About
Monksthorpe Chapel is a remote Baptist chapel on the Gunby Estate near Spilsby in Lincolnshire, built in 1701 when dissenters feared persecution and made to look like a farmyard barn so that it would not be noticed. Refurbished in 1840, it keeps a modest interior with its original pews, and in the grounds is a rare open-air baptistry. The exterior and grounds can be visited on any day of the year; to see inside, collect the key from the welcome shed at Gunby Hall and Gardens, a short drive away, and return it the same afternoon. Reviewers describe a peaceful, restful place with good information panels and leaflets, and say the windows give a fair view inside without the key. Tips from visitors: the key comes with a returnable cash deposit, and the ground around the chapel and graveyard is uneven. Dogs on short leads are welcome in the grounds. The eight-mile Monksthorpe Chapel walk from Gunby Hall reaches the chapel over grass fields and quiet lanes.
Check today’s timesSee all times
- Monksthorpe Chapel10:00to 14:00
- GroundsOpen all day
Opening times may change at short notice.
The exterior of the chapel and its grounds can be visited without prior arrangement every day of the year.
To see inside, collect the key from the welcome shed at Gunby Hall and Gardens (01754 890102), available daily from 10am between February and October; the Trust asks for it to be collected between 10am and 2pm and returned before 4pm. A donation of 5 pounds is recommended for the loan of the key, and reviewers mention a returnable cash deposit.
The Trust's calendar shows the chapel open 10:00 to 14:00 every day to 31 December 2026, which does not match the February to October key season described on the page; check with Gunby Hall before a winter visit.
Uneven ground around the chapel and in the graveyard. Accessible toilet on site, with a key code obtained from the team at Gunby. The access road is not fully surfaced.
Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome in the grounds and across the Gunby Estate; keep them on a lead near the Lincoln Red cattle that graze the estate parkland from March to November.
Photo: Monksthorpe Baptist Church by Moat House Farm, Monksthorpe. Jo and Steve Turner, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monksthorpe_Baptist_Church_by_Moat_House_Farm,_Monksthorpe_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6990658.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
Dogs at the location: Allowed with restrictions. Dogs are welcome on short leads in the chapel grounds and graveyard; whether they may enter the chapel interior is not stated.
Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed. Dogs on short leads can walk the Gunby Estate parkland and the trails that reach the chapel; free, no ticket needed for the chapel grounds.
Dog walks in the surrounding area: Allowed. The Trust's Monksthorpe Chapel walk from Gunby Hall is marked dog friendly with dogs on a short lead at all times because livestock graze the fields.
Leads: Short leads throughout the Gunby gardens, grounds and on the trails; on a lead in the wider parkland while cattle graze.
Seasonal dog restrictions: Lincoln Red cattle graze the Gunby parkland from March to November; keep dogs on a lead then.
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Walking routes1 route
Monksthorpe Chapel walk(opens the full route on the National Trust site)
WalkmoderateDogs, with restrictions
