St Mary's  Church Covenham

Covenham:
St Mary's Church
The church is made of chalk and ironstone and consists of a west tower with battlements; an unaisled nave and an unaisled chancel. The chancel was licensed, though not finished, in 1359 and contains alterations and repairs dating to the 15th, late 18th and 19th centuries. Most of the windows are in the perpendicular style (1350-1530). There are two windows of particular interest: the first one is the three-light east window which is in the decorated period with vertical divisions and in the head is a rich tracery typical of this period and dates to the 14th century, the other is the low side window on the south side which in the Middle Ages could perhaps have been used as a "squint" for lepers.

A scratch dial (a type of sun-dial) can be found on a stone on the eastern wall.

On the north wall there is a cusped and subscusped recess, ogee topped, which may have once have housed a tomb or, may have been something to do with an Easter Sepulchre, In this recess, for a number of years a brass of 1415 of Sir John Skypwyth was kept having been removed from St Bartholomew's Church when it was made redundant. However, this has now been returned to St Bartholomew's Church at the behest of me St Bartholomew's Church Trust (set up to restore St Bartholomew) although, the

 trust had a full-sized replica made and this is on loan to St Mary's and this is now housed on this north wall recess.

Contained within the wall of the north nave is a blocked doorway of 15th century date. Prior to the work of the southern entrance to the church, there stood a late 18th century brick porch with raised coped gables and kneelers. This had a round arched outer opening with keyblock, containing a wooden Gothic railed gate. Demolition of this porch revealed the inner doorway, dated to the 14th century.

Both the Chancel and Nave are barrel-roofed inside. At the top of the walls in the Nave are stone brackets on which rest the main roof beams. Several of these are carved with corbels some of which are decorated with grotesque figures. The bell openings of the tower are said to be 14th century.

The font is also Perpendicular in style and has an unusual pattern. The rim of the bowl is dotted with flowers and around the sides are shields with instruments of our Lord's Passion Such as crosses, nails, hammers and scourges.

St Mary's Church underwent major restoration in the 1890's at a cost of £800 with the help of Canon Smythe, at that time, vicar of Elkington. However, in 1986 a request was received from villagers, with a donation of approximately £2,000 towards the cost, for a new porch housing toilet facilities. Unfortunately, it took some 12 years before all plans and permissions were obtained and work could begin on the new porch which was completed in 1998.