How Not to Deal With Ice

28/02/1795

Information

A nationwide extreme cold spell thawed suddenly and unexpectedly on this Sunday. Thick, broken ice was washed down and formed a complete bank across the rive at the bridge. It stopped the current, threatening major flooding in the town. One man attempted to resolve the situation by blowing up the ice with gunpowder wrapped in oilskins. However, he became stuck on an ice floe close to the explosive with his boat adrift. To save himself he plunged into the river and was eventually rescued by four men in a boat. Soon after, the gunpowder exploded, blowing ice everywhere and generating a massive flood which caused a great disaster for hundreds of families living on the banks of the Nene. What they did to 'gunpowder man' is not recorded! (Currie, Ian, Frost, Freezes and Fairs: Chronicles of the Frozen Thames and Harsh Winters in Britain from 1000AD, Frosted Earth, 1996)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

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Etton Sheela Na Gig

1100-1200

Information

St Stephen’s church is in Etton, close to Glinton. The church itself dates from the thirteenth century, although there was an earlier building on the site. However, resting high at the top of the tower, just below the spire, is a figure that is likely to be older and relate to the earlier church. Most of the figures and imagery on the church are traditional heads and stylistic flora and fauna, however there is a figure of a woman lying on her side which looks completely incongruous to the location. The woman is what is known as a Sheela Na Gig, a woman drawing attention to her reproductive organs, and is likely to have been a fertility symbol. Sheela Na Gigs are common in Ireland, but also appear in England with a few in Spain and France. Some appear to be associated with childbirth, others to sex and fertility. What is curious about the figure is that she is missing the top of her head, strongly suggesting that she was reused or resituated; many Sheela Na Gigs appear high up in churches suggesting that they were moved to be hidden from view and that the once tolerated statue was resigned to obscurity when tastes changed. A great number of churches display figures with their genitals on show, but the Sheela Na Gig is a more unusual find and the Etton Sheela Na Gig is a wonderful example. The closest example of other Sheela Na Gigs is Ely Cathedral.

Buildings , Art

Barnack Castle: Myth or Mystery?

1116-1485

Information

Barnack Castle was first dug when the Stamford and Essendine Railway Line was built across the far eastern end of the village in 1869. When workmen dug down to build Barnack Station they discovered ashlar stones and a mound which was presumed to be the remains of a castle.

Anecdotal evidence was recorded of the stationmaster digging up ashlar stones in his garden and earthworks including foundation walls being visible through the nineteenth century. An additional story from 1902 regaled the event of an earthenware dish being dug up from land near the station. Rather curiously, the dish was said to contain a plum pudding! The pudding was left out in the air and over the next day it diminished in size until it vanished, quite to the amusement and confusion of the locals. The earthenware dish was described as ancient, suggesting it had been in the ground for many years, and was thought to be related to the ashlar stones. A local field has the name of 'Bomb Castle Close', suggesting that the locals believed there to be a castle in the vicinity. The local Historic Environment Record appears to be based on the anecdotal evidence.

Landscape archaeology of the site does not support the idea of a castle being there either. There were several castles in the area including Stamford, Maxey, Fotheringhay and Peterborough, but all have left remains and at least some written references, even though Peterborough Castle had a very short existence. Lidar images do not suggest the presence of a significant building in the area, there being no evidence of mounds, ditches or otherwise, although ashlar stones in situ would suggest a building of some importance.

Did Barnack have a castle? The lack of landscape archaeology would suggest not. Was there a significant building on the Barnack Station site in the past? This appears likely, but the only way we will ever discover exactly what was there is if an archaeological dig takes place in the area.

References:

http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/English%20sites/2985.html <accessed 22/01/2020>

Image from Pixabay

Castle , Station , Barnack

Do You Know Where a Shrunken Village Is?

1100-1485

Information

Firstly, you're probably wondering what a shrunken village is, so let's work that out first. In the past, most people lived in small towns and villages. Whereas towns have usually grown, some villages and hamlets have got smaller and some have vanished almost completely like Lolham and Nunton near Maxey.

Pilsgate is one of those hamlets that has shrunk over time and used to be much more important. Aerial photographs suggest the hamlet extended further north and east than it does now and early documents suggest it was wealthy too. With a great location above the river Welland floodplain and close to Stamford and nearby Barnack, it was well situated for prosperity. Both Pilsgate and Barnack were acquired by the Cecils in the Tudor period, which may explain its decline, but it could also related to a change in economy. At present, Pilsgate is a hamlet included in the parish of Barnack.

Image credit:

cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Marathon - geograph.org.uk/p/2397386

William Cecil , Barnack

Mapping the Medieval World

1120

Information

Peterborough Abbey was the birth place of many great documents including the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, but a less well-known document is the Mappae mundi (world map) in the Peterborough Computus, also known as the Peterborough Map or Peterborough Diagrammatic Map.

The map, dating from around 1120, attempts to explain the relation of counties, countries and cities within a large circle in a diagrammatic format that continues today in maps such as the London Underground map. Unlike modern maps, east is at the top of the map, with Jerusalem sitting at the centre of the world. Brittanaia (Britain) sits on the circle to the left of the circle; other recognisable names include Affrica, Roma and Nazareth.

The map is held at the British Library in London and has been named as a sibling map to the Thorney Map, which in turn, was thought to have been a copy of the Ramsey Map from around 1016.

Map , Diagrammatic Map , Peterborough Computus , Ramsey

St Giles' Church Built

1120

Information

The church of St. Giles, Sutton, was built around 1120 as a chapel of ease to Castor and was originally dedicated to St Giles, the patron saint of the disabled, both physically – lepers, cripples etc were the medieval terms used – and mentally and was said to help those with depression. The reason for this dedication may be because Sutton Grange was one of the many farms belonging to Peterborough Abbey and the Lord of the Manor was the almoner in the abbey. The almoner also helped to provide car for the disabled, so the dedication to St Giles would be a sensible tribute. During the Tudor reign, sometime after 1528, the dedication was changed to St Michael and All Angels.

Castor

St Leonard’s Leper Hospital Established

1125

Information

Founded before 1125, St Leonard's Hospital was a leper (or lazar) house supported through almsgiving by Peterborough Abbey. Leprosy was particularly prevalent at this time though such houses also provided for other categories of ill and destitute people. St Leonard’s became known as “The Spital”,Spital was a Middle English term used to describe a hospital or its endowed land.

It was still in existence in the 16th century and is assumed to have closed at the time of the dissolution of the monastery.

It was probably located close to the northern end of Peterborough railway station with its own cemetery to the west which is likely to have housed some of those who died from the plague. It gave its name to St Leonard’s Street which was the section of Bourges Boulevard which now runs past the station.

Associated with the hospital was a healing spring or well which was still documented in the mid 17th century.

Hospital , Cemetery , Black Death , Leper , Plague , Infection

Chronicle Writers (and a Wild Hunt)

1127

Information

Much of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, our key source for early medieval English history, was written at Peterborough Abbey in this period – today preserved in the Peterborough D and E Manuscripts. Another chronicle was written here by a monk called Hugh Candidus, telling the story of the abbey. One tale he told was of a corrupt abbot, Henry d'Angély, who was a rather godless and worldly man who planned to loot Peterborough of its wealth. As a result a dread portent followed in the form of a spectral 'wild hunt' sent to terrorise the area. 'In the very year in which he came to the abbey, marvellous portents were seen and heard at night during the whole of lent, throughout the woodland and plains, from the monastery as far as Stamford. For there appeared, as it were, hunters with horns and hounds, all being jet black, their horses and hounds as well, and some rode as it were on goats and had great eyes and there were twenty or thirty together. Many men of faithful report both saw them and heard the horns...'

Anglo Saxon Chronicle , Hugh Candidus , Henry d'Angely

Market Makes a Medieval New Town

1143

Information

King Stephen visited and stayed at the monastery, granting a market charter. This allowed Abbot Martin de Bec to create a new market area to the west of the monastic precincts in order to bankroll the building of the new monastic church. The monks created new commercial streets around the outside, leading to the first ‘new town’ development in Peterborough and effectively the street plan which still exists as the city centre today.

Medieval , Martin de Bec , New Town , King Stephen

Death of Abbot Martin de Bec

1154

Information

Abbot Martin de Bec became abbot in 1135. He is the creator of Peterborough as we know it; he moved the town and its market from the east of the abbey, prone to flooding, to the west, he built the great West Gate of the abbey which stands today, and laid out the roads of the town in the pattern that still exists.

Market , Abbey

Transept Ceiling Painted

1155

Information

The north and south transept ceilings of Peterborough Cathedral are made of wood. The wooden boards have been placed together to form a pleasing diamond pattern, but these were never designed to be seen.

The original medieval transept ceiling was completed between 1155 and 1175 on the request of Abbot William de Waterville. We know very little about the first ceiling other than the evidence of previous wooden beams. But it is thought the ceilings were divided into 12 panels and were likely to have been painted.

The second transept ceiling was created in the early 13th century and crucially before the nave ceiling. It is possible the painters honed their skills on the transepts before attempting the nave ceiling. Some of the wooden boards that remain are from the 13th century, but the paint has been since removed. The paintwork appears to have followed the diamond pattern created by the boards and contained a stylised cross in the centre of the diamond. Restoration work to the ceiling revealed ghost or shadow outlines of some original shapes, from which this design was created.

The ceiling was repaired and redecorated several times, which was left the residue of later painting. Several colours including black, white and brown were easily identified during restoration, but many others would have been used.

A black and white image exists of the north transept ceiling prior to the rebuilding of the central tower. The image clearly shows a diamond pattern and suggests at a bold and bright design.

Reference: Harrison, H, Peterborough Cathedral: The Transept Ceilings, Record of Treatment and Additional Investigations following a fire in the Cathedral on 22 November 2001, (The Perry Lithgow Partnership, 2002)

The Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr

1174-77

Information

Said to have been founded at the gates of Peterborough monastery, the Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr was originally named St Thomas of Canterbury. It was founded by Abbot William of Waterville (1155-75) and provided a hospital for the poor. Abbot Benedict completed the building between 1177 and 1194 and Abbot Acharius granted money from the chapel of St Thomas the Martyr (a huge draw to pilgrims and therefore a good source of income) to pay for the nuns who cared for the patients and to provide provisions for the sick. Many of the pilgrims visiting the abbey at this time would have been unwell, so this was a rather clever plan to use pilgrims' money to pay for the sick.

References:

'Hospitals: St Leonard & St Thomas Martyr, Peterborough', in A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 2, ed. R M Serjeantson and W R D Adkins (London, 1906), p. 162. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.... [accessed 12 July 2019].

A Peterborough Cathedral Timeline https://www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk/history.aspx [accessed 12 July 2019]

A List of the Abbots of Peterborough https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbot_of_Peterborough [accessed 12 July 2019]

Hospital , Peterborough Abbey , Thomas Beckett , Abbot Benedict , Nurse , Plague , Infection , Medicine , Health

More Holy Relics for Peterborough's Abbey

1174

Information

Construction of the Becket Chapel and adjacent hospital began in 1174, to house many of the monastery’s holy relics, not least the relics of the newly canonised St Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket had visited the abbey with King Henry II in 1154, but was later murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on the probable orders of the king. Abbot Benedict acquired some of Becket’s relics for Peterborough Abbey to encourage pilgrims, including the flagstone his head laid on as he died; a bottle of Becket’s blood (said to never congeal); and Becket’s bloodied undergown that he was wearing as he was murdered. The latter was ceremonially washed on feast days – the washing water then collected and sold to pilgrims as a cure-all. The Becket Chapel survives today as the Cathedral’s tea-room.

Thomas Beckett , Henry II , Pilgrims

Cherry Fair Founded

1189

Information

Cherry Fair was one of the oldest fairs in Peterborough, granted by a charter in 1189 by Richard I to Abbot Benedict. It was planned to be held on or around St Peter's Feast, on the 29th June, which is why the fair was also known as St Peter's or Petermas Fair and ran for eight days. In 1572 the date of the fair was moved from 29th June to 10th July.

It was traditionally held in the Market Place (Cathedral Square), but in 1899 it was held in Broadway opposite the cattle market, after dwindling visitors and a lack of interest. By 1915 it was little more than a meat market.

Richard I , Abbot Benedict , Cherry Fair , Petermas Fair

Deer Park Created at Torpel Manor

1198

Information

The remains of Torpel Manor sit on the Western edge of Helpston on King Street. It is thought the first building was a wooden ring-work castle or fortified manor house, built by Roger Infans. He owned huge areas of the local countryside, but liked his house by the hamlet of Torpel the most, so he became Roger de Torpel.

The early wooden building was surrounded by ditches, which still remain. There is some suggestion that it was once a motte and bailey construction, but this has been debated. The wooden building would have had a commanding position on King Street, with views over the Welland valley. It was later replaced by an impressive stone building made using local stone and slate.

There was also a large deer park too, which was an important sign of wealth. The deer park was created in 1198; we know this because Roger de Torpel had to ask permission to create the park and pay a lot of money. Only the wealthy were allowed to create or own deer parks. They were built to provide a source of food and entertainment for the owners. The ability to hunt on your own land was a status symbol and a way for the rich to show off to their friends.

Little remains of the buildings that were once on the grassy mounds, but there have been a number of recent projects to discover more about Torpel. This included a project with the department of archaeology and York University. The site is scheduled, but is accessible to visitors from either Helpston or Ashton along the Torpel Way route.

This site should not be confused with the building remains SW of Torpel Manor, which have been referred to as Torpel Manor, Castle and hunting lodge.

References

Timeline for Torpel Manor Field and The Story of Torpel PDF both accessed from http://langdyke.org.uk/torpel-manor-field/

Photo credit cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Michael Trolove - geograph.org.uk/p/3252955

Helpston , King Street

Present Day Prebendal Manor Built

1200

Information

In 1200 the Anglo-Saxon wooden hall in Nassingham that Cnut had visited around 1017, was replaced by the present stone building. It is the oldest property in Northamptonshire.

Cnut , Nassington

Cathedral Lavatorium Found at Farm

1200

Information

Peterborough Cathedral has a history much older than the present building and its name. Prior to be being a cathedral, the buildings were known as Peterborough Abbey. Monks lived and worked in the abbey grounds and some of the buildings they used can still be seen today mostly having undergone reuse or decline. Many have vanished entirely or are in pieces, for example the refectory, to the south of the Cathedral. Occasionally pieces of the old abbey appear in odd locations, such as the garden wall at Thorpe Hall and the lavatorium discovered on a farm.

Whilst cleaning a well on the Westwood Farm site, currently south of Peterborough City Hospital, a large stone bowl was discovered. The fine stonework led the finders to believe they had stumbled across something important. Analysis revealed the stonework was likely to be part of the abbey lavatorium where the monks would have washed their hands, usually found next to the refectory. It was dated to the Thirteenth Century, which made it a significant find. Quite what it was doing down a well, we will possibly never know!

The remains of a more modern, but beautifully decorated, lavatorium can be visited in Peterborough Cathedral.

King John and the Great Charter

1216

Information

King John stayed at Peterborough's monastery, using it as a base of operations to attack his enemies in the region in the Civil War that followed him first agreeing to, and then ripping up the Magna Carta. He may have left a draft copy of the Magna Carta in the monastery, hence the inclusion of it in one of the monastery’s cartularies, known today as ‘the Black Book of Peterborough'. The Black Book is kept at the Society of Antiquaries in London.

George Phillip's book on Peterborough Cathedral from 1881 states that many local monasteries in the area were damaged during the civil war of King John's reign, but Peterborough appeared to escape damage, for the monks did not write about it. The book is available to read online thanks to Project Gutenburg and can be accessed in the links.

King John , Magna Carta , Black Book of Peterborough

Abbey Church Completed

1238

Information

The new monastic church was consecrated in 1238 and the structure of the building has remained essentially as it was on completion. Most significantly the original wooden ceiling survives in the nave, the only one of its type in this country and one of only four wooden ceilings of this period surviving in the whole of Europe, having been completed between 1230 and 1250. It has been over-painted twice, but retains its original style and pattern.

Wooden ceiling

Longthorpe Tower

1260

Information

A manor house was built by the Thorpe family in what is now known as Longthorpe in about 1250-1270, probably by the second William of Thorpe. The tower was a later addition built about 1290-1300 by Robert Thorpe, a lawyer. At the time it was a great status symbol. It is now most noted for its 14^th century wall paintings, the best preserved medieval wall paintings in a domestic setting in Europe. These paintings show heraldic images, pictures of the birds and animals and images of people doing everyday tasks as well as religious and mystical subjects. These include the 'Seven Ages of Man', the 'Three Dead Kings and Three Living Kings', the 'Wheel of the Senses' and the 'Bonnacon' a mystical best who shoots flaming excrement.

Buildings , Art , Longthorpe Tower , Longthorpe , Medieval

St Botolph's Church Started

1262

Information

The construction of St Botolph's Church in Longthorpe is believed to have been started in 1262, in the same century as nearby Longthorpe Tower, built by the de Thorp family .

The church does not have a tower, but has an external bell cote at the western end of the church. It contains memorials to the St John and Strong families who lived in Thorpe Hall and the Ketton Stone.

Rumour has it that an earlier church was founded by St. Botolph in the seventh century, but there is no evidence of this. Some of the building, however, is thought to contain parts of an earlier eleventh century church.

Longthorpe , St Botolph's , de Thorp , St John , Strong

Woodstons Fair

1268

Information

Its position abutting the Nene has provided Woodston with both fertile growing land and access to and from the water. This access has made it desirable as a place to disembark if travelling from the west, for the Peterborough toll could be avoided. It is possible that Wharf Road was the toll road used.

The Abbot of Thorney had been granted the right to hold a regular market in Yaxley by William the Conqueror. Goods and people travelling there would disembark in Woodston, which was also in the possession of Thorney Abbey. The abbot asked for a market to be held in Woodston on the day before Yaxley market in 1268.

In the same year the abbot requested a fair to celebrate 'the vigil and feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist'. Woodston fair would fall on the 29th August, despite sounding like something more appropriate for 31st October! There is no evidence that this fair ever took place, but a fair to celebrate a beheading must have been an interesting sight.

Reference:

https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/hunts/vol3/pp233-236

Picture Credit:

cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Nigel Cox - geograph.org.uk/p/2782710

Southorpe Hospital

1294

Information

Southorpe is a small linear hamlet to the south of Barnack. Today there are few houses in the hamlet, which has, until recently, maintained a strong agricultural heart based around the farms on the main road. However, there is a greater history to Southorpe, most of which remains as earthworks.

To the south of the hamlet are the remains of fishponds, clearly identified on the ground, as well as on maps and aerial photographs. The fishponds were thought to belong to Southorpe Hall, but may date to an earlier medieval hospital. Southorpe hospital was created by Peterborough Abbey, with a reference made to it in 1294, but very little else is known about the hospital or why it was sited there. Local belief is that the site, which is on the Hereward Way and adjacent to Ermine Street, was a popular route with pilgrims, which may explain its location.

Hospital , Peterborough Abbey , Abbey , Medicine , Health

Eyebury Monastic Grange

1295

Information

Eyebury Grange has been in existence since medieval times. It belonged to Peterborough Abbey and is similar to Oxney Grange, which is very close by. Evidence remains of a moat, dovecote, brewhouse, warren and large deer park, which suggest the grange was quite sufficient and productive.

The first abbot to take an interest in Eyebury is purportedly Abbot Walter of Bury. He supposedly built a hall surrounded by a moat and drawbridge in the 12th century of which the octagonal column exists in a cellar. This makes it similar in date to Oxney Grange, which dates from the early 12th century. The Victoria County History of Northamptonshire suggests the main hall was built around 1295 by Abbot Godfrey of Crowland. He continued to add further buildings over the next 20 years which included a windmill and lime kiln. It was an important site for the abbey, providing plenty of food, drink and income for the monks.

Unsurprisingly, Eyebury Grange was sold on after the dissolution of the monasteries. It eventually became home to the Leeds family, whose children became famous geologists and archaeologists after exploring the local clay and gravel pits. Eyebury Farm is currently a private home and is not open to visitors.

References:

http://www.eyepeterborough.co.... M Serjeantson and W Ryland D Adkins, eds., The Victoria history of the county of Northampton: volume two (1906) p491

Photo credit: © Richard Humphrey

Honey Hill in Use

c. 1300

Information

The name Honey Hill is still in use in Paston today, but its origins come from a post mill. The mill was situated on a large mound between Dogsthorpe and Paston, under what is now Bluebell Avenue and Heather Avenue.

Often assumed to be a moated house, an archaeological dig in 1960 proved the mound was in fact a late 13th century millstead. Artefacts discovered included pottery, millstone remains and clay pipes, which showed that it was in use until the 14th century, after which it was abandoned. Two coins were found on the site, a farthing from the reign of Edward I (1302-1307) and a sixpence from 1568.

Honey Hill , Millstead , 13th Century , 14th Century , Coins

Boroughbury Barns

1300

Information

Godfrey of Croyland, Abbot of Peterborough is credited with building the farm that became known as Boroughbury, in what is now the southern end of Lincoln Road. He built a house, a dovecot, two large ponds and a water mill, as well as two large barns, which are thought to date from around 1320. One of the barns was said to have been destroyed in the Civil War, but the other survived until 1892, when it was pulled down and replaced by the Rothesay Villas, which incorporated some of the stone. W.D. Sweeting commented that the barn resembled 'a wooden church with aisles'.

Lincoln Road , Civil War , Godfrey of Croyland , Boroughbury , W.D. Sweeting

Edward II's Tantrum at Peterborough Abbey

1306

Information

Prince Edward, later Edward II visited Peterborough abbey in 1306 with a large retinue and his close friend Piers Gaveston. Documents from the time indicate that Edward and Piers were in a relationship, which might explain their behaviour when they visited the abbey. A chronicle from the time claimed Edward was offered a gift of a cup worth £50 by Abbot Godfrey, but rather than accept it, he asked if one had also been offered to Gaveston. When they replied to the negative, he curtly refused the cup, which was a huge slight to the abbot. With some negotiating on Piers part and that of a messenger, a gift of a cup worth £40 was offered to Gaveston and he was able to encourage Edward to accept his gift from Abbot Godfrey also. There would have been some shame around Edward’s refusal to accept a gift from Abbot Godfrey, which is probably why the story still exists, but it has been retold and reworked on many occasions. This remains one of the many stories surrounding the close relationship between the two men and their inappropriate behaviour. Piers Gaveston was eventually executed in 1312 for being a traitor and Edward II was removed from power in 1326 and killed in 1328.

References

http://ceirseach.blogspot.com/2010/08/piers-gavestons-cups-and-edward-iis.html

https://britishheritage.com/king-edward-ii-piers-gaveston-relationship

Peterborough Abbey , Edward II , Abbey

A Gift for Oxney Grange

1307

Information

Oxney Grange was a monastic cell that belonged to Peterborough Abbey. The cell was permanently home to six monks, although the monks were not usually resident for too long. They would have lived a quiet life away from the abbey, but followed much of the lifestyle and duties of a monk.

The monks were well situated between Peterborough and Thorney and close to Crowland. In May 1307 the monks received a gift from Abbot Godfrey of Crowland, possibly along the Cat's Water river channel. He sent them dairy products in the form of milk, butter and cheese, which would have gone very well with a freshly baked loaf of bread! The wine gifted to the monks in 1460 by almoner William Morton would also have made a lovely combination.

Building Bridges Across Boundaries

1308

Information

The first bridge over the River Nene in Peterborough is attributed to the Abbot of Peterborough, Godfrey of Crowland/Croyland, in 1308. The bridge spans the boundary between Peterborough (Lincoln) diocese and Ely and is possibly built over a previous ford. The bridge lasted for around 600 years until it was replaced by a metal bridge in 1872.

Bridge , River Nene , Godfrey of Crowland

The Miracles of Lawrence of Oxford

1313

Information

A most peculiar story has survived from 1313 regarding a man known as Lawrence of Oxford. Records explain that he was hanged for 'evil crimes', and that miracles were taking place around his burial. What is intriguing is that he may have been buried in the Hospital of St Thomas the Martyr in the grounds of Peterborough Abbey, or at least in the burial ground of the hospital. When news reached residents of Peterborough, they started to flock to the site, happy to pay to receive a miracle. The monks were happy to profit from the situation too but, unsurprisingly, Bishop Dalderby, the presiding Bishop from Lincoln put a stop to such profiting from a criminal's demise, informing the monks that anyone who benefited from the situation would be excommunicated.

Sadly, nothing is else known about who Lawrence was, what his crimes were and how he ended up in Peterborough, but perhaps his remains are still in place and miracles are still happening...

Crime , Hospital , Medieval , Peterborough Abbey , Medicine , Health

Edward II comes to Thorney

1314

Information

“[D]uring Easter week the Lord King Edward [II] came to Thorney, before which never has any king of England entered [the house]. Thereafter he went warfaring against the Scots; and the war being finished he returned to Thorney on 28 October in the same year.” The English were defeated in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn.

Edward II

The Black Death

1349

Information

The Black Death (or the Great Pestilence as it was known then) hit Peterborough in 1349. This terrible disease, now called bubonic plague after the enlarged lymph nodes (buboes) resulting from the infection, is caused by an organism called Yersinia pestis carried by the fleas on black rats, though at the time it was thought to have been caused by bad air known as 'miasma'.

Approximately a third of the townspeople and 32 of the 64 monks at the monastery perished in a matter of weeks, and many of those who died were buried in mass burial pits to the west of the town and in the burial ground of the leper hospital of St Leonard. A higher proportion of monks died perhaps because they were helping tend to the sick.

The plague returned to Peterborough on many occasions causing a great deal of death and suffering until the last outbreak in 1665.

The image shows the Triumph of Death by P. Bruegal (1562) inspired by the Plague.

Medieval , Black Death , St Leonards , Plague , Infection , Medicine , Health

Wothorpe Priory: Nuns on a Hill

1349

Information

Wothorpe Priory was situated in Wothorpe near to Stamford. It was home to a small group of nuns who lived in what is now, the highest point of the Soke of Peterborough. Records show that the priory existed in the thirteenth and fourteenth century, but the Black Death of 1349 spelt the end of the priory. All of the nuns had either died or moved away, leaving the priory in dire straights. So in 1353-4 the priory, with only one remaining nun named Agnes Bowes, was united with St. Michael's nunnery of Stamford.

The land was given to Richard Cecil of Burghley House during the reformation. His grandson Thomas Cecil later built Wothorpe Towers upon the land. Considerable features remain in the surrounding fields which may be buildings from the priory, but the area is scheduled and in private hands.

Reference: 'Houses of Benedictine nuns: The priory of Wothorpe', in A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 2, ed. R M Serjeantson and W R D Adkins (London, 1906), p. 101. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.... [accessed 14 November 2018].

Black Death , Infection

Do You Know What Dogs Medieval People Had?

1350-1500

Information

Humans have kept dogs as pets for centuries, but information about the type of dogs can be difficult to find. A dig at Bottle Bridge off Oundle Road found the bones of several dogs who had lived at the site. The dogs ranged from small to large, just like today, with one skeleton standing out from the rest. This skeleton, dating from 1350-1500 AD appears to be from an English Mastiff, a breed that nearly died out in the 20th Century. The mastiff was used in medieval times as a hunting and fighting dog due to its enormous size and strength. They also made excellent guard dogs and were often used by rich people to protect their homes and as a status symbol.

References: P. Spoerry and Rob Atkins, A Late Saxon Village and Medieval Manor: Excavations at Botolph Bridge, Orton Longueville, Peterborough, East Anglian Archaeology (Oxford Archaeology East: 153, 2015)

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Dogs , Botolph Bridge

Maxey Castle Built

1370

Information

Maxey Castle was built by Sir William de Thorp around 1370 and was a small defensible castle. The castle buildings have long disappeared, but many documents relate to the house and land. There are remaining earthworks that hint at the former majesty of the site which include a moat and fish ponds.

The castle, or manor, sat on an island in the middle of a large moat, which remains on three sides. A drawing exists of the castle from 1543 suggesting it consisted of a keep or tower surrounded by high stone walls and towers. However, it was only in use for a couple of hundred years before falling into disrepair. Some of the stones may have gone to Conington and been incorporated in a castle there.¹

Documents in national and local record collections detail the leasing of lands around Maxey Castle to Richard Cecil by Henry VIII who was also 'Constable or Warden of Maxey Castle and Bailiff of the lordship of Maxey'.² Later the lands were leased to William Cecil by Princess Elizabeth; items leased included 'Ladiebridgclose' in Maxey and the 'greate garden of Le Marre'³ which was part of the grounds of Maxey Castle. They originally belonged to Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, who was Henry VIII's grandmother and owned many properties in the area.

The site is scheduled and in private hands, so it is not possible to view the remaining moat, which is now obscured by trees. However, a public footpath does take walkers close to old fish ponds belonging to the castle.

References:

'Parishes: Conington', in A History of the County of Huntingdon: Volume 3, ed. William Page, Granville Proby and S Inskip Ladds (London, 1936), pp. 144-151. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.... [accessed 23 November 2018].
Northamptonshire Archives F (M) Charter/2285
Northamptonshire Archives F (M) Charter/2286

Henry VIII , Elizabeth I

Peterborough Revolts!

1381

Information

An assault was made on the monastery by local rebels during the Peasants’ Revolt. The rebels were put down by the intervention of troops commanded by the Bishop of Norwich, as described in a contemporary account by Henry Knighton: “Likewise at Burgh (Peterborough) the neighbours and tenants of the abbot rose against him and proposed to kill him – which they would have done without redress had God not laid his restraining hand upon them at the last moment. For help came in the shape of Lord Henry Despenser, bishop of Norwich, who arrived with a strong force. He prevented the malefactors from carrying out their aims and scattered the mob, paying them back as they deserved. Sparing no one, he sent some to death and others to prison. Some were struck down with swords and spears near the altar and others at the church walls, both inside and outside the building. For the bishop gladly stretched his avenging hand over them and did not scruple to give them final absolution for their sins with his sword”

Peasants' Revolt , Bishop of Norwich , Lord Henry Despenser

Holy Waters Run Deep

1397

Information

A peculiar landscape feature in Longthorpe has been the source of several myths and tall tales over the years and debate is still ongoing as to its origins.

The holywell, situated in land to the west of Thorpe Hall, is also known as St Cloud's well. It was said to have been the home of hermit St Cloud in the past. It's first reference as a holy well is from a document dated to the Abbotship of William Genge (1396-1408), although the location was referenced earlier than that. (1)

The well is in fact a natural spring which was contained under a mound in the eighteenth century to form a grotto. One myth surrounding the well is that the mound contained an entrance way to tunnels that led to the Cathedral. Although the land was once controlled by the Cathedral, it is geographically impossible for a tunnel to have existed between those two sites. Similarly the myths about hermits living there cannot be true due to the date that the mound was built.

The spring feeds a series of medieval fishponds, which are still in place. Again there is some uncertainty about their origin. One idea is that they were used originally by the Cathedral and later by occupants of Thorpe Hall. Another argument is that they were created by the occupants of Longthorpe Manor. This suggestion is the favoured option because the Cathedral had their own fish ponds. Although eating fish that had swum in the waters of a holy well might have appealed to the religious community.

Reference

(1) http://people.bath.ac.uk/liskmj/living-spring/journal/issue2/dipping/rparlon1.htm#anon

Thorpe Hall

Dame Agnes' Gaze

1400

Information

Peterborough Cathedral was originally known as Peterborough Abbey and was a home to Benedictine monks. It was also home to the widow Dame Agnes in the final years of her life.

Dame Agnes was said to live in rooms between the choir and Lady Chapel, a building which has been destroyed, but the outline of which can be clearly observed on the walls on the North East side of the cathedral. There existed a passageway between the lady chapel and choir which led to a smaller chapel, and it was above this that Dame Agnes was said to live.

A lady of devotion, she dedicated her final years to listening to services and gazing through a small hole down onto the altar of the Lady Chapel below her. She would only have been able to see the altar and, we can assume, would have spent the end of her life deep in prayer, in a hermit-like existence.

References:

W. D. Sweeting (ed.), Fenland Notes and Queries, A Quarterly Antiquarian Journal for the Fenlands (1891) (online edition at archive.org)

Peterborough Abbey

St. John the Baptist Rebuilt

1407

Information

The citizens of Medehamstede, lived to the east of the abbey and what is now the Cathedral, on the edge of the fenland. After the great fire of 1116, the inhabitants were moved to the west of the abbey where the land was drier. Unfortunately they did not move the church to the west, and for several centuries the inhabitants of the town had to walk round the vast abbey grounds to reach their isolated church. This was made more difficult by flooding from streams that ran in front of the church, making attendance problematic in the winter.

A petition was made to move the church to the west of the abbey, which was granted by the Bishop of Lincoln in 1402. The new church was built using stone from the old one and the Becket Chapel, as well as oak from Abbot William Genge's park. He dedicated the church to St John the Baptist on 26th June 1407.

It was originally built with a large leaded spire, which was conspicuous from some distance. Unfortunately, due to instability, it was removed in the 1820s, but it can be seen in John Speed's Map, A Prospect of Peterborough and an old photograph.

St John's Church , Abbot William Genge

Bridge Fair Founded

1439

Information

Peterborough Monastery was granted a charter by Henry VI to hold a fair for three days over St Matthew's Day (21st September). The fair was always a large and popular event for both pleasure and business. Late nineteenth and early twentieth century newspapers recounted the ceremonial procession over the town bridge and a feast of sausages and (sometimes) champagne.

Monastery , Fair , Henry VI

Fairfax House Lived in by Fairfaxes

1400-1505

Information

Fairfax House sits at the foot of the bridge linking Deeping Gate and Deeping St James. It was once home to the Fairfax or Fayrfax family who were very well-known and influential family but have been mostly lost to obscurity in the area.

The Fairfaxes, so Reverend W. D. Sweeting claimed, originally came from Yorkshire in the early fifteenth century, with the last known Fairfax, William, dying in 1505. They lived in Fairfax Hall in Deeping Gate at the foot of the Deeping Gate bridge and were friends with Margaret Beauchamp of Maxey Castle, the St John family of Thorpe Hall fame and Brownes of Stamford. The most famous member of the family was composer Robert Fayrfax who was a favourite of both Henry VII and VIII and is fortunate to have his work collected in the Eton Choirbook.

The hall was built on the site of the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary which had been on the site in the fourteenth century. The current house dates from the mid-seventeenth century, which means it was built after the Fairfaxes left Deeping. It is a handsome stone building with grade II listed status. The family name was also used for the nearby road Fairfax Way.

Reference: Maxey Church and Parish, Rev D. W . Sweeting, 1899 http://www.maxeychurch.co.uk/SweetingMaxey1899.pdf

Buildings , Bridge

Death and Pillaging From Maxey Castle

1450

Information

On the first of April 1450 Lord Welles gathered a large group of men at Maxey Castle. Lord Welles, also known as Lionel or Leo, 6th Baron Welles, had been in conflict with the people of Spalding and Pinchbeck. He gathered over 100 of his armed tenants at the castle and went to Spalding and Pinchbeck to cause chaos. His tenants damaged many properties, injured lots of people and killed a man named John Ankes.

The attack was part of a long-running dispute between the people of Deeping and Maxey, and Spalding and Pinchbeck. Both sides disputed the boundary of fen land between the two areas. They continued a tit-for-tat argument involving riots and violence over many years. People from both sides would sneak on to opposing land to steal cattle or destroy turves, which were a vital fuel in an area with few trees.

Lord Welles' second wife was Margaret Beauchamp, mother of Lady Margaret Beaufort. Lady Margaret later inherited the castle and lands when her son became King Henry VII.

Picture Credit: CC Coat of Arms of Sir Lionel de Welles, 6th Baron Welles, Rs-nourse, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_de_Welles,_6th_Baron_Welles#/media/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Sir_Lionel_de_Welles,_6th_Baron_Welles,_KG.png

Richard III Born at Fotheringhay

1452

Information

Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III of England was born at Fotheringhay Castle. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. He was the supposed killer of 'The Princes in the Tower', his nephews Edward and Richard, the sons of his brother King Edward IV, and was portrayed as a villain in William Shakespeare's play 'Richard III'.

He died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 beaten by Henry Tudor, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor dynasty, so ending the War of the Roses.

In 2012 Richard III's body was found buried under a car park in Leicester and was re-interred in Leicester Cathedral. Analysis of his body showed that, as legend reported, he did have a curvature of the spine (scoliosis) which would have meant that his right shoulder was higher than the left, though with a good tailor and custom armour this would not have been obvious.

War of the Roses , Fotheringhay Castle , Richard III , Henry VII

Wine For Pentecost

1459

Information

William Morton’s account book details expenses incurred by Peterborough Abbey whilst he was the almoner there from 1448 to 1467. Much of the entries are for running expenses such as thread for repairing clothing and repairs to the abbey and manors that it ran. One item stands out from 1459 when the convent was provided with 3 ½ gallons of wine for Pentecost at a cost of three shillings and nine pence (around £120 in today’s money) and for the feast of the assumption they paid three shillings six-and-a-half pence (£113) for 4 ¼ gallons. One wonders if they were drinking it or bathing in it!

Reference

'Houses of Benedictine monks: The abbey of Peterborough', in A History of the County of Northampton: Volume 2, ed. R M Serjeantson and W R D Adkins (London, 1906), pp. 83-95. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.... [accessed 11 July 2019].

Peterborough Abbey

Royal Visitors to Peterborough

1461

Information

The abbey and town were sacked by a Lancastrian army led by Queen Margaret of Anjou during the Wars of the Roses. The abbey was in the orbit of Fotheringhay Castle, the main seat of the House of York. Both the future Edward IV and Richard III would have visited the monastery as children. Royal visitors to Peterborough Abbey were very common – as well as those mentioned above they have included: Henry III in 1268, Edward I in 1302, Edward II in 1314 (twice), Edward III in 1326, then annually 1332-6, Henry IV in 1392 & 1394, Henry VI in 1452 and Henry VII in 1486.

Peterborough Abbey , Margaret of Anjou , War of the Roses , Lancastrian Army , Edward II , edward the Confessor , Fotheringhay Castle , Richard III , Henry VII , Henry VI

Robert Fayrfax the Tudor Composer

1464

Information

Robert Fayrfax or Fairfax was one of the best Tudor composers and memorable for his many achievements. He was born in Deeping Gate on 23rd April 1464, a member of the Fairfax/Fayrfax family of whom Fairfax House is named after, but nothing is known of his life in Deeping Gate.

Fayrfax was an exceptionally gifted musician and after studying at Cambridge University and gaining a doctorate, Fayrfax then moved to Oxford where he gained another doctorate in Music from Oxford in 1511, which is the first one ever recorded.

The Fairfax family were friends of Margaret Beaufort, so it is little surprise that Robert had found his way to the royal court. By the time he had completed his doctorates he had already sung at several state celebrations for Henry VII and his family. He appears to have been friends with Henry VIII and was well-paid for his work at court.

Some of Fayrfaxe's works were recorded in the Eton Choirbook, which is a book containing written music dated 1500-1504, of such significance it has been incorporated into the UK UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Other standalone pieces of his music are still played and also receive great praise for their composition. It is quite remarkable that the music we associate with the enigmatic Tudor period can be traced to a baby born in Deeping Gate.

Robert Fayrfax died in 1521 in St. Albans, where he had spent much of his adult life.

Henry VIII , Henry VII , Composer

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How Not to Deal With Ice

28/02/1795

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1116-1485

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1100-1485

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1120

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1120

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1125

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1127

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1143

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1154

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1155

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1189

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