Chapter 6 Castor Church

Chapter 6 Castor Church Castor and Early Christianity in the Area For one of the important Norman parish churches of England, Castor Church hugs the mysteries of its origins and early significance to itself. Only serious archaeological investigation, and maybe not even that, will reveal some of these secrets, as the written records are scant. Simon Jenkins, in his book England’s Thousand Best Churches, [1] places Castor in the top one hundred of the 15,000 or so churches in England. The most obvious mystery is why a church in a small village (which even in the Domesday Book had only about 40 adult males) should have the most magnificent Norman parish church tower in the country. Some say that Tewkesbury is more impressive still, but it is not an appropriate comparison, as Tewkesbury was built as an important abbey, in a large town, only becoming a parish church after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. And in addition, its tower is merely larger, but not nearly as impressive in terms of the workmanship. The tower at Castor may just be due to the availability of craftsmen; nearby Peterborough Abbey was being re-built at the same time in the 12th century, but then perhaps one would expect the abbey to have an equally important tower, (which it does not) for the tower at Castor is one that many cathedrals would be proud to have grace their roof-line. The tower may just be due to the ambition of a local landlord or priest, or to the availability of worked stone from the ruined Roman Praetorium, in Fig 6a. Castor Church – Tower drawn whose courtyard the church by P Taylor 1912. was built. But it may allude to the ecclesiastical importance of Castor in its earlier Christian history, to which there are some tantalizing pointers but few established facts. As the village was originally named ‘Kyneburghacastre’ after St Kyneburgha, so is the church, the place of her burial, unique in being dedicated to her. Records and remains of Christianity in the late Roman period (the 4th century) are scarce, but there is no doubt that it was the predominant religion during that time. We know, for example, that in AD314, Bishop Adelphius of Lincoln attended the Council of Arles in France, along with other Romano-British bishops [2]. The area around Castor has produced enough nationally important Christian artefacts from this period to show that Christianity was thriving hereabouts in the latter part of the Roman period. In particular the Water Newton Treasure, found near the South bank of the River Nene, just beyond Castor’s present parish boundary, indicates a thriving local church. This treasure comprises the oldest-known Christian liturgical plate Fig 6b. Castor Church – View from South East on a anywhere, consisting of cups, dishes and votive plaques. winter’s afternoon: Theo Hensman with sheep grazing in the churchyard, dovecot made by Keith Dickinson of Dr K Painter, one of the foremost experts on the subject, has Upton. The young dove in the cage is recovering from a surmised [3] that the Water Newton Treasure almost certainly hawk attack. 67 originated from the Roman Praetorium at Castor, the site of the present church, and that the treasure was removed and hidden deliberately at some stage during the troubled times of the collapse of the Roman Empire. One of the pieces of silver refers to an altar or sanctuary [4] at which gifts were offered. If Dr Painter is correct, then it is highly likely that this Romano-British place of Christian worship was in or near the Praetorium at Castor. Even more fascinating, if this is so, is that we may know the names of the earliest members of the Christian congregation at Castor, because some of the pieces of the treasure have the names of their donors inscribed. Another leading authority on the late Roman period in Britain, Dr Ken Dark, has proposed [5] that Saxon minster churches built on the sites of Roman villas may imply a continuity of worship from the Roman period, through Saxon times, to the present day. He states that many late Roman villas in Britain became monasteries in the 4th century; that worship continued in those places; and that, once evangelized, the Saxons established their minster churches at these sites. He thinks that this is especially likely to be the case where Early Saxon pagan burials are rare, the implication being that in those areas the native Romano-Britons were left to get on with their lives (including their religion). The site at Castor meets these criteria. Fig 6c. Castor Church – West end – note large quoin stones on original nave wall, possibly Roman stone- Whatever preceded it, in the Middle Saxon period around AD650, work reused by the Saxons. (Photo: J Tovey) St Kyneburgha and her sister founded their double convent at Castor in the Celtic tradition with both monks and nuns. Convent rule by a powerful royal princess-abbess was a common feature of Saxon foundations [6]. Castor clearly became an important Minster Church with chapels-of-ease at Sutton, Upton, Ailsworth and Milton. The chapels of Sutton and Upton remained as such until the 19th century when they became independent parishes, although of course they are now in the same benefice as Castor. The chapel-of-ease at Milton is a mystery. There are few references [7] to it, the last one being in the reign of Edward III (c.1330) and it had certainly disappeared before the Reformation, even before 1502. Did Marholm Church take over its role, for when the Fitzwilliams moved into Milton in 1502, they used Marholm as their church? Looking at the parish boundaries, and Marholm’s relationship with Milton (Milton is still in Castor parish), it seems likely that Marholm parish was carved out of the area for which the minster church at Castor was responsible. Marholm had certainly become an independent parish by 1217 when its first known rector had been appointed. Surprisingly, Marholm is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, but that may be because it was included in the Milton entry. There is some mystery too about the chapel-of-ease at Ailsworth. A certain Mr Hales records that its remains were demolished in 1854, it then being used as a granary [8]. We do not know when it ceased to function as a chapel, although it seems to have become disused before the Reformation and is not mentioned thereafter. There are, however, folk memories of its existence. From Mr Hales’ description, it seems to have been in the back yard of Manor Farm Ailsworth (a church farm) alongside the Helpston Road. The hill at the top of Helpston Road was until recently known as Chapel Hill. A resident of the village, Theo Hensman, (born here and now a churchwarden) recalls playing near some stones beside the Helpston Road known as ‘Chapel Steps’. In summary then, the early church of Castor and its area suggests the following sequence: a flourishing Romano-British 4th century church; the fascinating possibility of continuity in the post-Roman period; the foundation of a Saxon Convent by St Kyneburgha on the site of the Roman Praetorium; its destruction by the Danes; and, ceasing to be a convent, becoming a Saxon minster church responsible for the well-being of daughter churches at Sutton, Upton, Milton, and Ailsworth. At some date before 1217 an independent parish church was established at Marholm, though it has shared the same rector as Castor for some hundreds of years, and still now does. These other churches are all dealt with in their own chapters, as is St Kyneburgha herself and the Saxon Church as an institution. There is yet a further mystery about Castor Church; the extent to which the Norman builders incorporated the stonework of the Saxon church on the site. In many cases the Normans enlarged existing Saxon churches, but incorporated some or much of the Saxon church within the new building. Examples of this are at Corbridge in Northumberland, and at Turvey in Bedfordshire where the Saxon nave, in the rebuilt Norman church, is only readily 68 identifiable because of the survival of Saxon windows. Reculver in Kent provides another example, this time of a Saxon minster church built on the site of a Roman fort, and incorporated in the Norman church. At Castor, Smith et al believe that a substantial amount of Saxon work was incorporated in the church by the Normans: ‘if you look closely at the stone-coursing of walls and tower you see old Saxon work in the former, and fine late Norman jointing (with thin lines of mortar) in the latter.’ [9] Arthur Mee refers to the Saxon ‘long-and-short’ work of the blocked-up door in the East wall of the North transept [10]. Was this Saxon stonework reused by the Normans, or is it part of the Saxon North porticus? Canon Jack Higham believes that it is possible that the huge quoin stones, still Fig 6d. Castor Church – Dedication visible in the West end of Castor church may be Saxon work reusing Inscription AD 1124. (Photo: P White) Roman material [11]. If these people are correct then it is possible part of the Saxon nave was incorporated in the Norman church, as at St Mildred’s Church Canterbury [12]. The Late Saxon church at Castor would thus possibly have consisted of a tall narrow nave, and a presbytery, flanked by portici on the North and South side, with an apsidal (round) East end. There are other positively identified Saxon sculptures which will be described later.

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