plaster from the walls of the nave and aisles, and substituted plain pine pews for the 18th century ones. Sadly the church fell into disrepair and by the 1970’s was beyond the resources of the parish to repair. In 1979 St Andrew’s was placed in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.
Photo by Jules & Jenny (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)
The White Swan

The White Swan

4 out of 5
The Green Gainsborough England
Stay at this inn in Gainsborough. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and 2 bars/lounges. Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular attractions ...
9/10 Wonderful! (308 reviews)
Room fine reception staff nice. Good shower

Reviewed on 8 Feb 2026

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The White Swan
Hex Wildlife Hotel

Hex Wildlife Hotel

3.5 out of 5
Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Hurst Ln Doncaster England
Stay at this hotel in Doncaster. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and 2 restaurants. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in their reviews. ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (707 reviews)
From start to finish the trip was amazing! The room was very clean and ridiculous for a three star! The bed was so comfortable and the hotel food was something else. No one should listen to those trip advisor reviews!

Reviewed on 8 Feb 2026

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Hex Wildlife Hotel
Humber Royal Hotel

Humber Royal Hotel

4 out of 5
Littlecoates Road Grimsby England
Stay at this hotel in Grimsby. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and a 24-hour front desk. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in their ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (915 reviews)
Good stay with a great , quiet room. Service and breakfast excellent. However, there was an issue with housekeeping, being left only 1 towel between 2 adults twice, the first time being left a dirty towel. We told reception who quickly sorted the issue.

Reviewed on 30 Dec 2025

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Humber Royal Hotel
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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Humber Lofts Serviced Suites

Humber Lofts Serviced Suites

4 out of 5
94 Alfred Gelder Street Hull England
Stay at this aparthotel in Hull. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and laundry facilities. Popular attractions St Mary the Virgin Church and Hull Guildhall are ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (36 reviews)
Lovely, clean apartment. Excellent and prompt communication via telephone. Spacious and modern. Only downside was parking, there are 11 spots for 20 units, not advertised on expedia. You didn't find out til after pre check-in which caused some headache. But when we got there, parking lot was empty ...

Reviewed on 7 Sept 2025

Humber Lofts Serviced Suites
The Plough Retreat

The Plough Retreat

3 out of 5
Main Street Newark England
Stay at this apartment in Newark. Enjoy free parking and a bar/lounge. Popular attractions Newark Air Museum and ELK Motorsport are located nearby.
8.4/10 Very Good! (57 reviews)
Very convenient, central location for our needs to get to Antiques Fairs . Large, clean room / ensuite. Codes to access building and room where semt in plenty of time. One slight issue was codes given to access room had to be reset but while that was happening we were made very welcome in the pub ...

Reviewed on 14 Oct 2025

The Plough Retreat
Platform Stadium Apartment

Platform Stadium Apartment

4 out of 5
20 Granville St Hull England
Stay at this apartment in Hull. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, laundry facilities and premium bedding. Popular attractions MKM Stadium and TeamSport Hull are located ...
Platform Stadium Apartment
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Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Hemswell Antique Centres

You can browse for the perfect souvenirs at Hemswell Antique Centres during your stay in Caenby Corner.

Hemswell Antique Centres

Blyton Park Driving Center

You can take time to visit Blyton Park Driving Center during your travels to Blyton.

Blyton Park Driving Center

Gainsborough Old Hall

You can spend an afternoon browsing the exhibits at Gainsborough Old Hall in Gainsborough. While in this quaint area, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Gainsborough Old Hall

Gainsborough Martin and Co. Arena

Catch an event at Gainsborough Martin and Co. Arena during your trip to Gainsborough. While in this quaint area, you can savour the top-notch restaurants.

Gainsborough Martin and Co. Arena

Blyton Park Driving Centre

You can take time to visit Blyton Park Driving Centre during your travels to Laughton.

Blyton Park Driving Centre

Race Kart Centre

You can take time to visit Race Kart Centre during your travels to Laughton.

Race Kart Centre

Reviews of Gainsborough

4.3
Top destination
5 - Excellent
8
5 - Excellent 44%
4 - Good
8
4 - Good 44%
3 - Okay
2
3 - Okay 11%
2 - Disappointing
0
2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
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1 - Terrible 0%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

The pub wasn’t actually in Gainsborough!

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Very hospitable

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveller

Didn’t really see much. Only came up for golf but looked nice as we drove through.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Lovely friendly people and local pub The Rose and Crown.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

We visited RAF Scampton for a tour of the airbase. Its free and it is where the dambusters were based. And now the red arrows

Cities near Gainsborough

Brodsworth Hall which includes a garden and heritage architecture

Doncaster

Lincoln bound train The Doncaster to Lincoln service heads south, first stop will be Gainsborough Lea Road Station in about 10 minutes.
Photo by roger geach (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)

Walkeringham