Louth - St James

Louth is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book as a town of 124 households

St. James is a medieval building. It has the tallest steeple (87.63 m) of any medieval parish church in Britain. The chancel and nave were re-built between 1430 and 1440. The building of the tower probably commenced in the 1440s or 1450s and was completed to its present height by 1499. The church is mainly 15th century and is the third building on the site, replacing 11th- and 13th-century buildings.


In October 1536, as a result of Henry VIII's ecclesiastical changes, people gathered in the church to start the Lincolnshire Rising, which was followed by the Pilgrimage of Grace. Neither succeeded and the church was stripped of its riches, including the rood screen, by the king's forces.

The Vicar of the church was hanged, drawn and quartered for his part in it in 1537.