The leaning tower of Surfleet

The parish church of Surfleet is dedicated to St Laurence who was martyred on a gridiron over 1800 years ago. As a reminder of this event the weather vane takes the form of a gridiron. The leaning tower is a feature of the church and is in fact 6'4½" out of perpendicular. It seems that soon after the construction of the spire the foundations began to sink into the fenland soil. A cross on the floor of the tower near the door marks the point directly below the tip of the spire. Until the late 1970s the bells were the lightest peal of twelve bells in the world hung for change ringing. Owing to the lean of the tower, two bells are technically hung outside the foundations of the church.

It features in an old rhyme.

Gosberton church is very high,
Surfleet church is all awry,
Pinchbeck church is in a hole,
And Spalding church is big with foal. (ie has large transepts)