Belchford is one of our largest villages, lying at a distance of about 5 miles from Horncastle, in a north-east direction, and buried in a valley among the wolds. It was anciently among the possessions of the Conqueror’s nephew, Ivo Tailebois, which he acquired by his marriage with the Lady Lucia, the wealthy heiress of the Thorolds. Tithes and territory here were assigned by her to the Abbey of Croyland, as well as to its cell, the branch Priory of Spalding. There were two mills here, valued in Domesday book, at 18s. 8d. yearly. The acreage is large; Ivo had five carucates in demesne, or some 600 acres, while villeins, bordars, and soc-men, occupied nine carucates, or about 1080 acres; there were 360 acres of meadows, and six carucates (720 acres) reateable to gelt. The arable land was a mile long, and a mile broad, which was a large proportion. The acreage is now 2480, the population more than 400. By an indenture, 28th October, 1641, we find Sir Thomas Glemham owning lands in Belchford and Oxcombe, as well as other places, which he sold to Sir Matthew Lister, and his brother Martin Lister, subsequently the Listers of Burwell Park. The Listers, however, sold the Belchford lands again to Sir Thomas Hartopp, about 20 years later. Mr. Robert Charles de Grey Vyner is now Lord of the Manor, but much of the land belongs to the Epton, Reed, and other families. At the inclosure, land left by Henry Neave to the poor, was exchanged for two acres, now let for £5 15s., which is distributed among the poor at Christmas, as well as a rent charge of 4s., left by Mrs. Douglas Tyrwhitt. Letters, _via_ Horncastle, arrive at 9.30 a.m. The nearest telegraph office is at Tetford. Of the church of St. Peter and St. Paul, little can be said which is satisfactory, at the present time. It was rebuilt in 1781, in the characteristic poor style of that period. Some years ago it became almost unsafe, and the walls were strengthened to prevent their falling. The chancel was rebuilt in 1859–60; and in 1884–5, the church was reseated, the plaster ceiling removed, a new floor supplied, and fresh windows inserted; but once more it is in a bad and unsightly condition, gaps and fissures appear in the walls, the tower is much out of the perpendicular, and only kept together by bands of iron. The north wall is only relieved by one very plain Georgian window. The east window, a triplet in the early English style, is perhaps the best feature in the church. It was put in by a former Rector, Rev. W. Anthony Fitzhugh. The font, which is octagonal and perpendicular, formerly stood in St. Mary’s Church, Horncastle. The pulpit, of old oak, came from the private chapel of Lord Brougham, who was a relative of the late Rector; it has some quaintly-carved panels, and other portions in the same style lie unused in the church. The baptismal register has an entry of a baptism performed by Dr. Tennyson, father of the Poet Laureate. The register dates from 1698.