Abbey Church Foundation Stone Laid

08/03/1118

Information

The Peterborough Chronicle of Hugh Candidus tells the story of the monastic community at Peterborough from 655, when the very first one was established, to 1177 when he passed away. He is, understandably, in some doubt as to when the foundation stone of the third abbey church of the monastery - now the cathedral - at Peterborough was laid. The previous building had burned down on 4 August 1116 in the time of Abbot John de Sais/John of Salisbury. We are told that he promptly began the rebuild, laying the first stone on 12 March 1117. However, the formal 'foundation stone' of a building always waits for something firm to lie on. It needs to be seen by people present and future and it was on this date - 8 March 1118 - that the formal laying of the foundation stone appears to have taken place. The exact date of the church's completion - and its dedication by the Bishop of Lincoln - is equally confusing. one source says 4 October 1237 but the popular one is 28 September 1238. Whatever the dates may be, the abbey/cathedral church of Peterborough is a sight for sore eyes at any time. (Mellows, W.T., The Peterborough Chronicle of Hugh Candidus, Peterborough Museum Society, 1980; Gunton, Symon, The history of the Church of Peterburgh, Ed. Symon Patrick, 1990)

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

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Lolham Bridges Rebuilt

1642

Information

Lolham is a tiny hamlet close to Maxey and West Deeping. The few houses that exist sit close to King Street, a Roman road, which runs North to South through Lolham. King Street passes over Maxey Cut, the Welland and a few ditches at this point, which has meant several bridges were needed.

Lolham Bridges are grade II* listed structures. There are five bridges in the listing, the earliest of which has the date 1642 on the Western side. An inscription reads:

'These several bridges were built at the general charge of the whole County of Northampton in the year 1652.' (1)

However, the inscription might be slightly misleading because a record in Northamptonshire Archives references 'a trial about the responsibility to repair Lolham Bridge in 16668/9' (2). They were later restored in 1712 and 1916 (1), suggesting either flood damage or poor workmanship.

Given that people would have been using that route for nearly 2,000 years it is not surprising that there are earlier references to bridges at Lolham. Indeed, one of the earliest references is in 1408 in a writ in which 'a meadow to the west of Lolham Bridge' was valued at 11s 8d (11 shillings and 8 pence) (3).

Lolham Bridges are accessible from the north on a one-way road. However, there are no parking places close-by, or footpaths, so accessibility is challenging.

References

(1) Listing number 1365654, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1365654

(2) Northamptonshire Records Office QSR 1/52 http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/378e675e-7c49-4751-8f3c-3cf992aba85b

(3) J. L. Kirby, 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry IV, Entries 603-654', in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Volume 19, Henry IV (London, 1992), pp. 215-234. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.... [accessed 26 November 2018].

Photo credit: Stone bridge at Lolham, near Bourne, Lincolnshire
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Rex Needle - geograph.org.uk/p/4436905