First, a brief history…
After the restoration of the monarchy in 1665, parliament introduced the ‘Oxford Act’ which prohibited non-conformists from preaching within 5 miles of their parish church. Because of this Baptists in both Burgh and Spilsby congregated together at the farming hamlet of Monksthorpe to worship and open scripture. For 30 years, they gathered every Sunday, under a tree (so a boy could watch from a height for the authorities coming to arrest the leaders of the church), and in all weathers; and we moan when it is too cold in church!

In 1701 a sympathetic landlord allocated some land, and they built a barn, Monksthorpe Chapel, which continued to be the centre of Baptist life and worship until the Act was repealed in 1812. Afterwards, Burgh Baptists returned to Burgh and built the church on the Causeway in 1834. However, worship at Monksthorpe continued, under the care of Burgh, until 1972.

In 1988 the chapel was in a state of near dereliction. Rev Bryan Keyworth and his wife Janet, Harry and Francis Godde, and John Barfield took steps with others to save the building and formed Friends of Monksthorpe to aide this. In 2001 the trusteeship was handed over to the National Trust.

And now…
Bryan and Janet’s deterioration in health have made it impossible for Bryan to carry on and we are indebted to them and the Friends for keeping Monksthorpe alive.

In November 2025, Burgh Baptist agreed to take Friends of Monksthorpe under its wing as a “Connected Charitable Purpose’ of the church and so Richard, Colin, Jonathan Greenwood (minister at Eastgate Union Church), Lay Pastor Raish Sarin (Skegness) and Julia Page were appointed to oversee this.