Part of a BA (Hons) Dissertation by Richard Buck

Chapter One

The Demise of Spalding

1.1 Introduction

The Priory once held an important place within the town of Spalding for nearly five hundred years, its influence being felt upon many levels of society.

However there are now virtually no tangible remains of what was once a substantial and important complex of buildings. The purpose of this paper is to make an attempt to separate archaeological facts from established local traditions.

No concentrated archaeological excavation has been carried out upon the Priory site with the intention of locating remains, although work undertaken within the town centre has unearthed artefacts that can be associated with the Priory, details of which can be found in the subsequent HER report (Appendix 1).

Although records from the Priory still exist, such as the Myntling Report (1476) held within the museum of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society, visual records and exact plans for the location of the Priory precinct are difficult to locate, and as a consequence much of what is ‘known’ about has passed into local tradition.

There are a number of places associated with the Priory in Spalding, but very little hard archaeological evidence to support a valid connection. The only known contemporary illustration is from a fifteenth century map (Plate 1.).

In order to make an attempt to separate historical fact from popular tradition various sources have been utilised from local histories and associated texts, maps of the town, illustrations where applicable, archaeological reports and references from local

1 historians. Fieldwork in the form of a guided tour and personal investigation have also been conducted.

Source material has been provided by the local library, the Internet and from the

Spalding Gentlemen’s Society’s considerable archive.

Much has been written about the history of Spalding and the role the Priory played within that time frame. However some elements of the written evidence presented cannot be substantiated as early historians have perhaps elaborated certain facts and thus entered into the realms of local tradition. Some historical situations can be attributed to fact, and can be tied into an investigation when attempting to separate the archaeological truth. This enables a serious hypothesis to be formulated when searching for evidence of the Priory within the Spalding area.

Plate 1. Earliest contemporary visual reproduction of Spalding Priory from the

Pinchbeck Fen Map c. fifteenth century

2 1.2 Foundation

A Priory is a house of men or women under religious vows headed by a prior or prioress. They are generally considered to be satellites of the mother (in

Spalding's case ) whose holds an overall responsibility. The day to day running of the priory is left under the control of the prior and his subordinate (Owen 1971 p,48).

Such an establishment was founded in AD 1052 by six Benedictine monks from

Crowland Abbey (founded in AD699 as an offshoot from Abbey)

(Brassington et al 2004 p.5). followed the teachings of St Benedict, with the emphasis firmly being on a tradition of self sufficiency and obedience. The monks lived and died in the monastery, which often had a town around them, as indeed

Spalding Priory had (Owen 1971 p.48).

The first written record of Spalding is in a charter given to the monks of Crowland by King Ethelbald in AD 716 referring to the boundaries of the land of Crowland as extending 'as far as the buildings of Spalding' (Brassington et al 2004 p.5). It can be assumed that that the site of Spalding had been settled by the beginning of the eighth century, with wooden buildings being erected upon the highest available land (Mee

1949 p.345).

From this statement the area of Spalding appears to be under the jurisdiction of the already powerful , which by c. AD1052 has acquired sufficient wealth to create a satellite establishment in Spalding itself, perhaps with the intention of extending its influences even further (Page 1934 p.6).

The origins of the Priory's true founding lay with Thorold of Buckenhale, a sheriff of

Lincoln and benefactor to Crowland Abbey who,

3 “Granted the manor of Spalding to that house for the relief of its necessities.” (Riley ed. 1894 p.140)

One can assume from this remark that Crowland was beginning to outgrow itself and needed room to expand, the departure of six monks 'lessened for a while the expenses of the refectory' (Smith 1989 p.1) The monks were taken from Crowland by

Thoraldus, brother of Godiva, Countess of Leicester, who assigned them sufficient lands from his manor for their support (Mee 1949 p.345).

By AD1059 the Priory was growing in importance and Wulfketyl, Abbot of

Crowland, at the instigation of Earl Algar, granted to his brothers at Spalding a wooden chapel (dedicated to St Mary) that would enable them to show proper hospitality and an enrichment from certain rents (Riley ed. 1894 p.144).

Around AD1060 Spalding Priory was beginning to establish itself as monastic house in its own right, becoming an important satellite of the parent institution. It's founding had enabled Crowland Abbey to take stock of itself, the Abbot perhaps realising that it was becoming too large to support its occupants. This was a time of great hardship for ordinary people, famine and disorder abounded and many men were anxious to enter into a monastic existence (Brassington et al 2004 p.5). Crowland had reached capacity and Spalding was the over-flow, but in time it would become almost as powerful as its benefactor.

It was not without a certain irony that the Priory starts to develop and gain power and prestige after the Norman Conquest of AD1066, when Ivo Tailebois (reputed standard bearer at Hastings and Nephew of William the Conqueror) married an heiress of Spalding which became his seat of power. Ivo had no regard for the Saxons, and drove the monks of Spalding back to their own abbey and introduced monks from the Benedictine Priory of St. Nicholas, at Angiers (Angers), France (Page 1934 p.6).

4 Subsequently Spalding Priory was only under the jurisdiction of Crowland for around fifteen years.

“Crowland tried to keep Spalding under its jurisdiction, but was defeated by the greater influence of Tailbois” (Brassington et al 2004 p.6).

1.3 Role within Spalding

Records indicate that apart from the Prior there were between six and four monks residing within Spalding Priory between AD1052 and AD1074 when the Priory became connected to Angiers. It would be safe to assume that land owned by the

Priory and land within its boundaries were worked by lay-brothers or those in the

Priory's employ. The land that had been allocated to the Priory was bordered by the

River Welland and the modern Market Place, Winsover Road and St Thomas' Road, covering in all some 33 acres (see street map Fig. 2).

Sir William Dugdale in his work Monasticon Anglicanum (1655) includes a map that is reputedly the earliest of Spalding and shows the confines of the Priory (Fig. 1).

5

Fig 1. Map of Spalding c.1655 from the Monasticon Anglicanum (No given scale)

It could be that the map is based predominantly upon the memories of local people in regard to the site, and that some artistic licence was used by the cartographer relating to the Priory and its layout. However, as no scale is given an accurate interpretation cannot be ruled out. It does however demonstrate the environs of the

Priory, not only in associated buildings but also in the land open to use. The map from the Monasticon uses trees, perhaps to represent orchards within the inner and outer

Priory walls, suggesting that the Priory was in-keeping with the Benedictine mandate of self sufficiency, but was perhaps selling any extra produce within the town market to increase Priory revenues (Brooke 1978 p.12).

Simon of Hautberg who held the position of prior from AD1229 until his death in

AD1253 enriched the Priory greatly by building houses, enriching the church, and

6 building a cloister, dormitory, infirmary, Prior's lodging and guest house. This period marked the Priory's rise as being one of the wealthiest monastic establishments in the area (Smith 1989 p.2 ).

At this time the church within the Priory complex would have been for the sole use of the monks and lay-brothers. It may have been opened to the masses on the occasion of a religious festival or holiday. Indeed the new Church of St Nicholas and St

Mary (a combination of the Priory church and the connection with Angiers) was founded in 1284 under the direction of the Priory to provide an adequate place of worship for the people of Spalding (Brassington et al p.6).

The Priory may have also felt a certain responsibility to the poor (indeed Simon's successor was known as John the Almoner), giving alms, or treating the sick in the infirmary, although this may have been only in the extremist of charitable cases, but by providing work for the townsfolk working it's lands, generating excess produce and being the centre for spiritual well-being, it remain the focal point of Spalding until the Dissolution of 1535 (Owen 1971 p.71 & p.96).

1.4 Ownership of Land and Subsidiary Buildings

The Priory extended its influence beyond the confines of Spalding and secured land in nearby manors. These were principally Pinchbeck, Moulton, Sutton and Weston.

It was to be in such manors that the Priory established farms, known as granges that were run by one or two monks and worked by conventional labourers. An example of this can be seen at Wykeham Grange a mile east of Spalding, which is still worked as a private farm today. Other examples of Lincolnshire based monastic establishments operating grange farms are Abbey and Kyme Priory (Owen 1971 p.59).

7 The dairy farm of the Priory was reputedly located on the site of Fulney Farm House, located one and a half miles from Spalding.

Under successive Priors there was a general increase in the prosperity of the area and

Spalding became the distributing centre for produce (Platts 1985 p.131). It appears from the Domesday survey of 1086 that Spalding was the only town in proximity with a market that was worth 'forty shillings yearly' (Wood 1986 p.179).

The monastic lands continued to be improved, possibly by attempts at land reclamation organised by the Priory. Charles Brears mentions an agreement by the

Prior of Spalding and one Thomas of Moulton for a joint reclamation of Moulton

Marsh (Brears (undated) p.1).

The area subsequently became richer as a result, and Spalding was able to utilise the advantages of its location and become the leading market centre within the area

(Clark 1978 p.5). There was communication by water to Crowland along the River

Welland, and possibly with Bourne via the Westlode or Glen, and by sea with Boston and the North Sea coast, as well as London to the south. Primitive roads connected

Spalding to Gosberton and Donnington, and also Weston, Whaplode, Holbeach and

Wisbech, although it is possible that they would have been impassable during the winter months (Clark 1978 p.5). Interestingly Spalding still has a 'Herring Lane' where the Prior of Spalding's fleet landed its catch (Clark 1978 p.5).

Presumably the fishing vessels were owned by the Priory, and crewed by local fishermen, providing fish not just for the tables of the Priory, but the excess catch being sold to the townsfolk in the marketplace.

Apart from farm buildings located on the granges, the Priory had other subsidiary structures located within the Spalding area, which supported the workings of the establishment on a daily basis. Wykeham has already been mentioned as a grange farm, and it was here in AD1311 that Prior Clement Harfield built Wykeham chapel

8 and adopted the site as a 'country retreat'. The remains of the chapel (sometimes referred to locally as Wykeham Abbey in remembrance of past associations) can still be seen (Plate 2).

Plate 2. Wykeham Chapel near Spalding, Lincolnshire

The so called 'Monks House' located in Bourne Road, Spalding, is interesting as it maybe representative of another grange farm. In a lecture given by Canon George

Moore in 1886 it is stated;

“Monks House was evidently built in the sixteenth century and no doubt seventeenth, mainly out of materials from the Abbey after it was sold and pulled down. Though called Monks House, no ever lived in it.” (Moore 1886 p.7)

When the house was sold in 1995 the brochure produced by Longstaff estate agents suggested;

“A granary or grange stood on the site prior to 1294... It is possible that some of the present house maybe part of the original. Granges were usually granaries which

9 became outlying farm houses belonging to the monastery.” (Longstaff brochure 1995 p.2 )

It would appear that the Monks House was once part of a grange belonging to the

Priory, and that one of the buildings was subsequently re-used from available building materials.

The Longstaff brochure is also interesting as it suggests that an existing granary was utilised at a later date as a farm house, perhaps forming the basis of a later re-build.

According to Canon Moore and Mr Charles Brears, who gave a lecture to the

Spalding Gentleman's Society around the mid 1930's (no exact date is on record), the majority of subsidiary buildings connected to the Priory were within the precinct/court area (Brears (undated) p.1 & Moore 1886 p.8).

Canon Moore describes a Priory of 'magnificence and grandeur' consisting of stables, granaries and out-buildings as well as a water mill run from an artificial stream for sanitary purposes. Brears mentions a conventional church (St Mary) and chapels dedicated to St John and St Stephen (Brears (undated) p.1 & Moore 1886 p.8).

Gooch extends this list in his History of Spalding (1940), with mention of a chapter house, cloisters, chapel, grand refectory, guest chambers, monks lodgings, a kitchen, bakehouse, brew-house and 'other offices and buildings' (p.127).

This general list of associated buildings making up the Priory complex, offer an insight into the size of the Priory and its general wealth. Canon Moore adds;

“...perfect in it's structural and architectural features built of superior materials, well made bricks concreted with good lime mortar, stone well selected, tooled, squared and where required carved, no wood but oak and chestnut, all scientifically constructed, bold and picturesque...” (Moore 1886 p.8)

10 The Monasticon map (Fig 1) reveals little indication of this splendour, but perhaps validates the abounding rumour and local tradition of the number of buildings around

Spalding, and indeed as far as Grimsthorpe Castle near Bourne, that are said to have included stone from the Priory in their construction (Brassington et al 2004 p.14).

The question now has to be asked? What did happen to Spalding Priory? How and why did this large and ornate structure simply 'disappear' from Spalding in a very physical sense, why is there so very little left and what did happen to the remains which would have equated to many tons of fine building material?

There are many traditions centred around Spalding Priory but can this be separated from actual archaeological evidence?

In order to answer this question there is first of all a need to look at the historical aspects of the Priory's demise associated with King Henry VIII and the dissolution of the monasteries, and secondly to incorporate the aftermath of this event with

Spalding's history and the writers who chronicled the town after the Priory was abandoned.

1.5 The Dissolution of the Monasteries 1536 - 1540

In contrast to the time when Spalding Priory was founded in 1052, the fourteenth century saw a great decline in religious zeal and fervour (Woodward 1995 p.8).

Numbers of recruits had fallen, and the Black Death had also taken its toll on a general interest in religious life.

Although the daily routines of Prayer and contemplation continued, many great abbeys had become powerful landowners in their own right, senior monks now finding administrative duties taking up much of their time. The of more important houses found themselves with a greater obligation to the crown, and

11 became involved in carrying out particular duties in service of the monarch. At least thirty abbots had a seat in Parliament (Woodward 1995 p.8).

The community that had been shared by the brethren was beginning to disintegrate as abbots chose to adopt a lifestyle similar to that of the leading gentry, putting aside vows of chastity and poverty, succumbing to the temptations of wealth and a secular way of life.

Many of the large houses were under-staffed and virtually deserted, leaving them to fall into disrepair and ruin. The more modest monks and nuns still found immense pressures forced upon them as lack of lay-brothers or farm workers meant that they were forced to farm the land themselves. Spirituality was not very high and vows of chastity were regularly broken (Woodward 1995 p.10).

Woodward suggests that;

“The ease with which so many of the English monks and nuns slipped into secular life at the time of the Dissolution does not suggest that they had any fervent attachment to the cloister. The general pattern in medieval monastic life was one of decline.” (p.9)

When the Dissolution bill took effect Henry VIII was able to use this 'moral' decline as an excuse to execute his plans to create a new Church of , although as history tells us he had a number of other motives.

Henry VIII and the Dissolution

The principal reason given by most historians for the Dissolution for the Monasteries was Henry VIII's desire to divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, an act which the Pope in Rome had declared illegal for a Catholic monarch under his jurisdiction to undertake.

12 This certainly had the impetus to provide Henry with a reason to create the , but the King's avarice had also been directed at the wealth of the Abbeys and Henry felt that this could be of greater use in his coffers rather than those of the church (Woodward 1995 p.10).

Henry married Anne Boleyn in secret on 14th November 1532. When this became public knowledge, the Pope declared the marriage illegal and commanded Henry to live once again with is first wife. Enraged, the King refused, and with the consent of

Parliament threw off all subjection to the See of Rome and declared himself supreme head of the Church of England (Gooch 1940 p.121).

Commissioners were sent out to inspect the monasteries and to report with detail on the 'conduct and deportment' of the residents (Hodgett 1975 p.17-18). The commissioners were said to have discovered 'monstrous disorders' in many of the religious houses (Gooch 1940 p.121).

As already suggested the monastic and religious houses had begun to slip into decline by the fourteenth century, and in the 1520's Cardinal Wolsey had overseen the closure of some twenty-nine religious houses which were considered to be

'unprofitable' (Woodward 1995 p.18). However, the living standards adopted by certain abbots, monks and sisters were almost certainly 'embellished' by Henry's men in order to justify closure. The Suppression Act of 1536 was the beginning of the end for the religious houses of England. Morals and integrity became irrelevant; it was the wealth of a house that truly mattered in order to stave off the bankruptcy of the crown

(Woodward 1995 p.18).

The process increased steadily until by 1540 it was complete, religious houses up and down the country had passed into the possession of the Crown either by suppression or surrender, those in control having been pensioned off in order to facilitate them.

13 Alter plate and vestments were now relocated to the King's jewel house, bells had been recast into cannon in the Tower of London foundry and the lead had been stripped from the roofs for use as shot. In order to reshape it for transportation local pit furnaces were dug at many abbey sites and roofing timbers were used as fuel

(Woodward 1995 p.18).

Interestingly Woodward says;

“There was no general policy of destruction, except in Lincolnshire, where many monasteries were zealously razed” (p.18).

The rebellion of 1536, known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, was not solely concerned with the Dissolution but an accumulation of grievances of which the Dissolution was the final spur. The Lincolnshire uprising of October 1st 1536 was not so much to do with the acquisition of land for the crown, but the fear of losing a traditional way of worship. The rebellion was quashed and those deemed responsible dealt with mercilessly. Could this be one of the reasons why Spalding Priory leaves so little behind by means of physical evidence?

The Dissolution of Spalding Priory

Spalding appears to have surrendered to the Crown peaceably. Gooch (1940) writes;

“The Prior at this time was Thomas Kynght (or White), and the Sub Prior was

Robert of Pinchbeck. This prior apparently showed no resistance to the King, for he was granted in 1534 a pension of £33 6s &8d per annum for subscribing with twenty others to the king's supremacy and lived to enjoy his pension for 19 years...

Thomas Kynght retired with a pension in 1538 and Richard Palmer who succeeded him was the last prelate to enjoy the title of the Lord Prior of Spalding. He surrendered his convent into the King's hands in 1540 for which he was given a

14 pension of £133 6s & 8d per annum, thus making a far better deal with the commissioners than his predecessor” (p.122).

Upon Dissolution, Spalding Priory was given to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk and was worth an annual income of £767 8s & 11d, which according to Gooch was over three times the value of the average monastic establishment, being second only in the county to Crowland.

15 Chapter Two

2.1 Physical Remains of Spalding Priory

Over the years Spalding Priory has been a focal point of attention for local historians, putting flesh upon the bones of history and in a metaphorical sense returning the Priory to its former position within Spalding thus allowing for a greater understanding of the towns history.

Where the Priory once stood has sometimes been a cause for debate. Surviving records such as the Myntling Register and the Monasticon map (Fig.1) provide evidence for the Priory's place within Spalding, as well as from the physical historical evidence open to the historian. It is still primarily the layout of the Priory and its appearance which causes debates, as well as the reason why there is so very little in the form of tangible remains within the town itself.

As a result there has emerged a wealth of local tradition that over the years have become inseparable from historical fact. Thus it has become considerably harder to ascertain where tradition ends and history begins.

First off all it would of benefit to examine the historical evidence of the Priory's location and then to relate this to local interpretation to see exactly what can be understood.

Location of Spalding Priory

The Priory lay to the south-west of the present Market Place and to the east of the

Sheep Market on the west bank of the River Welland, its proximity being indicated in a very general form by several of the street names in that area (see Fig. 2).

The modern street names contained within the vicinity are still indicative towards an association to the Priory, consisting of names such as Priory Road, Abbey Yard,

16 Abbey Path, Abbey Passage, Gore Lane, Vine Street and Orchard Street (South

Holland District Council 2000 p.5).

In his lecture on the subject of the Priory to the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society

(undated) Charles Brears describes the Priory’s position within the town thus;

“In 1253 the Priory court was extended outside the western wall to include a road leading from the Market place to the windmill of William son of Ralph. While on the east it was extended to the river bank. In 1333… the wall separating the convent from the town was strengthened and crenelated; the plan in Dugdale (Fig. 1) shows that a moat formed the boundary towards the marsh running along the present St. Thomas’

Road.” (p.1)

Using the street names as a guide on Fig. 2 it is still possible to work out the exact position of the Priory in relation to the centre of town.

Fig 2. Map showing Spalding Street Names (1 inch = 1 mile)

Canon Moore in his lecture of 1886 places the centre of the complex in the area of

Abbey Yard, and this could conceivably be the area where the original Priory building

17 was founded in AD1052 and the original Church dedicated to St Mary was located before the founding of the Parish Church c.AD1284

The overall size of the complex would have been around 33 acres and would have been the towns dominant focal point, visible to any traveller entering Spalding. It's boundaries would have been most likely defined by walls, within which would have been the structures necessary to the everyday existence of the monks. The

Monasticon map (Fig. 1) shows large areas of open land within the Priory precinct boundary which could have been used for cultivation. Indeed illustrations of trees that perhaps depict orchards are clearly illustrated and may help explain the naming of

Orchard Street. It has been theorised that the monks also attempted to cultivate grapes for the purpose of making wine and this could also be an explanation for nearby Vine Street (Allen 2000 p.5). Of course there must be some artistic licence considered when viewing the Monasticon map (Fig.1) as it was drawn up after the

Dissolution, but it is conceivable that the monks would have had land allocated for cultivation within the Priory grounds for their immediate needs as opposed to a sole reliance on grange farms.

Priory Remains – Archaeology and Local Tradition

What physically remains of Spalding Priory is a mixture of genuine archaeology, conjecture and tradition. Local people and historians still debate the nature of these remains, although sorting out the fact from the fiction can still lead to a number of interesting conclusions.

It is known that one Robert Dighton, a local business man and town bailiff, bought lands around Spalding in 1540 (Brassington et al 2004 p.14). He charged a man named Kegby with dismantling and disposing of the physical remains of Spalding

18 Priory, which sold for five shillings a barrow load (Gooch 1940 p.174). There is a suggestion that some stones went to repair the Parish Church. Dr John Cleary suggests that two arched window frames within the church were originally from the

Priory building, and could possibly validate this claim (Stones Of Spalding Priory

Tour September 13th 2008).

The historical guide to the Parish Church of St Mary and St Nicholas claims that stone from the Priory was used to either repair or in some cases actually construct a number of buildings within the vicinity (p.14).

It is rumoured that some of the stones went to Grimsthorpe Castle near Bourne

(Brassington et al 2004 p.14), at that period owned by the Duke of Suffolk. The present curator, Mr Ray Biggs, dismisses this idea as a Cistercian abbey in the park at

Grimsthorpe also closed at the Dissolution, helped to provide adequate stone for the

Castle’s construction in 1538.

Mr Biggs also suggested that limestone quarries also situated in the park would have provided any necessary construction materials.

Prominent Spalding houses mentioned were Berquery House (now the White Horse

Inn) and Willesby Hall (Brassington et al 2004 p.14).

The White Horse Inn

The White Horse Inn, Churchgate, formerly Berquery House (1553) was built by

William Willesby as a private residence and is now a public house (Gooch 1940 p.126). ‘Old Robin Harmstone’ in his book The History and Antiquities of

Spalding (1846), mentions three structures that he believed were built using the remains from the Priory, including The White Horse;

19 “Willesby’s Hall… built in 1553, out of the ruins of the old Abbey… The White

Horse Public House was built in the year 1553… out of the ruins of the old Abbey…

That curious old house called the Star Public House was also built out of the ruins of the old Abbey…” (p.7)

In her book ‘A Postcard from Spalding’ Rosalyn Pursglove says of the White

Horse Inn;

“… this was formally Berquery House and was the home of the Willesby family. It was built from materials from the former Benedictine Priory after it’s dissolution in

1539.” (p.16)

Gooch (1940) also considers the possibility that the White Horse was constructed from the remains of the Priory (p.126).

Although it has long been rumoured that The White Horse Inn was built entirely using Priory stone, it is now thought that only the stones forming the foundations are in fact remnants, as it was the best quality material available when the structure was built, the rest of the building is constructed from brick (Plate 3), following the latest in fashionable sixteenth century housing (Brunskill 2004 p.79).

Plate 3. The White Horse Inn – Spalding

20

Site of The Star Public House – Road

This property, constructed around 1553, was once an inn and then subsequently a poor house until demolition around 1880. One interesting feature that does survive is the semi-circular brick-built entrance to the porch which appears to be older than the building it was connected with. Tradition holds that this arch was once associated with Spalding Priory.

Harmstone (1846) mentions this 'curious old house' as being built from the ruins of the 'Abbey' (p.7), although in their book Aspects of Spalding (1986) Norman Leveritt

& Michael J Elsden give no indication that this was the case directly. They do refer to

Canon Moore's 1886 lecture which describes the arch as being of 'great antiquity' and

'doubtless had been in work in some other place previously'. This may have lead to the speculation that this was a remnant of Spalding Priory (p.48).

According to Gooch the Star stood on what is now (by 1940) a garden belonging to the brewery next to (the then) Welland House. He mentions the 'beautiful old archway' that was 'possibly used as a side entrance to the Priory' which had been re- set into the garden wall close to where the inn once stood (p.357).

Although undoubtedly of considerable age there has been no formal investigation of this structure and any association with the Priory is still speculative.

Leveritt & Elsden also mention that the arch was saved after the original building was demolished and can still be seen today in the wall next to No.3 Cowbit Road, formerly Westbourne House, now William Sands House ( p.48).

Constructed from highly decorative brick, which could have been used in the fabric of the Priory in the late fourteenth to early fifteenth century, worked stone at the base

21 may also indicate a connection with the original public house being constructed from

Priory material, although there is no direct evidence for this (Plate 4/See Appendix 4).

Platts (1985) suggests that bricks were being used increasingly for domestic as well as ecclesiastical purposes, as although they were expensive to manufacture, they could be be more convenient and cheaper to obtain than stone (p.133).

22 Plate 4. Decorated brickwork arch Cowbit Road – Spalding, formerly part of The Star

public house

23 Prior's Oven – No.1 Sheep Market

The Prior's Oven has often been described as the only truly original section of the

Priory still standing, although it has been re-furbished and modernised a number of times and has been used for a variety of functions including a prison, a cafe, a blacksmiths and various shops (Harmstone 1846 p.8/Leveritt & Elsden 1986 p,66).

It has an odd appearance, with a jetty and conical roof, but the nineteenth century exterior and modern windows belies its antiquity and there is no obvious clue to its history or purpose (Snowden 2005 p.11).

The interior consists of a single room with a vaulted ceiling with eight concentric arches with beams meeting at its centre. A small spiral stone staircase leads to the cellars below, and rumours of tunnels still persist amongst local residents (Hoskins

1936 p.2).

Another similar staircase leads to a very similar upstairs room with much similar proportions. It has a hipped slate roof and is octagonal in construction. It is certainly a very curios building to find at the end of a 'row of modern shops'.

Recent work carried out by building expert Mark Hamblin has engaged in peeling back the layers to reveal the earliest parts of the structure and to hopefully establish the building's history in greater detail (Snowden 2005 p.11)

What is generally accepted is that the structure, sometimes referred to as the 'Turris' is at least seven hundred years old, and built around AD1230. The local name of

Prior's Oven appears to have been adopted because of its unusual shape. It was once the Monastic Prison, where monks and laymen were punished, often with severity.

A tower was later added containing a bell which tolled at the time of an execution, although this has now disappeared, with only the strengthened lower vault remaining

(Gooch 1940 p.215).

24 The Turris is visible on the map from the Monasticon (Fig.1) and also on the John

Grundy map (1732), where it is described as 'the Prior's Prison'.

The illustrations by Burgess (1755-1813) which are now in the collection of the

Spalding Gentlemen's society also show the Prior's Oven as it was during the early nineteenth century (Plate 5).

Plate 5. Burgess watercolour showing Prior's Oven, Spalding c.1825

25 Abbey Buildings - Priory Road

Originally this was once one complete dwelling, but was divided up into separate cottages around 1870 (Leveritt &Elsden 1986 p.47). They are constructed from

Barnack Rag stone, which is known to have been quarried near Stamford between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries (Platts 1985 p.132).

Because of the location of the complete structure, it is traditionally perceived to be part of the original Priory akin to the Prior's Oven, and is considered to be part of the monk’s dormitory (Lincolnshire Free Press Home & Garden Supplement April 29th

2008 p.6).

The age, style and general construction of the building would in fact comply with this theory, and it has become an accepted part of Spalding's history, although through any lack of written evidence it could be that it was constructed after the Dissolution and as in the case of other buildings simply been built using stone left over from the

Priory (Lincolnshire Free Press Home & Garden Supplement April 29th 2008 p.6).

It is mentioned in the updated third volume of the Monasticon Anglicanum (p.214) that by 1789 the remains of Spalding Priory consisted of some cottages with Gothic windows (Abbey Buildings) and part of the church and gateway (Plate 16), but these have since been demolished.

The gardens belonging to Abbey Buildings once extended into the Crescent before more shops were built there (Elsden 2001 p.224).

26 Plate 6. Abbey Buildings 2008 - Spalding

Plate 7. Burgess watercolour showing Abbey Buildings c.1825

27 The 'Tower' – Hole in the Wall

The Tower (sometimes referred to as 'The Turret') is described in the 1902 booklet,

Spalding and its Churches, thus;

“A staircase tower, probably of Holy Cross Church (is) standing in the Hole in the

Wall passage and forming the premises belonging to Messrs Donnington & Co.

Chemists.” (p.4)

It stood in the passage until the early 1960's when it was finally removed to allow for the expansion of Boots the Chemist, successor to Donnington & Co.

Again there is some speculation as to the exact nature of this particular structure.

Was it a remaining section of a church located within the Priory complex, or like other structures mentioned, simply re-built using available materials left over from the

Priory?

Plate 8. Burgess Watercolour 1825 showing Hole in the Wall and Tower

28 The Burgess Watercolour (Plate 8) shows the Tower as forming part of the front of a house, which Burgess describes as being a former prison. It could be that this remnant was either still in situ and simply incorporated into the building as a feature, or as Mr

Michael Snowden from the Spalding Gentlemen's Society suggests it was actually built from scratch using remaining Priory stone when the house was initially constructed, and then subsequently kept as a feature despite alterations made to the building over time. Mee (1949) believed it to be a Priory 'fragment' (p.345).

Plate 9. Undated & untitled local newspaper photograph showing Tower pre-

demolition c.1960

29 Around 1959/1960 the building was subject to alterations once again as the owner,

Boots the Chemist, expanded the property.

The Tower was reportedly examined by the 'Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments' and found to be only three hundred years old and subsequently deemed to be 'not worth preserving' (Appendix 3). This does suggest that the Tower was not a complete surviving part of the original Priory hence the decision to remove it.

Plate 10. The only visible remains of the Tower - 2008

30

Today all that is left of the Tower consists of a vertical row of stones that seem very much out of place between two modern brick walls.

Willesby Hall – Albion Street

This grand hall was built by Thomas Willesby, brother of William Willesby (who built Berquery House), around 1553, and again local tradition indicates that the material used for its construction was taken from the remains of Spalding

Priory.(Elsden 2001 p.215). Harmstone (1846) and Gooch (1940) also mention

Willesby Hall as being constructed to this effect.

The original building was bunt down in the mid nineteenth century, but was re- assembled in as close to its original form as possible, using what material could be salvaged. It is this building which survives today (Gooch 1940 p.363).

Fulney Hall – Holbeach Road

Fulney Hall was built by Sir Matthew Gamlyn from 'materials of the Priory' (Gooch p.471). This building is described as being 'raised' in 1847, with a smaller building being rebuilt from salvaged stone (Elsden 2001 p.216).

Sir Anthony Oldfield's House - Station Street

Sir Anthony Oldfield was in possession of numerous monastic acres and buildings, acquiring Spalding Priory site in 1609. It is mentioned by Canon Moore (1886);

“Fulney Hall was built of Barnack Rag stone taken from the ruins of the Abbey...”

(p.6)

31 He built a mansion from available Priory stone on lands that were formerly the 'park' of the Priory.

Afterwards, according to Gooch (1940) it was used as a parish poor house before being pulled down in 1802 (p.126).

Interestingly this seems to be the only reference to the Priory Park, which reputedly extended from Ivo Tailbois' Castle (Castle Playing Field) to the River Glen, embracing what is now Vernatt's Drain, the Railway, Park Road as far as Pinchbeck

West. It could well be that a forested deer park was indeed situated here for use by the denizens of the Priory and/or the local aristocracy, but further research will have to be undertaken to determine the historical validity of Gooch's statement.

2.2 Miscellanea

There are some structures that are not so well known, or are situated outside the main Spalding area that had a connection with the Priory, but are not constructed from material derived from its remains.

This is interesting when one compares the theory that the White Horse Inn has its foundations constructed from Priory stone. Perhaps this was a standard practice around the time that stone was being used for houses in Spalding, or it was simply what could be afforded, with the main construction materials being obtained from elsewhere?

In Pinchbeck Sir Richard Ogle, the last Prior's Steward had a manor house built with a chapel attached and a 'large house' was built for Sir John Brown (Gooch p.126).

No trace of either remains today, although it is possible that newer properties have since been constructed over them.

32 'Monk's House' situated in Monk's House Lane, was known to have been built by

Mr. Kegby, the Gentleman charged with clearing away and selling the remaining

Priory stone. He appears to have built himself a fine house using this material around the 1540's, on the site of a grange farm. Is it possible that certain amounts of material were already there for him to use via the ruins of the grange itself, or did he transport stone from the site in Spalding to the building site for construction? (Elsden 2001 p.220). The house was subsequently renovated after a fire in 1974.

The 'Vetchery' (Fulney Farm House) was reputedly the dairy farm to the Priory. The building itself has been renovated a number of times, but its general structure appears to be of some antiquity (Elsden 2001 p.218).

Plate 11. Burgess Watercolour of The Vetchery c.1825

33

Wykeham Abbey is all that remains of Prior Clement's summer retreat. This would have originally been a considerably larger series of structures, where monks from

Spalding would go for one week in Lent on purpose to be starved, purged and bled.

Canon Moore says of Wykeham;

“Nothing remains of this once sumptuous edifice except the walls of the chapel to which it was attached” (p.6).

Gooch describes Wykeham as their 'convalescent retreat' (p.109).

Plate 12. Burgess watercolour of Wykeham Abbey c.1825

34

Herring Lane & Double Street

An interesting juxtaposition between local tradition and archaeological fact occurs between buildings evident in the area of Herring Lane, Double Street and Broad

Street.

Gooch (1940) mentions a house in Double Street, Spalding, that when removing its foundations in 1856 some blocks of 'beautiful carved stone' were found, that supposedly belonged to the Abbey, although he is no more specific than that (p.472).

A report by architects Anderson-Glenn completed in 2007 reveals much about this area and the supposed association with the Priory.

For many years tradition has held that this was indeed the 'site' of Spalding Priory, due mainly to three stone archways mounted into the (south) wall of Herring Lane car park and an interesting window arch that protrudes from the premises of an eighteenth century property known as 'The Limes'.

Indeed this area could in fact be mistaken for an historic site but the circumstances of the origins of archways and window arch may only have a tentative connection to the Priory and are most certainly not remains 'in situ'.

Miss Alexandra Foster, a resident of Spalding, recalls her Father telling her that these remains were all that was left from the original Priory. This author also remembers being told a similar account from his school days during the 1980s.

Local traditions can be passed down from person to person and begins, in effect, to shroud the archaeological truth.

During the eighteenth century there were five major properties located around this area. They were The Manor House (now the Conservative Club), The Limes and the

35 Sycamores, which were (and still are) private residences, Harrington House and

Norwood House.

These buildings are close to the heart of the town, an area that could have had buildings on or around it during the medieval period (Anderson-Glenn 2007 p.2).

If so, none of these buildings are believed to have had any connection to the church or the Priory. However none of this is conclusive (Anderson-Glenn 2007 p.2).

The Limes was re-built in the eighteenth century, and during the mid nineteenth century was owned by the Churchwarden of St Mary and St Nicholas. This coincided with Gilbert Scott's restoration of the church from 1865-67 (Pevsner 1989 p.647).

The ashlar Gothic arch, which is mounted on the top of the boundary wall with the garden of the Limes more than likely came from the Parish Church restoration and it was not uncommon for materials to be taken from historic churches to be used as garden ornaments (Anderson-Glenn 2007 p.15).

During the 'Stones of Spalding Priory' tour (September 13th 2008), Dr John Cleary remarked upon two internal windows in the Parish Church, which he believed to be relics from the Priory that had been relocated when the church was originally built to replace the Church of St Mary within the Priory precinct.

It is possible that the Gothic arch in the garden of The Limes may also have originated at the Priory, although there is no direct evidence to support this. The arch itself has been repaired quite heavily with cement mortar. It has a width of approx

330mm and is 1900mm in height (Anderson-Glenn 2007 p.15).

The stone arches located in the western corner of the southern boundary wall of

Dembleby House ( built in 1904 after the Manor House lost its southern extension, now a solicitors office) forms part of the brick wall that forms the existing council car park.

36 To rear of this property Harrington House was once located, and subsequently demolished in 1968.

The building that occupied the car park site was known as Norwood House, which was also demolished c.1967-68 after acquisition by the council. Although neither property is believed to have any connection with the Priory, it is possible that material from the Gilbert Scott restoration,and perhaps even from the Priory itself, was left over from this demolition and subsequently incorporated into the wall of the car park

(Anderson-Glenn 2007 p.10).

Evidence of worked stone can be located within the arches themselves, but it is most probable that left over stone work was simply re-built into the brickwork to form an arch shaped pattern and has no relevance to any actual historical construction or remains in situ (Plates 13 &14).

37 Plate 13. The three wall arches located in the car park boundary wall – Herring Lane

2009

Arches numbered 1-3 are located from left to right of photograph

Plate 14. Evidence of worked stone from arch No.1 Herring Lane car park 2009

The front garden of Dembleby House also contains evidence of both worked and un-worked stone that was possibly left over from the 1960's demolition of Harrington and Norwood Houses (Plate 15).

Although clearly limestone and possibly from the Barnack area where stone for the

Priory was quarried, it could still be material from the renovation of the Parish Church rather than from the Priory building. Nevertheless it is a good example of how materials have been re-used down the centuries, and how even from most recent

38 construction phases local tradition regarding the origin of material can still remain predominant.

Plate 15. Evidence of worked stone from the front garden of Dembleby House - 2009

39

Chapter Three

3.1 Archaeological Evidence

Overview

Very little actual archaeological investigation has been carried out in Spalding relating to the Priory itself.

What is known has been pieced together from medieval finds made within the vicinity of the Market place, Bridge Street, Church Street, Swan Street, New Road and Vine

Street.

Although Spalding is quite rich in various archaeological content, only the finds connected with the Priory and those from the period when the Priory was a fully functioning organisation have been analysed for the purposes of this paper.

It is generally regarded that the Priory was located in what is now the centre of the town, and that its boundaries are still very much discernible in the form of Hall Place,

Bridge Street and St Thomas's Road (See Appendix 2).

Generally finds have been made during the renovation work of local businesses or expansions such as Vine Street car park and public conveniences.

Much of what has been discovered indicates a flourishing community existing at the same time as the Priory itself, supporting the theory that Spalding grew up around the precinct, and benefited from the existence of a powerful and stable religious community, with a thriving economic base.

The information below has been taken from the current HER report (Appendix 1).

40

Bridge Street, Market Place & Sheep Market

The Priory cemetery is believed to have extended across Bridge Street, and various burials and human remains have been located within this vicinity. What has been recovered so far has been ostensibly dated between 1066 – 1539, which covers just about the entire history of Spalding Priory and supports the idea that the cemetery was in constant use during this period.

Apart from the cemetery and what is believed to be the remains of a small medieval church (Church of the Holy Cross) other features located between Bridge Street and the Market Place include a ditch, linear feature, moat and remains of walls dating to the medieval period. It is understood that the walls are in fact part of the precinct boundary that would have separated the Priory from the rest of the town.

The Prior's Oven and Abbey Buildings are believed to be structures in situ from the time of the Priory and forming part of its interior/exterior layout.

Other finds have included a timber framed building, a suspected fishery, a salt- works, a cess pit and a metal working site, indicating that an industrial style economy was operating outside the Priory precinct boundary, most probably in conjunction with the Priory itself.

Finds in this area have related mostly to an industrial/domestic setting, close to the main communication artery of the River Welland, reflecting the growth and development of early Spalding and its importance as a medieval port. At this time

Spalding had a trade connection to Boston and Kings Lynn via the European

Hanseatic League, and was a vital link to towns further inland as far as Cambridge.

41 Michael Elsden in his book More Aspects of Spalding (2001) includes a newspaper article from May 1868 that describes the discovery of a wall with a curiously constructed arch discovered during work in the Sheep Market (p.251).

Church Street

With its close proximity to the river, finds in Church Street may emphasise the importance of this area in medieval Spalding.

Both domestic and industrial remains have been located on this site, including hammerscale, slag, animal bones, brick tile and pottery dating back to the period of the Priory. Most interesting is a sherd of French pottery that has been connected to someone of considerable status, as well as perhaps indicative of the kind of cargo being brought into Spalding off the river at around this point.

Environmental examinations showed that this area was prone to flooding from the

Welland at various intervals, but it could be suggested that trade or business was not too badly affected.

Swan Street

Finds in Swan Street have mainly consisted of pottery fragments. Like Church Street it is believed this area was also prone to flooding at intermittent times, resulting in only limited activity.

New Road

Signs indicate that this site might have been used as a cereal processing plant connected with agricultural/pastoral activities.

Two buildings believed to have been used for storage have been uncovered, one being constructed of stone, the other timber framed, suggesting a domestic or

42 agricultural function. Pottery fragments, pits, gullies and two hearths may be an indication of salt making.

It is quite possible that produce from the grange farms, the outlying fields and the

Priory itself would need to be stored and processed somewhere close to the main area of occupation.

Vine Street & Bridge Street

Two medieval occupation layers consisting of cobbled surfaces were unearthed dating firstly to eleventh and twelfth centuries and then to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It is believed that they may indicate a relationship to the Priory. A possible blacksmiths was also located in Bridge Street.

3.2 Conclusion

From this information it can be determined that Spalding had a quite substantial economy, perhaps supported from the Priory, and was able to take advantage of the natural resources at its disposal. There would have been good quality land surrounding the town which would have been worked in a traditional way by the peasants, supplying produce not just for themselves but also for their overlords and landowners. The land owned and worked by the Priory outside of the town would have perhaps sent its produce back into Spalding to be processed and distributed, either to those living in the town or exported by river either inland, or perhaps to the

Continent via Boston or King's Lynn.

The proximity of these finds to the supposed precinct of the Priory suggest that it represented a structure of support for the monks and lay brothers residing in the Priory complex, as well as operating as a centre of industry and occupation for medieval

43 Spalding, indicating that the town was a thriving and prosperous place, far removed from the secluded backwater that an unfair reputation tarnishes it with (Anderson-

Glenn 2007 p1).

The people of Spalding during this period seemed to be prosperous and comfortable, able to utilise the obvious advantages of land and water at their disposal. (See

Appendix 1 for complete list of archaeological sites & finds & Appendix 2 for location of mentioned sites).

44

Chapter Four

Further Investigation

For such an important building very little in the way of archaeological research or professional investigation has been carried out in regard to Spalding Priory.

The main reason for this is, perhaps, that the site of the Priory has been built upon in successive generations becoming a thriving part of the town. There are very few accessible areas that could open themselves to an intensive archaeological investigation, save perhaps Spalding Grammar School playing field, areas around the

Hospital site, the District Council offices and private back gardens, which due to size, ownership and the general disruption that would be caused, may not be conducive for a dig of any great significance. Evidence would be spread out or at the most inaccessible, simply leading to further conjuncture or simply re-affirming what has already been determined. The Grammar School playing field for example may have been land used for cultivation by the monks (Fig. 1), so perhaps very little in the way of tangible evidence would be obtained.

The only conceivable opportunity open to archaeological research into Spalding

Priory is to examine areas prior to building work or refurbishment, which has been very much the case in regard to digs carried out in Vine Street and Bridge Street. Such opportunities are rare however, and the full extent/content of the Priory complex may never be fully understood.

Due to the urban nature of the majority of the supposed Priory site a geophysical examination might not be feasible, although it maybe of value to examine the

Grammar School playing field in this manner in order to evaluate the situation below ground.

45 Written sources and local tradition explain much of what happened to the Priory buildings after the Dissolution. It is known from other examples such as Glastonbury in Somerset and King's Lynn in Norfolk, that stone from the abandoned ecclesiastical establishments was used to build and repair much of the surrounding town (Radford

1988 p.2).

Sometimes the stone was simply there for the taking and a new town emerged from this available source of building materials, but as in the case of Spalding the owner of the Priory site charged for the privilege, and thus only the wealthy could afford to build their grand houses from the remains.

However scattered remains indicate that material was perhaps used across the town for building or repair purposes. Sometimes these stones maybe confused with remains from Spalding Castle, a late contemporary of the Priory built by the Normans to subdue the town after the invasion of 1066. The castle would most certainly have been of the traditional 'Motte and Bailey' design and constructed using timber. When the Castle was considered to be obsolete and of no further practical use, it was raised, and like the Priory appears to have no tangible remains today (Clark 1978 p.7).

Worked stones located in the area where the Castle once stood are more than likely remains from the Priory, or a subsequent building constructed from that source material (Clark 1978 p.5).

It is also rumoured that Priory stone was used to build up and strengthen the banks of the River Welland. (Stones of Spalding Priory 13th September 2008). Further investigations might involve contacting the Rivers Authority to determine if any such material has been located during repair or conservation work to the riverbank.

The Priory was most probably a large establishment (Fig. 1) and it is conceivable that the amount of stone rumoured to have been re-used in one form or another could account for many of the traditions that abound in the Spalding area today.

46 There is still conjecture as to how far the Priory cemetery extended, due to human remains located in Bridge Street, ostensibly outside the Priory perimeter boundary.

There was a tradition that the wealthier and important people of the town were buried as close as possible to whatever religious house they served (Brooke 1978 p.11).

Before the construction of the Parish Church of St Mary and St Nicholas this would have been the original Church of St Mary located within the Priory compound. It is perhaps feasible to assume that ground was consecrated outside the perimeter for those not suitably wealthy or important enough to be granted a place next to the church building itself. Perhaps further investigations around Bridge Street may yield more information?

Other possible remains, such as the brick built archway in Cowbit Road should also be analysed in greater detail. An expert in Medieval and Tudor brick construction may be able to determine a conclusive date for this structure and identify the period to which it belongs (See Appendix 4).

Brick was very much the 'fashion statement' of the age when it became available as a source of building material (Platts 1985 p.133), and perhaps an investigation into the construction of the White Horse public house may also determine the truth about which portions are constructed using stone from the Priory.

What the Priory looked like has also been very speculative. The only contemporary illustration comes from the fifteenth century Pinchbeck Fen Map (Plate 1) and probably shows much artistic licence. Gooch (1940) tells of 'perspective views' depicted upon the walls of the upper part of a parlour in Hollyrood House (although this part of the house was sadly burnt down in the eighteenth century), completed at the expense of Sir William Rigden. Gooch implies that similar views were painted on the walls of other 'old houses' within the town, but in the course of time obliterated or

47 painted over. Gooch laments the fact that nobody thought to record these images for posterity on canvas (p.127).

Sadly Gooch is not very specific about which other 'old houses' contained images of the Priory. If any of these structures remain standing valuable illustrations could be hidden beneath layers of paint and wallpaper waiting to be uncovered. However without more information any further investigation would prove very difficult in order to prove Gooch's statement as being correct.

The map from the Monasticon (Fig. 1) is perhaps only a representation of the Priory buildings and cannot be used as an accurate guide.

Until quite recently physical in-situ remains of the Priory were still visible in

Spalding. A watercolour by Hilkiah Burgess (Plate16) shows the remains of a probable gateway that once stood at the corner of the Sheep Market and the Crescent, leading out onto the Gore. It appears from the painting to be still in quite remarkable condition, but was subsequently demolished at the end of the nineteenth century, perhaps to accommodate a new road and businesses within the Crescent (Elsden 2001 p.80). Another Burgess watercolour depicts a row of cottages in the nearby Sheep

Market, reportedly built from Priory stone, yet again demolished in the nineteenth century (Elsden 2001 p.79).

Like the 'Tower' located within the Hole-In The Wall passage their destruction heralded another loss to the history of Spalding. However further investigation into remains that have been recorded but are no longer in situ could perhaps still offer an insight into the configuration and layout of the Priory and its grounds.

48 Plate 16. Burgess Watercolour depicting the Gateway in situ c.1825

49 It is possible that sources from the Catholic Church could shed light upon the enigma of Spalding Priory.

Detailed records of Catholic monastic houses would have been made and subsequently archived. Could contemporary images, maps and important information relating to Spalding Priory still exist, stored away in a forgotten vault beneath the

Vatican? Perhaps one day this is where researches might lead.

Of course information could still possibly exist within private collections, awaiting discovery and interpretation.

50 Chapter Five

Conclusion

Spalding Priory is an enigmatic subject for investigation. There seems to be no doubt archaeologically as to where it stood, but exactly what it looked like and the layout are still debated. Most people in Spalding are aware that the Priory existed, although perhaps not fully contemplating its role within the structure of the medieval town.

They might know 'roughly' where it stood if asked, or relate childhood tales and traditions that they have been brought up with. The arches within the wall of Herring

Lane car park are a perfect illustration of local tradition blending with, and then overshadowing archaeological fact in a relatively short space of time, just as much as a rarely seen nineteenth century garden feature becomes the actual site of the Priory, a misconception continuing to this day.

The Priory is an important part of Spalding's heritage and continues to attract interest, discussion and investigation. Perhaps because its removal at the Dissolution was so thorough, and very little actually survives either in situ or in the form of tangible artefacts, that reality and tradition often become inseparable and the few grains of truth that are available become much harder to locate within popular misconceptions.

Historians have to be able to separate truth from fiction in order to create as accurate a picture as possible. Archaeological evidence is not easily obtainable, apart from brief windows of opportunity, but sometimes even the strangest of theories may have a germ of historical and archaeological evidence that can be explored and expanded during an investigation.

Spalding Priory has been the subject of much theory and conjecture. It helps to tell part of an important story, not only in the history of the town, but also of the area in

51 general. It is a lost building that helped to define, create and mould the present day town, giving it lasting character and affluence. Its presence defined Spalding as a major port along the trade route of the Welland, and helped to establish an industrial and agricultural presence that still persists within the modern economy of the town

(Clark 1978 p.5).

It was a place of worship, reverence and perhaps even pilgrimage, shaking off the bonds with its parent abbey at Crowland and becoming a wealthy land owning entity in it own right. It would have been the first thing that a visitor to Spalding would have seen, a symbol of power and sanctuary towering over . When the Priory eventually succumb to the Lieutenants of Henry VIII, and its stones were torn down, they in turn helped to represent a new order, a shift of power from the once dominant church to the wealthy land owning classes, whose homes they were to help construct.

Perhaps one day the complete story will be told and a greater awareness of

Spalding's rich history will be made available both to historians and laymen alike.

There is still much to learn and decipher about the Priory and its subsequent demise, this paper being merely the tip of a far larger iceberg.

52 Bibliography

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56 Appendix One

HER Archaeological Report – The Priory and

Medieval Spalding

57 Appendix Two

Map showing areas of archaeological investigation

and associated street names

58 Appendix Three

Information from unnamed and undated newspaper cutting relating to the dismantling of the Hole-in-the-

Wall Tower

59 Appendix Four

Copy Of E-Mail sent by

Dr Gerard Lynch regarding possible origins of the

Cowbit Road Archway

60