Entry to the church is through one of the doors at the west end. The internal screen and doors to the north west door were erected in 1986 and were a gift in memory of a former churchwarden and parishioner, John Kenneth Mason. They were designed by Ronald Stanley of Spalding and were made and erected by Messrs Langwith, builders of Holbeach.

You are now standing under the north west tower. There is little evidence that this tower ever rose above its present level. However, if you look up you will see the carved heads and the first sections of a stone vaulted roof, now replaced by a wooden one. In an engraving of the Abbey Church, thought to be late 17th or early 18th century, the north west door is blocked with stones. We do not know whether this was when the upper part of the tower collapsed, if it existed, or whether the stone vaulted roof collapsed.

Turn right and walk to the centre of the west end. You are now standing in the portion of the church. constructed in the Middle Ages, as the first stage of a plan to replace the Norman church with one of cathedral like proportions. We believe that this work was thwarted by either the Black Death or lack of finance. Evidence of the unfinished work can be seen by looking left towards the first Norman arch. To the west of this arch is a gap starting one third of the way up the wall.

Major restoration work on the west end was undertaken in the 1880s and is recorded by the brass plaque on the west wall below the list of abbots and vicars from the foundation in 1138 to the present day. The main west window was replaced at this time. Originally, a window similar to the east window was in situ but this was replaced by the three lighted window by Robert Mason Mills, in memory of Fanny, his wife, and two of his daughters, Fanny Mary who died at the age of four years and eight months, and Emily Amelia, who died aged nine months.

Below the brass plaque is a reredos panel removed from Vowchurch, Hereford, pulled down because of dry rot. It is part of a larger panel. believed to be 15th century and was presented to the church in 1961 by Mr and Mrs Trevor Brodrick. The internal doors and screen to the main west door were erected in 1999 using part of a legacy from the late Mr Whitfield of Bourne.

Now turn and face the font, the place of entry into Christian life by baptism. For this reason, it is located near the entry of the building. The carving round it is in a form of Latin shorthand which translated means: Jesus the name above all other names. Look at it closely and you will see signs that it was at some time painted and gilded. Walk forward to the steps and at the base you will see memorial stones to some of the former vicars of Bourne and their families. Move forward into the nave. You are now standing in the oldest part of the church, built soon after 1138 when Bourne Abbey was founded by Baldwin Fitzgilbert for the living of the religious life. These Norman pillars and arches have seen many generations of Brunnians worshipping here. This part of the church has always served as the parish church of Bourne, in accordance with the policy of the Augustinian order to which the Arrouasian monastery belonged.

The clerestory above the arches is 15th century. Notice to your right the extended Norman arch and the octagonal pillar supporting it which are again 15th century and were adapted to give additional strength to the south west tower. Look up at the paintings of Moses and Aaron. It has been suggested that these are two parts of a triptych given to the church by William Trollope in 1719. You will see the centre section of this painting later in your walk round the Abbey. All three painting were cleaned and restored in 2006.

In the centre of the nave is the beautiful brass chandelier which was given by Matthew Clay in 1742 to the memory of his daughter who died at the age of 22. Its 24 candles are lit at festivals and this is a splendid sight over the worshipping congregation. In the bulbous base there is a paper note of the inscription.

Further east to the left is the pulpit, which is really out of place. Originally there was a Jacobean oak pulpit but this was sold in 1890 for £3 3s. to the church at Frampton, near Boston. In its place this stone structure was placed in the belief that a Norman church should have a Norman pulpit. The decorations imitate the round tops of the arches. In fact this belief was false as Norman churches did not have pulpits so it is an anachronism. On the right stands the fine brass Victorian lectern which is in the form of an eagle supported on a pedestal. It was presented in 1902 in memory of Margaret Dainty and was restored in 1938.

Walk eastwards towards the high altar, through the carved oak screen, given in memory of Sarah Andrews who died in 1895. The choir stalls were erected in 1897 as a thanksgiving for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The carved ends show various designs, including Queen Victoria's coat of arms, and the symbols of St Peter (crossed keys) and St Paul (crossed swords). The high music desks were added in 1983, the money to finance this project being raised by the Friends of the Choir. The design was by William Normington of Bourne and they were made by Messrs Watson of Thurlby.

Since 1830, Bourne Abbey has had an organ which was previously in a west end gallery. The organ chamber and the vestry behind were added in 1870. To the left is the organ, which was restored by Messrs Bishop and Son of Ipswich at the cost of £6,000 in 1976. During 2002, the organ was dismantled, cleaned and overhauled by Nicholas Pitts of Burtey Fen, near Spalding, with parishioners dedicating pipes to the memory of their loved ones. The chancel was rebuilt in 1807 from the ancient materials. Complete demolition did not take place as can be seen outside on the south side by the existence of a priest's doorway. To the side of the organ chamber is a stone slab with three hammers carved on it. It has been suggested that this is a simple canting coat attributed to Abbot Robert de Hamme (1248).

On the walls you will see memorial tablets to the Digby family who lived at the Red Hall, Bourne. An interesting one is that of Catherine Digby who among her many other legacies left £500 in trust to the vicar and churchwardens of the parish of Bourne for the maintenance of an organist, or in default thereof, the money was to be distributed to the poor of the parish. She died in 1836, six years after the first organ was installed in the church.

The north stained glass window in the chancel was placed there in memory of various members of the Dove family in 1860. A plaque under the window records this event. The southern window is in memory of Margetta, wife of Edward Parish who died on 15th December 1858. This window was re-leaded in 1983. The altar was enlarged by the gift and in memory of Charles Home, vicar of the parish, who died a few days after his retirement in 1951.

The east window above, installed in 1866, commemorates members of the Dodsworth family (the centre panel is in memory of the Rev Joseph Dodsworth who died in 1877). During 1986, the stonework and stained glass in this window underwent major restoration and repair at the cost of £13,000 raised by special events, public donations and grants. These three chancel windows represent the Crucifixion “It is finished”, the resurrection “He is risen” and the Ascension “He is ascended”. The stone and marble reredos was given by the Rev Joseph Dodsworth in 1866. Now turn west and walk back to the chancel screen. This is probably the best view of the church. Look up at the nave roof and bosses. Continue down the steps and turn left into the south aisle. In the 1920s, this aisle was made into a chapel, as it was originally, the furnishings for the altar being given in memory of Thomas Moore Baxter who was churchwarden for 27 years and died in 1920. The wood altar frontal was repainted in 1980 from the T M Baxter Fund and by the gift of his granddaughter, Mrs Pat Edmunds. In 2000, the wooden block floor was removed and replaced with a marble tiled floor to match the chancel.

The painting above the altar is believed to be the third section of the triptych mentioned in the nave. The painting depicts the Last Supper and beneath it, in old fashioned script, are the words used by such Christians as Queen Elizabeth I to express the meaning of Holy Communion, from a verse by John Donne. To the right of the altar is the piscina and aumbry containing the blessed sacrament reserved for the ill and infirm who cannot get to church. The lamp in the sanctuary is lit perpetually to indicate the presence of the reserved sacrament in the aumbry. The sanctuary lamp was given by W Collinson in memory of his parents in 1959 and was electrified in 1986 in memory of Mrs Hilda McMaster.

The stained glass window in the sanctuary is to the memory of the Rev Hugh McNeil Mansfield, Vicar of Bourne from 1881 until his death in 1910. Note in the centre panel the old spelling of Bourne (Bourn). This aisle was built in the 13th century, the roof probably being a later addition. The date of the roof is not known - see the confusing boss further west in the roof. The three other windows in the south aisle contain coloured glass installed in 1887 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

If you now turn and face the arch over the chapel you will see signs of a diamond pattern painted on the stones of the arch. This is the only evidence of medieval wall paintings discovered in the church. It is probable that all other such evidence disappeared during the 19th century restoration when the walls were re-plastered. Continue west to the base of the south west tower. The two piles of stones with carved insets are of unknown origin but may have come either from the monastic buildings or the demolished chancel. It has been suggested that they may be Norman but to date no firm evidence of their age or use has been found. The structure set within the tower is the ringers gallery erected in 1979 by Messrs Bowman of Stamford.

Walk over to the north aisle noting again the unfinished work at the transition point between the Norman arcades and the Early English west end. The north aisle was originally the same size as the south aisle (look west at the area above the arch) as can be seen by the stones marking the old roofline. It was rebuilt in 1870 at the same time as the organ chamber and vestry were installed. It is likely that some of the old materials were used in the reconstruction. Note the 15th century style windows. Behind the chapel dedicated to St Paul is the choir vestry. The church has a choir of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. Numbers vary but the choirmaster is always on the look out for new members and the choir has a repertoire of around 150 anthems.

Now proceed to the west door and leave the church. A visit to the Abbey is not complete without a walk around the outside of the church. The west end externally is mainly of the Transitional period, decorated with arcades of pointed arches supported by moulded bell capitals and bases. The triplet window in the gable was installed in the 1880s replacing the original five lighted window. The main doorway is 15th century (Perpendicular) as is the holy water stoup adjoining. The upper portion of the tower above the clock is 15th century. The lower portion of the tower is 13th century although it has been refaced and the plinth, base course and buttress added probably in the 15th century. While looking at this portion of the tower, notice the intersecting moulding.

Now walk to the south side of the church. The churchyard contains many beautifully carved headstones from the 17th century, one of which depicts a plague of snakes. The building in the churchyard is the Old Grammar School, founded in 1636 under the will of William Trollope. The south porch, including the inner doorway, is 15th century although the niche with the trefoil head may be of an earlier date. The architect for the late 18th century said that the outer doorway was “of extremely fine proportion and design”. The holy water stoup is similar to the stoup by the west door. The external doors were erected in 1999.

The exterior of the south aisle is interesting in that one of the buttresses at its eastern end contains a partial arch with a fine moulded head. It has been suggested that this aisle at its eastern end contained a chantry chapel which would have extended southerly into the churchyard. The southern wall of the chapel contains a sundial in the gable above the window.

The south wall of the chancel shows signs of the partial demolition before the rebuilding in 1807. There still exists the medieval priest's doorway, the wooden door having been removed in the late 1970s and the opening built up. The use of ancient materials can also be seen in this wall. Look up at the eastern end of the top course of stones which are of a different style from the rest of the top course.

The east wall of the chancel contains the east window restored in 1986. Also on this wall can be seen carved in the right hand side under the window the names of stonemasons and labourers who worked on the rebuilding of the chancel in 1807. Look for the following inscriptions: John Moore, Bourn, Lincolnshire, 1807 and L Tabor, 1807”. Also in the right buttress is a stone with an old inscription (similar to one on the south west pinnacle) which is probably 15th century.

The north aisle is dated 1870 with the exception of the toilet block built in the 1960s and the boiler house. To the north is the new vicarage built in 1987 on the site of the monastic buildings and the house built in the eighteenth and nineteenth and known variously as the Abbey House and Abbots House which was demolished in 1879 and the materials used to build the former vicarage (now known as The Cedars) to the north east.

Further to the north, bordering on Church Walk, is the church hall, built in the early 1960s. The site was purchased by the parish from the Church Commissioners by deed of conveyance dated 31st December 1957. The hall is modem in style, built of brick and contains a large hall with stage, church office, two small meeting/changing rooms, kitchen, ladies and gentlemen's toilet facilities and foyer. The rooms are used by church organisations and church members and are extensively hired out to other organisations.

NOTE: Reproduced from the booklet Bourne Abbey Parish Church - Historic Notes and Walk Round Guide
compiled by Jonathan Smith in 1988 to commemorate the 850th anniversary of the founding of the
Abbey, copies of which are available for sale in the church, price £1.50.