Licence to Crenellate

18/07/1308

Information

On this day, Peterborough Abbey received a licence to crenellate the gate of the abbey and two chambers lying between the gate and the church. It was the exterior of the King's Lodgings and the Knights' Chamber - which Abbot Godfrey had recently erected over the palace gateway - that received the crenellations, which remain to this day. (Mellows, W.T., The King's Lodging at Peterborough, Peterborough Natural History Society, 1933)

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

Search and filter

Significant Events

Celebrations
Coronations
Economic
Geographical
Politics
Scientific
Social
Transport
War

Objects

Archaeology
Art
Costume
Geology
Natural History
Records
Social History
Treasure

Locality

Local
Global
National

Fletton Church Fascinations

c.800

Information

St Margaret's Church in Fletton was identified in the Domesday Book of 1086, but some of its features are considerably older. Safely protected inside the church are Anglo-Saxon carvings, presumed to be 8th or 9th Century, consisting of a frieze and two separate figures. The frieze contains images of saints, angels and mythical beasts, set amongst typical Anglo-Saxon woven designs. The images are thought to be of St. Michael and an Evangelist. All of the stonework is a light pink colour suggesting that it was once in a fire. One theory is that they had been moved from Peterborough Abbey during the great fire of 1116.

Another feature of the church is a large cross in the churchyard which may have Anglo-Saxon origins. The cross has had several additions and alterations and contains a rather peculiar Latin inscription at its base.