Welcome to Irnham Parish

Welcome to the historic Lincolnshire village of Irnham and the neighbouring hamlets of Bulby and Hawthorpe (population 206).  In medieval times, the squire of Irnham, Sir Geoffrey Luttrell (1276 - 1345), commissioned an illuminated Psalter as a devotional book and also as a visual record of his life and that of the ordinary folk on his estates.  Now known as The Luttrell Psalter, it is one of the greatest manuscripts held in The British Library.
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“The village deserves commendation.  Its sequestered position adds to its delight.  It is of grey stone, enlivened by much leafage, with a sprinkling of vernacular estate cottages.”  So wrote Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the famous art historian.
Irnham is still arranged as our medieval ancestors would have understood.  The ancient Saint Andrew’s church dominates the top of a small tree-covered hill; to its south-side is Irnham Hall and, beyond, two of the original three fishponds that would once have been reserved for the squire, the priest and villagers.  Clustered around the base of the church’s hill are cottages and a few larger homes.

The unspoilt, quintessentially English atmosphere continues to delight; in 2004, we won the Best Village in the East Midlands award. This was partly due to the sympathetic way alterations and additions have been made.  Over the past few years, an unsightly array of primarily corrugated-iron farm buildings has been removed and new homes – all in local stone and to traditional designs – have been constructed.
In 2020 we were delighted to win the SKDC Best Kept Village Competition (smaller village/hamlets category).

Bulby and Hawthorpe are equally picturesque with meandering streams and chickens clucking at the roadside.  We hope you will enjoy our website and perhaps visit the Parish.