The Church of St. Oswald in Althorpe was rebuilt in 1483 on the site of an earlier church. It was rebuilt by Sir John Neville, MP and Sheriff of Lincolnshire, in a perpendicular style.
Carvings above the west window show shields bearing the arms of the Neville family quartered with those of the Newmarch family and the Mowbary family. John Neville had married Elizabeth Newmarch which may explain why they were also included. The Mowbary family was a large land-owning family on the Isle of Axholme. There is also a relief carving of a ram and tun (a beer or wine cask) which is reputed to indicate the builder of the church, Lambton.
During restorations in 1864 layers of paint were removed from a sedilia (a stone seat) which revealed a brass plaque. Depicting a small half figure in Medieval clothes and an inscription in Latin. Translated it reads ‘Here lies William de Lound, formerly clerk of chancery of our lord the King on whose soul may God have mercy’. William was the vicar at Althorpe having been presented to the rectory by Joseph Ponely prior of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in 1355.
Additional church yard was consecrated in 1856. Unfortunately, during the 1960’s it was the fashion to level the ground around churches and as a result many of the gravestones have been removed from the churchyards.
