Stixwould is a village in the East district of Lincolnshire, 5 miles W of Horncastle and 13 miles E of Lincoln. The church is sited on the S side of the main road through the village, and consists of a W tower, nave, north porch, chancel and vestry. It is constructed of squared limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, and was largely rebuilt by Christopher Turner in 1831, and enlarged in 1864, although some medieval fabric remains. Pevsner (1964, 379) reported various fragments including coffin lids from Stixwould Priory, a Cistercian nuns' house dating from the 12thc, but these were not found in 1994. A further coffin lid inside the building may be of 12thc. date (but see Comments)..

In 1086 Ivo Taillebois held 2 carucates of land that was sokeland of his manor of Belchford. Siward held 6 bovates in Stixwould before the Conquest, and retained it under the overlordship of Alvred of Lincoln in 1086. Finally in 1066 1 carucate was held by Wulfgeat that was held by him under Waldin the Breton in 1086.

According to Pevsner 1964, 379, the coffin lid with sunken head comes from St Andrew, Woodhall Spa. He does not offer a date, but the List description suggests 13thc. The 13thc grave slab that received its own listing in 1985 was not this one, but one of those from Stixwould nunnery.