Stained glass west window in St Martin of Tours' church, Lyndon.
"Our village is unusual in being mostly an Estate village. The two Halls, surrounding land, and all the older properties belong to the Conant family, the Halls having been built by the Barker brothers in the 17th century. Thomas Barker, the meteorologist, is buried in the churchyard. Sir John Conant is the patron of the living.
There are 41 dwellings with approximately three quarters of these on short hold tenancies. The population of the village therefore changes a good deal, although there are usually about 75 people.
We have many visitors to our church and we consider it an important part of our mission to keep it tidy and unlocked every day in order to welcome people.
Our church is fairly small, aisled and dates back to the 14th century, although an even older font was discovered buried in the churchyard. The building is listed as Grade 2. The Henry Willis organ was installed at the same time as major restoration during the 19th century. More about the church architecture and history.
Lyndon Church is for the most part 13th and early 14th century. There is evidence of an earlier church and of very considerable restoration in 1865.
The Tower was built in three stages. From the outside you can see the string courses, the moulded plinth at the base and the battlemented parapet above. It is 14th century with the upper part being rebuilt in the 15th century. The thin coat of original mortar on the upper part especially on the South face of the tower should be noted: many churches particularly those built of small soft stone were rendered in this way.
The broken cross displayed in the west window was found when part of a house in the village was demolished. According to one account it is part of the Village Cross which stood at the crossroads and to another it is the head of a finial cross from above some chancel arch and dates back to about 1130.
The Nave with its arcades and the chancel arch are from the early 14th century. The double chamfered arcading and the clerestory were the subject of much restoration in 1865. On the North arcading, the aperture in the eastern pillar indicates the earlier existence of a rood loft: see the remaining stairs on the north side of the pillar.
Opposite, high on the corresponding pillar on the south side is a plaque which records Thomas Barker's gift to the poor of Lyndon in 1708. This Thomas Barker died without direct heirs and the Hall passed to Samuel Barker of South Luffenham, the father of Thomas Barker the meteorologist.
There is a variety of carved heads on each pillar of the tower arch, in the spandrils of the centre pillars of the nave and at the springs of the roof arches. Most of these appear original but one or the two are probably more recent. The clerestory windows are in the style of the 14th century architecture of the rest of the church but are part of the 1865 restoration, only the hood moulds being original. The glass itself and also that in the aisles may be 18th century. The pews were installed in 1865. The chest by the south door is Jacobean.
The south aisle dates from the early 13th century church. The empty stone bracket for a statue at the east end below the brass memorial plaque to members of the Conant family is intriguing. The 1914–1918 War Memorial is on the south wall at the west end. The north aisle was widened in the 1865 restoration. At the east end is an early window, with tracery and mullions removed, and the remains of the staircase to the rood loft. The pointed three light windows are from the 1865 restoration built in the 14th century architectural style. The glass may well be 18th-century.
The Chancel dates from the 14th century. The west window, the arch to the organ chamber and the doorway on the south side are all built in that style but are part of the 1865 restoration which included the alabaster pulpit and the reredos: the altarpiece behind the altar, depicts religious iconography including the Passover in Egypt.
The Organ chamber added in 1865 contains a Henry Willis organ of that period.
We have one service of Holy Communion a month and also a service of Morning Prayer, taken by the Churchwardens, on one of the other Sundays. Find the next Sunday Worship Service.
Our traditional candlelit Carol Service on Christmas Eve attracts a large congregation of over 80 people and is a most atmospheric experience. Our major fund raising event is our annual Harvest Service and Supper followed by a Harvest Auction which is also well attended."
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