A bird's eye view of Louth - and beyond

Visitors to the famous church have the opportunity to climb the winding staircase (all 198 steps!) to reach the tower, and look out over Louth and the beautiful Lincolnshire Wolds beyond.

However, with the building standing at almost 300 feet tall - and featuring the tallest medieval parish steeple in Britain - it may not be suitable for those with a fear of heights!

Once you’ve reached the tower platform, you can look out for many miles in all directions - far beyond the industrial estate to the north, or eastwards towards 
the Lincolnshire coastline.

Visitors also now have the chance to sneak a peek at the medieval treadwheel, which was built in 1501 to haul up stone and mortar for the building of the iconic spire.

The 12-foot wheel could be used to lift surprisingly heavy loads up to the top of the church tower, and it has remained ‘in situ’ ever since, for later use - although it was last used in 1844 for major repairs following a lightning strike the previous year.

• Visit the St James’ Church cafe for more information, or visit www.teamparishoflouth.org.uk.