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1
THE MINSTER CHURCH
OF ST MARY (STOW MINSTER)
STOW-IN-LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE (DIOCESE OF LINCOLN)
CONSERVATION
MANAGEMENT PLAN
CONSULTATION DRAFT
© Stow PCC / CBC June 2012
2
1. Preliminaries
1.1 List of Contents
1. Preliminaries
1.1 List of Contents 2
1.2 Message from the PCC 3
1.3 Executive Summary 4
2. Introduction 5
3. Understanding the place and the community 7
3.1 The Location and Setting of the Church 7
3.2 The church and the community 9
3.3 Description of the building and site 10
3.3.1 The history and archaeology of Stow and the church 14
3.3.2 Description of the church today 19
3.3.3 Description of the exterior 19
3.3.4 The interior of the church 22
3.3.5 Furnishings and fittings 24
4. Assessment of significance 27
4.1 Statutory Designations 27
4.2 A detailed breakdown of what is of significance 27
5. Assessment of potential and constraints 30
5.1 Issues affecting the church 30
5.2 Potential areas of conflict 34
5.3 Impact assessment of any current proposals 35
6. Management policies 36
7. Bibliography and sources 39
3
1.2 Message from the PCC
There has been a worshipping Christian community at Stow for at least a thousand
years. The role of this huge and fascinating building has changed many times in its
long history, but the Minster was from the beginning fully integrated into the life of
the community, being primarily a place where God was worshipped daily, but also
somewhere people went for all sorts of non-spiritual needs to be met.
The church is today seeking to fulfil these roles in the context of a rapidly changing
society, recognising the exceptional role of this place in nurturing the Christian faith
in Lincolnshire, England and beyond. Today we aim to see Stow Minster once again
flourishing as a centre for mission and an integral part of the wider community life. It
is still a place where God is worshipped regularly, and visitors often comment on its
atmosphere of peace. Its magnificent beauty is awe-inspiring. We want to maintain
this legacy for future generations.
There is also great potential for the Minster to become an internationally recognised
place of education and learning, retreat and pilgrimage, as well as a rich resource for
local groups and schools, with its connections with such popular historic figures as
Lady Godiva of Coventry.
There can be no doubt that this is one of the major parish churches of England, truly
monumental in scale and appearance. The challenge of maintaining such a large
historic building as a place of worship and community resource is enormous. It was
included in the 100 most endangered sites in the world by the World Monuments
Fund in 2006. This means that the PCC faces a huge challenge in bringing its vision
to fruition. Although an incredible amount has been achieved since then, much more
work is still needed to make the building fit for purpose in the 21st century,
particularly to the interior.
Careful thought and discussion with the community and all who care for this place
will be necessary to face this challenge, and to make the most of the opportunities
which a fresh look at the church building and its place in Stow and the surrounding
area, the Deanery, and Diocese may bring.
This Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is a timely and vital document bringing
together information regarding these actual and potential religious, cultural and social
activities at Stow. The CMP will be used as a means to reappraise and revitalise the
church building and its surroundings, and to serve the needs of all members of the
community who love and use the church, while maintaining its status as first and
foremost a place of worship.
The PCC would like to thank the Church Buildings Council for all their hard work in
helping to produce the CMP.
4
1.3 Executive Summary
The church of St Mary is one of the oldest historic parish churches of Lincolnshire,
the site of Christian worship since at least the early 11th
century. The present church
building itself is almost 1000 years old in parts, and is one of the major examples of
Romanesque architecture in the country, with more Anglo-Saxon and Norman
masonry than any other Lincolnshire church. It was considered the ‘finest Norman
church in Lincolnshire’ by the poet and antiquarian Sir John Betjeman, then a member
of the Council for Places of Worship (the forerunner of the Church Buildings
Council).
It is one of the oldest buildings in Lincolnshire still in use for its original purpose, the
others all being also churches. Foremost amongst these of course are the Cathedral in
Lincoln and the church of St Botolph in Boston (the Boston Stump), and Stow
Minster belongs with these buildings in terms of its significance. Its exceptional
architectural, art historical, archaeological, and historic importance is recognised in its
Grade I listing, and the designation of the site as a Scheduled Monument. The church
should however not be seen as an isolated historical monument, but understood within
its wider human and natural environment, and as an asset for the local and wider
community.
The church has frequently proved problematic for the parishioners due to its sheer
size; indeed, in the 19th
century there was a proposal to pull it down. In recent years
the congregation has found it difficult to support the building, and has questioned its
long term sustainability as a parish church in its present form.
With this in mind, this document has been compiled in order to act as a catalyst for
developing the church building as a community and cultural asset as well as a place of
worship and contemplation; as a place to learn about the history of Christianity in
Lincolnshire, and the rich local heritage of this place and area; and as a cultural
centre, a place to enjoy music and art, working together with the cathedral and diocese
to offer a world-class attraction.
The CMP gives the parameters in which this can happen. The task is to develop a
vision and make it into a reality by harnessing energy within the community, with
diocesan and national support. The aim is not only to respect the significance of the
building and site and the values attached to it by the people of Stow and beyond, but
to enhance it, to make it better, to unlock its dormant potential.
This vision will require not only energy, but major initial funding to make it self
sufficient and sustainable, which will only be available if there is co-operation and
understanding between the various stakeholders and everyone who cares about this
place. The CMP is seen as a way to facilitate this.
5
2 INTRODUCTION
The Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the church of St Mary was
compiled in 2012 by Dr Joseph Elders, Major Projects Officer of the Church
Buildings Council (CBC) on behalf of the PCC and diocese, at the invitation of the
Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey. The document has been compiled with advice and
input from Keith Halliday, Secretary of the Lincoln Diocesan Advisory Committee
(DAC), Ben Stoker (Open Churches Officer) and Matt Cooper and then Rebecca
Burrows (Support Officer), the CBC and Professor David Stocker, previously of
English Heritage.
It was written to act as a catalyst for improving the accessibility, use, and social and
educational value of the church and site, as a place of Christian worship and mission
and as a community and educational resource. The CMP will be of value to the
Parochial Church, Parish, District and County Councils in providing appropriate and
dynamic policies and direction for day to day management of the site as well as higher
level needs and projects.
It is an important document for evaluating short-, medium- and long-term
programmes of work. These might involve applications for grant-aid from English
Heritage, Lincolnshire County Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the CBC and other
sources. Preparation of a CMP is a prerequisite for (or advantageous towards)
receiving grant aid for most of these.
The CMP follows the guidance published by the CBC in 2007. As this document
stresses, a CMP on a major church is “a useful tool for recognising and reconciling
tensions that may arise between the necessary life of the worshipping community and
the significance of the place, and to help the church and its community to transcend
these in order to develop and grow.”
Conservation management and planning are increasingly understood to be crucial to
the beneficial use and guardianship of important historic structures and sites. CMPs
are designed to describe a place and its community and define its significance. They
then go on to assess the vulnerability of the place. Finally they establish policies to
ensure the long-term protection of the place, and the retention (or if possible
enhancement) of its significance.
The objectives of this CMP are therefore to:
• Understand the church building and site and its use by the community by
drawing together information including documents and physical evidence in order
to present an overall description of the place through time. This includes a brief
description of the church and site today, how it is used and perceived, and
identifies areas for further research.
• Assess its significance both generally and for its principal components, on a local,
national and international level.
6
• Define constraints and potential by identifying issues affecting the significance
of the site and building remains, or which could affect them in the future, and how
threats can be mitigated, and potential realised.
• Develop management policies to ensure that the significance of the church and
site is retained in any future management, use or alteration. If possible this
significance should be enhanced through implementation of these policies.
Status of this document:
This Conservation Management Plan essentially summarises what is currently known
about the church and site, and bases its evaluation of significance, vulnerability,
potential and management policies on this summary. Observations have been made
which attempt to interpret what can be seen and what has already been written and
collated in the light of current understanding. Several histories of the church have
been written, notably the recent revision by the Victoria County History on which this
document leans heavily. Copious records also survive in the CBC’s own files.
No original research has been undertaken for the compilation of this document, but
suggestions have been made regarding areas where such work might in future be most
advantageously directed. Key amongst these are the questions regarding the early
development of the church.
The CMP is not a closed document, but should be regularly consulted, checked,
corrected if necessary, and updated. It should have a close relationship to other key
documents, notably the Inventory and the Quinquennial Inspection reports.
The CMP is copyright to the Diocese of Lincoln and the CBC. All rights reserved. No
part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
manual, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system, without written permission. No person or corporation other than the diocese
shall rely on it in any respect, and no duty of care will be owed by the author to any
such third party.
7
3 UNDERSTANDING
THE PLACE AND
COMMUNITY
This section seeks to describe the place
and to put it within its environmental,
archaeological, historical, religious and
social context. The information is
summarised within the CMP itself,
more detail is given in the Appendices
and in previously existing material, to
which reference is made.
3.1 The Location and Setting of
the Church
Stow (or Stow-in-Lindsey) is a small
village and civil parish within the West
Lindsey district of Lincolnshire. It is
11 miles north-west of Lincoln and
6 miles south-east of Gainsborough,
and has a total resident population of
355, a very small number for such a
large place of worship.
The setting of the church in the village,
looking north; note repairs in progress
It is a very attractive historic village,
located in a flat landscape of small
fields mostly used for growing wheat,
oil seed rape and vegetables. The
village is on the minor B1241 which is
known as Normanby Road leading
north out of the village, and about a
mile north of the old Roman Road
which continued westwards to a major
crossing of the River Trent where it
continued to the Romano-British
settlement of Littleborough in
Nottinghamshire. Characteristically
straight, the Roman road (now A1500)
joins the A156 to the west, which links
Gainsborough and Lincoln (the latter
via the A57).
There is a whipping post/irons dated
1789 to the south of the church. The
old village consists of brick and stone-
built cottages, a number of the latter
being Grade II listed buildings,
including very fine 17th
-century
cottages and mill buildings. A tributary
of the River Till passes near the village
which fed the latter. The River Till
itself passes north to south near the
east end of the parish. The River Trent
to the west meanders along the line of
the A156, past the old port of Marton
with which Stow was once
economically linked.
An earthwork walkway and
accompanying ditch can be seen
directly to the west of the church in the
grounds of Manor Farm. English
Heritage Pastscape states: “Probable
Post-Medieval L-shaped ornamental
pond, aligned with 17th
-century Old
Hall/ Manor Farm, seen as an
earthwork; previously alleged to be a
Medieval moat.” This is what is shown
as a moat on the EH map reproduced
below.
One mile to the south-west of the
village at Stow Park, lying just to the
south of the Roman road now known
as Marton Road (A1500), are the
remains of the Medieval palace of the
Bishops of Lincoln. To the north and
east of the moated site of the palace lie
the earthwork remains of associated
medieval fishponds. There are also the
remains of a deserted hamlet seen as
earthworks. The site is designated as a
Scheduled Monument.
8
The ecclesiastical parish consists of
four villages: Stow, Normanby,
Sturton and Bransby, of which Sturton
is the largest, being a separate (and
larger) village about a mile south of
Stow, with its own church, St Hugh’s,
which is a chapel-of-ease or Mission
Hall to Stow Minster. Some of these
villages were once larger, for example
Normanby, the site of a deserted
Medieval village.
The parish covers about 4,000 acres. In
1974 Stow became part of the newly
created non-metropolitan district of
West Lindsey. In terms of modern
development, a renewable energy
company, Freewatt, has recently built
the county’s largest Solar PV system at
their Danes Farm headquarters, ½ mile
south-west of Stow.
The large and handsome ancient
church (National Grid Reference:
SK88194 81998) stands at the centre
of the historic village, and its tower is
visible in the flat landscape for many
miles, dominating all else and second
only to the cathedral in this part of
Lincolnshire in this respect.
The Cross Keys Country Inn and
Restaurant
The architecturally modest Cross Keys
Inn and Restaurant is directly to the
south, and together these buildings
form the heart of the village.
The churchyard
The church stands towards the south-
west corner of the churchyard, which is
the shape of the top left quarter of a
circle. Church Road (the old main road
through the village) bends around the
outer circumference, and this may
mark the boundary of the original
“Moot Stow”, or great market of the
Bishops. The rest of the circle, or oval
has been obscured by later
development. The churchyard (and the
ground under the church) is designated
a Scheduled Monument, partly because
excavations there have discovered pre-
Conquest burials.
The church seen from the south-east
The churchyard is raised over 1m
above the surrounding roads, defined
by a stone wall, with a simple iron gate
leading via steps to a slightly rising
concrete path to the south door. The
fine west door, scarcely used, opens
almost directly to the road below via a
short flight of stone steps, which are
sinking and uneven in places.
The churchyard has monuments dating
from the late 17th
century, and includes
a number of very fine stone grave
markers and chest tombs, though none
are individually listed. The stone used
is generally the limestone from which
the church is built, but there are some
other sources, particularly amongst
those from the 19th
century. The
churchyard is considered to be full, but
has not been formally closed for burial.
9
3.2 The church and the
community
The role of the church in the
community has changed several times
since the construction of the original
church (whenever this was). There is a
suggestion that a wooden Saxon
Church orientated North-South in the
region of the existing Tower Crossing
predated any stone structure. This was
from the beginning a high profile
foundation, closely bound up with the
history of the historic village and
region of Stow and Lindsey and the
development of Christianity and the
Diocese. The date of origin of the first
church building is unclear and the
subject of academic debate, but there
has certainly been a church on the site
for 1000 years.
The church is located at the historic
heart of Stow, and the village and area
could scarcely be imagined without it.
As stated in the State of the Historic
Environment Reports produced by
English Heritage: “The church is
usually the oldest and most important
listed building in a settlement as well
as an icon for community memory and
a focus for social activity.”
This description fits the church of St
Mary well. The church belongs very
much to the people of Stow and the
surrounding area, not just to the regular
worshipping community. This sense of
communal ownership and belonging
has perhaps weakened during the late
20th
century, a fairly typical
development, and could perhaps be
strengthened.
Throughout its existence each
generation has made its mark on it.
Many generations of local folk are
buried there, and the monuments inside
and outside the church are an often
eloquent reminder of hundreds of years
of community life.
There exists the possibility that there
was a Roman and/or sub-Roman
church on or near the site of the
present church, though evidence is
lacking. There are Roman stones re-
used in the church fabric, and Roman
pottery has been found in the village,
but this is not conclusive; a villa is
thought to exist in the village, perhaps
even under the church. The theory that
Stow was the Roman Sidnacaster, an
early seat of the first Anglo-Saxon
bishopric has however fallen out of
favour.
The first church of which we have
specific information was apparently a
Minster. These were not just churches,
but home to a community, with a
mixture of lay folk and priests, acting
as a mother church to others within a
huge parish. There would often be a
number of ecclesiastical and domestic
buildings within a defined precinct.
The Minster at Stow is traditionally
thought to have been the Mother
church of the Cathedral, and even to
have served as a Cathedral itself, but
these theories are now considered
unlikely.
The building probably originally
served the dual function of parish
church as well as a Minster of secular
canons, apart from a brief period
(1091-4) as a Benedictine Abbey (see
below). After this it was given to the
village as its parish church (but was
still the Bishop’s perquisite
appropriated to two of the cathedral’s
prebends), Minsters having fallen out
of favour in the Norman ecclesiastical
system.
The size of the church for this small
community has continued to cause
10
problems up to the present day, but is
also a source of local pride, and its
maintenance a remarkable
achievement.
The church community today
Today the church functions as a
Church of England parish church
within a parish with the Grade 2 listed
building of Sturton St Hugh (see
below). It is one of five churches
which form the Stow Group. It is by
far the most significant in terms of
heritage and also the largest of the
churches.
In 2011, the Stow group was joined to
the Saxilby Group itself comprising 3
parishes. Stow is in the Diocese of
Lincoln and the Archdeaconry of Stow
and Lindsey, and in the Deanery of
Corringham. The Archdeacon of Stow
and Lindsey is presently the Venerable
Jane Sinclair.
The freehold is vested in the
incumbent, this is at present vacant.
The PCC is responsible for the fabric
of the building and the curtilage. The
Church Commissioners are the Lay
Rectors of the chancel, and responsible
for repairs within certain parameters; at
the time of writing works to the
chancel roof were being part funded by
them under this liability.
The church is normally open
throughout the day. Welcome leaflets
are available, and a guide book (which
could be revised) is provided in
English. The church welcomes about
3,500 visitors each year but could
achieve considerably more. The
parish has gone to considerable trouble
to illustrate the history of the church,
with information boards in various
places explaining monuments etc,
although these look a little jaded.
There is potential for this aspect to be
improved, and visitor numbers
increased.
In terms of tourism, the Minster is “on
the radar” but perhaps not as much as
it could (and should) be. Lincolnshire
Travel Guides on the web comments;
St Mary's, Stow, is one of the most
ancient parish churches in the country.
It superbly combines examples of
Saxon, Norman, and medieval
architecture under one roof. A 10th
century representation of a Viking
longship is scratched on the chancel
arch. In the north transept is a 13th
century wall painting of St Thomas a
Becket. The font features a Green Man
carving and a dragon or serpent at the
base.
All of these features could be more
clearly and attractively (and more
accurately) presented within the
church, if funding could be found and
an integrated vision developed.
Other churches and places of
worship in the Stow area
The nearest Anglican churches are
within the present group. There are
four churches within the Group:
Sturton-by-Stow St Hugh; Coates by
Stow St Edith; Willingham by Stow St
Helen; and Torksey St Peter.
Sturton St Hugh, seen from the south-
west
11
Sturton St Hugh was built in 1879 as a
chapel and mission hall. It was
designed by J L Pearson, and is a
modest but dignified red brick church
in the Early English style with apsed
chancel with groups of cusped lancets,
with good detailing. It can seat up to
120. At present it requires repairs to
the floors and roof. It serves a larger
village than Stow Minster, just ½ mile
south.
Coates by Stow St Edith is a Grade I
Medieval church. There is no village
here, just a farm, plus a few houses and
the church adjacent to a manor house is
in a beautiful and peaceful setting, and
a hidden gem of a church.
It is 12th
-century in origin, with
alterations and additions including a
double belcote, but was only lightly
restored 1883-4 by J L Pearson, at the
same time he was working on Stow
Minster and Sturton St Hugh. It is
constructed of coursed limestone
rubble, limestone ashlar. Plain tiled
roof. The church is small, nave and
chancel, the west end with blocked
13th
-century tower arch. It contains a
15th
century rood screen (the only one
in Lincolnshire), and fine furnishings
and fittings. 2 miles east.
The two other churches in the group
are:
Torksey St Peter: Grade II* Medieval
church. Early 13th
-century, late 13th
-
century, 16th
-century tower, 1821
rebuilding of nave, aisle and chancel. 3
miles south-west.
Willingham-by-Stow St Helen: Grade
II church, Mid 12th
-century, late 17th
-
century, heavily restored in 1880 by
Brodrick and Smith. One and a half
miles north-east.
Other denominations
There is a small Wesleyan Methodist
chapel in the village, a simple neo-
Classical building of 1824. Built of
brick with a pantiled roof. The side
walls were originally of two bays, but
the building was enlarged to the front
and the datestone was reset above the
round-arched entrance. It is now a
domestic residence. There is a
Methodist church in Sturton.
People and place; personalities
associated with the church and Stow
The first named historical figure who
could be associated with the place is St
Etheldreda (c.630-679), who according
to legend rested at a place called Stow
while travelling from Northumberland
to Ely. Her ash staff, planted in the
ground, is said to have miraculously
burst into leaf to provide her with
shelter, whereafter the church of ‘St
Etheldreda’s Stow” (later renamed
Stow St Mary) was built to
commemorate the event. This legend is
illustrated in a Victorian stained glass
window in the chancel. The ‘Stow’
where the saint is said to have rested
may however have been somewhere
else, there are several candidates.
The earliest phase of the present
church was possibly built under Bishop
Eadnoth II (1034-1050), and enriched
and endowed by Leofric, Earl of
Mercia and his better-known wife,
Lady Godiva famed for her legendary
ride through Coventry. In the 1050s,
her name is coupled with that of her
husband on a grant of land. She is
mentioned in the Domesday survey as
one of the few Anglo-Saxons and the
only woman to remain a major
landholder after the Conquest. There is
perhaps scope to make more of this
connection.
12
In 1092 the first Cathedral at Lincoln
built by Bishop Remigius was
consecrated. A Benedictine monk, he
was the first Norman Bishop of the
largest diocese in medieval England,
extending from the Humber to the
Thames. The cathedral of this diocese
had been at Dorchester, near Oxford,
but in 1072 William I instructed that
the Bishopric should be moved to
Lincoln. Remigius brought monks
from Evesham to establish a
Benedictine house at Stow in 1091, but
this experiment did not survive him,
and the monks left in 1094. However,
the reconstruction of the transepts has
been dated to this period.
The renowned architect John
Loughborough Pearson was charged
with the restoration of the church in the
middle of the 19th
century. He also
worked at Coates-by-Stow (see above),
designed Sturton St Hugh and further
afield designed Truro cathedral in
Cornwall, as well as building or
restoring many other churches.
He received the commission from the
incumbent, the Revd George Atkinson,
who raised money for the restoration
and devoted his own fortune to its
restoration, dying just before the
completion of the works. Posterity has
the energy of this man to thank that the
church survived at all. He is
commemorated within the church.
13
3.3 Description of the buildings and site
This section gives a brief summary of the history of the church. It proceeds to
describe the church and churchyard as they are at the time of writing, attempting to be
as comprehensive as possible without going into great detail.
Map of Stow, from English Heritage list description, church at the centre
Licence number 102006.006.
Plan of the church (by J L Pearson 1878), from Church Plans Online with permission
14
3.3.1 The history and
archaeology of Stow and the
church
Summary: The following is based
mainly on the parish web site and the
National Monuments Record. It is
meant as background information only.
It should be noted that the date of the
first church on the site, and the
development of the present building in
the (?)10th
, 11th
and 12th
century is a
matter of academic contention and
many details are as yet unclear.
Prehistoric
There are a number of scattered
findspots of Stone Age flints along the
rivers, and Bronze Age tools are
known in the area, though none in the
immediate vicinity of the site, but stray
finds from all these periods are
possible.
Roman
Roman coins and other settlement
material have been found in the parish
and village, of the 2nd
century and
later, including pottery from the
churchyard. Pastscape comments;
“Roman coins and possible "building
debris" (not described) are reported to
have been found at Stow. The site has
been included by Scott in her gazetteer
of Roman villas, although clearly the
presence of a villa is, on present
evidence, purely conjectural.” Some
form of Roman settlement in and/or
around Stow is however attested, and
the churchyard has high archaeological
potential for this period, possibly even
for the site of the villa itself given the
presence of Roman material in the
fabric of the church.
Anglo-Saxon
As noted already this place is
traditionally claimed to be the site of
the Roman Sidnacaster, which became
the seat of the early Saxon Bishopric of
Lindsey (Syddensis). However, it is
now considered that this attribution is
unfounded.
A Romano-British cell or chapel here
cannot be ruled out, although there is
no firm evidence. The same is true of a
Post-Roman church. A Saxon Minster
might have existed at Stow from the
late 7th
or 8th
century, a supposition
based mainly on the dating of many
other important Minsters, and the
presence of an earlier settlement under
the Late Saxon church and graveyard
here. Again, however, there is no firm
evidence.
Excavations in 1983 revealed what
might have been an earlier porticus (or
possibly a demolished part of the
present building) east of the north
transept, and a nave which was shorter
than it is at present and possibly aisled.
The possible porticus cut earlier
inhumations, confirming that the
graveyard was used as such before this
was built. It is possible that the first
church, and the associated graveyard,
may date to the mid 10th
century, a
period when the Kings of Wessex were
asserting their power in the region
(Stocker & Everson).
Florence of Worcester states that the
church was built or rebuilt by Bishop
Eadnoth, in office from 1034-1050
AD. This is now thought to be the most
likely date for the earliest phase of the
present building.
The Minster was endowed in 1054 by
Leofric and Godiva, encouraged by
Bishop Wulfwig, as a Minster of
15
Secular Canons with the Bishop at its
head. A charter of 1054 survives
describing what they did, and how they
furnished the church with priests who
were to sing the services in the way in
which they were sung in St Paul's
cathedral. The endowment included
Newark and Fledborough in
Nottinghamshire and nearby Brampton
and Marton, as well as the manor of
Stow and the taxes of surrounding
districts.
The earliest fabric in the church is in
the base of the tower, transepts and its
crossing arches, as noted above
probably dating from the Bishopric of
Eadnoth (1034-1050). The main phases
in the current fabric are therefore
considered to be c1050, c1090, c1150,
c1170, 13th
-century, early 15th
-century,
late 17th
century, and mid 19th
century.
Reconstruction of the development of
the church – source parish web site.
The two earliest phases are now
considered to be c1050 and c1090.
Norman
Stow and the church of St Mary was
recorded in Domesday in 1066.
After Remigius had moved his
cathedral to Lincoln, he decided to
make Stow into a Benedictine
monastery by transferring monks from
Eynsham Abbey near Oxford. This
was done the year before he died in
1091, but his successor quickly moved
them back again in 1094-5, and Stow
became a parish church which it has
remained ever since.
The arches of the crossing and the two
transepts survive from the structure
built about the time of the foundation
of the minster of secular canons. The
nave was lengthened and rebuilt,
together with the chancel, in the late
12th
century.
In 1156, most of Stow was
traditionally said to have been
destroyed by fire. This may have been
an attempt to explain the rebuilding of
the Minster about this time, and the
fire damage on the lower, 11th
-century
walls, and also debris including molten
lead, which has been discovered under
the floors.
Above the plinth of the south jamb of
the north face of the east crossing arch
is a graffito of a ship, often described
as the earliest representation of a
Viking ship in England. It is thought to
be post-1050 (the earliest fabric
phase). A second graffito of a ship can
be seen above the plinth of the west
face of the south crossing pier, 2m
above the floor, also post-1050.
The “Viking” ship graffito
16
Medieval
The manor of Stow belonged to the
Bishops of Dorchester and Lincoln
from the time of Edward the confessor
until 1547. They had a market here,
known as the Moot stow. Stow Park is
identifiable as the site of the Bishops’
palace from the 13th
century and the
site may go back earlier, possibly to
before the Conquest, being first
referred to in documentary sources in
the late 12th
century.
13th
-century additions include the
Early English windows in the
transepts, but there were no major
structural changes in this period. The
fine font was installed.
In the 15th
century a new tower was
built, and the roofs were lowered, the
chancel’s stone vault being removed.
There was a port on the River Trent at
Marton 4 miles west, and much of the
trade coming in here went through
Stow. Following the decline of this
port towards the end of this period,
Stow declined economically and
shrank as a settlement, becoming a
peaceful backwater as it is today.
Post-Reformation
In the mid-16th
century following the
Reformation Bishop Holbeach
transferred the manor into private
hands, and it became a deer park. By
the late 18th
century the buildings were
in ruins after the removal of building
materials from the site, and a new
farmhouse and outbuildings, called
Moat Farm, were built.
After the Reformation the church
continued to be used as a parish
church. The nave roof was repaired in
1685 and the tower rebuilt. The 18th
century saw reordering and
refurnishing of the interior with box
pews, although some of the Medieval
benches were retained. The crossing
was again the most important part of
the church, the chancel used only for
the comparatively infrequent
celebrations of Holy Communion.
In the crossing, spilling out a little into
the transepts and nave, were the
Medieval pews with their backs made
higher by the addition of panelling.
The Jacobean pulpit, with a canopy
over it, was against the north-east pier,
and the reading desk, unusually for the
period, was placed diagonally
opposite, by the south-west pier.
Overhead, quite low down, was the
roof of the ringing gallery, traces of
which can be seen halfway up the
piers. The western arch was partially
blocked by the Singing Gallery for the
choir, which occupied the extreme east
end of the nave. As the remains of the
screens still existed, this part of the
church was very cluttered.
All this was swept away at the
restoration by Pearson and Atkinson,
and for the first time the church was
arranged as a single open space (see
below).
19th
century
By the middle of the 19th
century the
condition of the church was poor, and
it was even suggested that it should be
demolished and a ‘convenient parish
church’ built in its place. Instead of
this, the incumbent the Revd. George
Atkinson, raised money for the
restoration, bringing in the renowned
architect John Loughborough Pearson.
The chancel was restored in 1850-2
with new east windows and entablature
and an extraordinary new stone vault
by Pearson. Remains of the old vault
17
were discovered during the works to
the chancel and incorporated. George
Atkinson wrote;
"On removing the plaster from the wall
above the vaulting piers ... the curves
of vaulting could be distinctly traced ...
On taking out portions (of the wall) it
was found that the ashlar-like stones
were no other than arch stones of the
old groining, with their mouldings
turned inwards towards the wall ... We
found not less than 40 so perfect that
they have been placed in the restored
vaulting."
Front page of the appeal for the
restoration, perspective created by
BODLEY, George Frederick: b. 1827 -
d. 1907 of London. From Church
Plans online.
The remainder was restored 1864-78,
with added vestries in the angle of
nave and north transept and reordering
also by Pearson. The stair turret
previously at the north-east corner was
rebuilt by Pearson in the external angle
of nave and north transept. He also
restored the roofs to their original
pitch.
Copies of the Medieval pews were
made and arranged in the eastern bays
of the nave, there were also pews
facing towards the crossing in the
transepts. A pulpit was located against
the south respond of the chancel arch,
on a stone base which is still there,
although the pulpit has since been
moved (see below).
The ICBS records (taken from Church
Plans Online) state:
STOW BY GAINSBOROUGH, St.
Mary the Virgin (1864-1878).
For new vestries, with reseating and
general restoration. File includes
illustrated printed circular and printed
notices for Institution of incumbent,
1877, and Choral Festival, 1878.
Minutes: Volume 18 pages 65,267,278,
Volume 22 pages 6,32,49,141,2
20th
century
There were restorations again in 1927,
when the pulpit was relocated. A
further move in 1984 re-positioned the
pulpit as part of the pew ensemble on
the south side of the nave.
There were further works in 1963.
Again, the ICBS has the following
records, and there are faculties and
details in the CBC file on the church.
STOW BY GAINSBOROUGH, St.
Mary the Virgin (1927-1934)
Lincolnshire ICBS 11867 Folios ff.1-
38. Grant Reason: Repairs Outcome:
Approved Professionals
CAROE, William Douglas: b. 1857 -
d. 1938 of London. PASSMORE,
Herbert: b. 1868 - d. 1966 of London
Firms CAROE & PASSMORE
(Architects) .Notes: For repairs to roof
and walls. File includes printed
circular and copy of LINCOLN
DIOCESAN MAGAZINE, April 1931,
with article on church. Stow by
18
Gainsborough also known as Stow in
Lindsey. Minutes: Volume 34 pages
27,101, Volume 35 page 351
No plan exists in the archive
STOW BY GAINSBOROUGH, St.
Mary the Virgin (1963-1964)
Parish of STOW BY
GAINSBOROUGH, Lincoln diocese
ICBS 11867 Folios ff.39-49
Grant Reason: Repairs Outcome:
Approved. Professionals BOND,
Lawrence Henry: b. 1909 - d. 1993 of
Grantham (Architect). For roof
repairs.
From the above one can note that some
of the most celebrated architects of the
19th
and 20th
centuries have worked on
this fine church.
There were further major repair works.
In 2008/2009 with the help of James
Robertson Challenge Fund of the
WMF, English Heritage, National
Churches Trust and WREN the north
and south transept roofs were repaired
and re-leaded. The chancel roof has
just been repaired in 2011/2012 with
funds provided by the Lay Rectors, the
Church Commissioners and English
Heritage.
Timeline: Summary of the salient
dates in the development of the church.
c 100 Some form of Roman settlement
- possibly a villa – at Stow.
c 300 A Christian community and
church? No firm evidence.
c 420 Roman troops leave Britain –
could a church have continued in use?
No proof.
c 900 Saxon settlement in Stow
suggested by finds from the
churchyard
c 950 Earliest church and burials.
c1050: Building on the present plan
has been built and is a Minster.
1066-88: Norman Conquest, Stow St
Mary in the hands of the Bishop at the
time of the Domesday survey. Value in
1066 £32, in 1086 £30. Households:
20 villagers. 3 freemen. 1 priest. 4
ploughlands.
1091-94: Declining Minster briefly re-
founded and rebuilt(?) as Benedictine
Abbey by Bishop Remigius, then
becomes parish church.
Mid 12th
century: nave and chancel
rebuilt.
13th
century: New font and windows.
15th
century: Restoration, and tower
rebuilt.
1536-40: Reformation, destruction of
wall paintings, glass etc.
1685: Tower repaired, restoration and
changes to interior – preaching box.
18th
century: Reordering and
refurnishing of interior with box pews
and galleries.
1848-78: Alterations and restoration by
J L Pearson.
1927: Repairs and changes to interior.
1963-4: Repairs.
1983 Repairs. Excavations on north
side find porticus of earlier church
2008-9: Repairs of north and south
transept roofs with WMF and EH
money.
19
2011-12: Repairs of chancel roof with
Church Commissioners funds and
English Heritage grant.
3.3.2 Description of the church
today
Ground plan: 3-bay nave,
north and south transepts, crossing
tower, rectangular 3-bay chancel,
north-west vestry, north stair turret.
Dimensions: Nave and crossing 22m
(75ft) long, 16m (55ft) wide, chancel
16m x 8m, transepts 6m x 5m (east-
west).
Building materials: Uncoursed and
coursed limestone rubble, limestone
ashlar, lead roofs with stone coped
gables and cross finials of various
designs. Some slate.
3.3.3 Description of the exterior
There can be no doubt that this is one
of the major parish churches of
England. It is arguably the most
famous ancient parish church in
Lincolnshire, although not the largest –
this is Boston St Botolph (Boston
Stump). However, the church
preserves more original Anglo-Saxon
and Norman masonry than any other
church, and this is a rare survival
anywhere. The sheer scale cannot fail
to impress.
The nave
Beginning the description at the west
end, the nave west front has a
chamfered plinth and flanking pilaster
buttresses.
Steps lead up from the road below to
the partially restored and very fine
12th
-century doorway, of four orders
with inner rectangular jambs and three
shafts on each side, the central shafts
with chevron decoration.
The arch rests on scalloped cushion
capitals with geometric decoration
above and abaci. Round head with two
chevroned inner orders, a roll moulded
order and chevroned outer order. Plank
doors.
The west door
To the north (left) of this is an early
15th
-century pointed niche with
cusping. Two pointed 19th
-century
lights above set in 19th
-century rubble
filling a large 14th
-century opening.
Above this is a 12th
-century flat string
course, with an oculus in the gable.
The nave seen from the south-west,
both doors visible
20
The south side of the nave has three
pilaster buttresses, that to the east
masking the join with the south
transept. The path from the road to the
south, the main entrance to the church,
leads to a large mid-12th
-century
doorway to the west bay of the south
wall. This was also partially restored in
the 19th
century.
The south door and path
It has four orders with inner
rectangular jambs with moulded
profile, and three shafts on each side,
the two outer shafts on each side with
chevron decoration. Scalloped cushion
capitals with geometric patterning
above, and scored abaci. Round head
with five orders, the two inner orders
with chevroned decoration, third order
roll moulded, fourth order with
complex chevron and outer order with
double billet. Plank doors. A string
course runs above the doorway with
scallop decoration.
There is an 11th
-century(?) stone coffin
set against the wall to the east of the
door, a rare survival. Above, three
round-headed windows with pilaster
buttresses between marking the bays.
String course continues and runs over
the corner pilaster buttress.
North side of nave with plinth and flat
string course running over corner
pilaster buttress. Above the 20th
-
century lean-to vestry (see below) is a
12th
-century round headed window.
East of this is a stair turret, removed in
the 19th
century from its original
position against the north-west jamb of
the interior crossing arch. It has a 19th
-
century string course, quoins and
pyramidal slate roof, and four Anglo
Saxon round and round headed lights
re-set on its north and west sides.
Vestry
20th
-century lean-to vestry below string
course to east, with two re-set windows
to east, one with pointed, the other a
round head, and coal-hole door below.
North side of vestry with double
glazed doors with three lights to east
with pointed heads.
The vestry in the angle of north
transept and nave
North transept
The lower levels of c1034-50, and
upper levels of 1090. Stepped
plinth. West side of north transept with
tall, pointed mid 13th
-century window
of two pointed lights with quatrefoil
above and hood mould.
Slab quoins.
North wall with narrow window with
massive through stone jambs and
rectangular head. 12th
-century oculus
above. Coped gable with 19th
-century
cross finial with interlace decoration.
East wall with tall, pointed mid 13th
-
century window of two pointed lights
with quatrefoil above and hood mould.
21
The chancel
In the corner of the chancel and north
transept projects the corner of the 11th
-
century chancel bonded into the
transept wall, with slab quoins. There
is a clear masonry break with the north
wall of the later 12th
-century chancel
from the 11th
-century work. Stepped
plinth runs round chancel. Four pilaster
buttresses alternate with two tiers of
three windows, these restored in the
19th
-century. Three lower windows
with round heads niche bands and
nook shafts. Three upper, smaller
round headed windows. Corbelled
eaves and parapet above.
East end of chancel with flanking
pilaster buttresses. Wall and windows
in between reconstructed in 19th
century, with central pilaster running
up to just below gable. Single round
headed window on each side with
chevroned heads, nook shafts and
cushion capitals. Single smaller round
headed windows flank pilaster above.
Single oculi with cable decoration
flank the pilaster in the gable.
South side of chancel with 4 pilaster
buttresses alternating with two tiers of
three windows restored in the 19th
century. Three lower windows with
round chevroned heads and nook
shafts. Three upper, small round
headed windows. Corbelled eaves and
parapet above.
In the corner of the chancel and
transept projects the corner of the 11th
-
century (Pre-Conquest) chancel with
slab quoins and bonded into transept
wall, and with clean masonry break
from the 12th
-century chancel.
South Transept
Lower levels of south transept
possibly of c1034-49, and upper levels
of cl090. Stepped plinth with square
and chamfered profiles. Slab quoins on
south-east and south-west corners. East
side with small round headed opening
with hood mould. Mid 13th
-century
window to south, of two lights with
quatrefoil and hood mould. South side
with narrow round headed light of
cl090 with hood mould with Jews' harp
decoration. Tall early 13th
-century
window to west of 2 pointed lights
with plate traceried quatrefoil and hood
mould. 12th
-century oculus above.
West wall of transept with single small
narrow 12th
-century window with
round head and hood mould with small
monster head label stops.
The south transept. Note the changes
in colour, stonework, and the quoins,
and irregular fenestration
The tower
Early 15th
-century crossing tower on
11th
-century foundations. Single
narrow rectangular lights flank steep
pitched roofs rising against tower. 11th
-
century round light re-set in
this position on north side. String
22
course with bell openings on
all 4 sides above. Each bell opening
with pointed head with 3 pointed
Lights and vertical tracery above.
Moulded eaves above with corner
gargoyles and gargoyles in centre of
each face. Battlements above with
ornate corner pinnacles and standing
figures of Four Evangelists in centre of
each face.
3.3.4 The Interior of the
church:
The interior is thickly plastered and
whitewashed, but with architectural
details such as arches and window
frames left as exposed stonework.
There is a problem with historic and
recent damp ingress which has
discoloured and damaged the plaster in
many places, and some of the high
level stonework is green with mould.
Unless the weather is very warm, the
visitor will also be struck by how cold
and damp the place feels.
The sense of grandeur and simplicity is
arguably even more powerful than
from the outside. Looking up the nave
has a fine tie-beam roof inscribed
1685, partly restored in the late 19th
century and thereafter. The floor of the
nave is of plain red quarry tiles,
uneven and cracked in places and
showing signs of damp and salt
penetration. There are steps down to
the crossing, from which there are
steps down into the transepts and a step
up to the chancel.
There are attractive brass and wood
chandeliers and electric lighting,
although lighting levels could be
looked at in terms of both safety and
aesthetics.
There are six rows of benches on each
side of a central alley in the east bay,
the bench ends with cusped tracery and
flower heads. Those on the north side
are 14th
-century, those to the south
copies, and here the pulpit has been
built into the easternmost block. This
was done in 1984, though a brass
plaque records an earlier move of the
pulpit in 1927. This arrangement looks
rather odd today, and the pulpit is
rarely used.
The Medieval bench-ends in the nave
In the north wall there is a pointed
doorway with plank doors and 17th
-
century lintel above, now leading into
the early 20th
-century vestry with
modern toilet facilities. Small pointed
recess to the east of the doorway.
Looking east, the large crossing is 35
metres square, the masonry up to
impost level is of c1034-49. The heads
of the crossing arches and above of is
masonry of c1090. There are signs of
fire damage on the earlier masonry.
The piers stand on massive plinths of
one square and four chamfered stages.
Each jamb is decorated with single
pilaster strip and half shafts with crude
bases. Outer arches of crossing with
round moulded heads, the outer order
of western arch with Jews’ harp
decoration. Inner face of crossing with
12th
-century pointed, moulded arches
supported on 12th
-century massive
polygonal piers on tall, chamfered
stepped plinths inserted into the 11th
-
century corners of the crossing.
23
Low down on the south crossing pier, a
rough scratching of an oared sailing
ship can just be distinguished.
Previously considered to be the earliest
known representation of a Viking ship
in England, it probably dates from the
late tenth or early eleventh century,
according to Prof Stocker.
North transept with narrow west
doorway of c 1034-49, leading
into the vestry described above, with
non-radial voussoirs, chamfered
imposts and long and short quoins
running through thickness of wall. To
the north of the west window of the
north transept is the remnant of an
11th
-century window jamb with
exposed quoining.
The east wall of the transept has an
ornate niche heavily restored in 19th
century, containing remnants of very
rare early13th
-century wall painting of
the murder of Thomas Becket exposed
at that time, and since badly degraded.
This is another of the glories of the
church even in its present state, and
could be made much more of.
The Becket painting in the north
transept
To the east of the north transept arch is
a rectangular opening at waist height
with steps originally leading to the pre-
Reformation rood loft across the
chancel arch, now blocked. Two corbel
heads of musicians in north transept,
and two smaller plain corbels. Stone
paved floor with various 18th
-century
ledgers.
The south transept interior
South transept has three Medieval
corbel heads re-set high in the wall,
two wearing hats. Stone paved floor
with various 18th
-century ledgers.
Victorian benches, loose but usually
ordered collegiate style, this rarely
used.
Chancel of c1170, heavily restored
in the 19th
century.
The chancel looking east
Quadripartite rib-vaults of three bays
with chevroned ribs and ball flower
decoration, by Pearson using some
original material. Vaults supported on
corbel heads to west and tripartite
responds to east with scalloped or
beaded cushion capitals, decorated
bases and abaci running into string
course on wall. This vault by Pearson
is one of the glories of the church; it is
possible to get up into the roof space
and see it from above.
24
One of the other glories of the church
is the richly carved wall arcade which
runs round north, east and south walls
with plain shafts (these mostly
replaced in 19th
century), round heads
with rich chevron and ball flower
decoration and cushion capitals with
various decorations.
The chancel arcading
The windows above have surrounds
decorated with chevron and key
pattern. The east end was rebuilt in
19th
century with scalloped string
course above the wall arcade and
another above lower windows which
continues over north and south
walls. Upper windows plain except for
south window with nook shafts and
roll moulded head.
The chancel has good quality choir
stalls lining the walls with black lamp
shades to the choir lights. This looks
rather tired, and the fabric covered
chairs in front of the stalls are
generally shrouded in plastic sheeting.
A new look at this arrangement with a
view to enhancing the appearance and
use of the chancel might bear
dividends. Tiled floors.
Furnishings and fittings: all c
1880 unless otherwise noted.
The architectural features (those things
which are fixed) are described first,
followed by brief descriptions of the
moveable furnishings and fittings.
Altar: Altar tables of oak in the
chancel and transepts, 19th
-century.
Reredos: None except the Norman
arcading in the wall behind.
Pulpit: 17th
-century polygonal pulpit
with decorative panels, restored in
1877 and moved to present position in
1984. An odd arrangement. Other woodwork: Two 16
th-century
chests in nave. Ornate 16th
-century
chest in north transept. Highly ornate
17th
-century chair with arms and back
decorated with daisy heads and
swirling leaves. Two wooden statues
of St Mary the Virgin and St John in
the north transept from rood screen (?).
Lectern: The brass lectern was a
memorial to the Revd George
Atkinson, by Hardman of Birmingham.
The font, looking west
Font: An octagonal stone late 13th
-
century font, each side with single
motif; a green man; serpent; Star of
David and flower heads. Bowl
supported on cluster of shafts with
foliate capitals and face and foliate
motif in north-east and south-east
corners, and long tailed
dragon stretching between north-west
and south-west corners. A very fine
piece, now standing on a simple
25
Victorian plinth block of re-used
masonry.
There are also fragments of a 12th
-
century font with blind arcading.
Stained glass: Chancel east window
contains Victorian stained glass of
1880-1, depicting the Annunciation
(upper left), Christ the King (upper
right) and (lower windows) six
roundels illustrating the Creed, from
'Born of the Virgin Mary' to 'Ascended
into Heaven'.
High up in the walls to the north and
south are small windows with
Victorian glass depicting St Etheldreda
and St Hugh with his pet swan. The
glass is not of high significance
technically or artistically.
Monuments: A fine collection, only
the most important are listed here.
Four fragments of mid-10th
to early
11th
-century grave covers have been
found in the church during restoration,
although only one now remains. It is
displayed in a cabinet in the foyer
beyond the north door of the nave and
is a Lindsey type. A fragment of
another is built into the nave north wall
exterior.
Monument on south wall of nave to
Thomas Holbeach, died 1591, of stone
with coat of arms and scrolls.
14th
-century fragmentary tombstone
inscribed with ornate cross and other
ornate fragments.
Coffin lids in chancel floor, probably
13th
-century, both with faces and hands
clasped in prayer viewed through
round openings. That on the south side
has an inscription in English which
probably reads "Alle men that ben in
lyf prai for Emme was Fuk wyf"
(Fulk's wife).
On the north pier of the chancel arch is
a brass memorial to Richard Burgh of
Stow Hall (died1616). It also
commemorates his son, Sir John, 'a
noble and valyeant souldyer' killed
while serving as Colonel-General of
Charles I’s expeditionary force to the
Isle of Rhe in 1627.
Bells: In the tower is a ring of eight
bells, as follows, a fine ring, the two
oldest listed for preservation by the
CBC.
1998 J Taylor & Co
1998 J Taylor & Co
1888 J Taylor & Co
1770 Henry Harrison, Barrow
1888 J Taylor & Co
1888 J Taylor & Co
c1550 Henry I Oldfield
1762
Walker & Co,
Rotherham
The oldest bell dates from circa 1550.
The tenor bell dates from 1762 and is
the last known ringable example of the
bellfounders, Walker & Co of
Rotherham. The 1998 treble bell was
purchased, in part, with funds donated
by the Red Arrows Trust and has the
logo of the Red Arrows Aerobatic
Team imprinted on it.
There is also a clock bell by J Taylor &
Co, 1932, transferred from the
redundant church of St Luke
Pontnewyndd, South Wales and
donated by John Underwood in 1998.
It is hung dead and can also be used as
a sanctus bell. The letter ‘G’ in the
word ‘Ground’ in the inscription on the
tenor bell is reversed.
The six bells oldest bells were re-hung
in the present composite frame by
Taylor’s of Loughborough in 1888 and
in 1978 they were re-hung on ball
26
bearings. A steel extension was added
in 1998 by Hayward Mills Associates
when the two trebles were added. All
eight bells are hung from cast-iron
headstocks on ball bearings and the
canons have been removed from the
original six bells.
The Archbishop of York gave two
‘great bells’ to this church in the
eleventh century. In 1556 the
churchwardens reported that ‘the
handbelles which belonged to the
church in Queen Mary’s time had been
broken in peces and sold to a tinker
ano 1562’.
Stow people clearly thought their bells
far superior to those of their
neighbours, whence the old rhyme:
Marton s Cracked Pancheons
And Torksey Egg Shells
Saxilby Ding-Dongs
And Stow Mary Bells
Sundial: Parts of a sundial of circa
1090 were found in a pile of rubble
outside the church in 1971, and is in
private ownership. There is the
potential that these sundial pieces
could be returned to Stow Minster for
display.
Organ: Brindley and Foster of
Sheffield built the organ in 1873. A
fine instrument. GREAT Open
Diapason, Lieblich Gedact, Dulciana,
Octave, Mixture III; SWELL Violin
Diapason,Viola, Flute, Celeste,
Octave, Trumpet; PEDAL Bourdan. 32
Couplers. The swell Viola and Celeste
have been replaced by a Blockflote and
Larigot and a pedal Bass Flute added.
Communion plate: Not inspected.
Registers: From 1561. Held in
Lincolnshire Record Office.
Communion rails: Oak rails,
Victorian.
War memorials: Oak board in
memory of the fallen in World War I
and II.
Miscellanea: Photographs of church,
late 19th
- and early 20th
-century,
watercolours and postcards, and other
photographs and drawings, in the
church.
The condition of the fabric and
churchyard
Based on the latest Quinquennial
Inspection Report by Glew & Smith of
Lincoln. The church fabric is
generally in reasonably sound
condition following a campaign of
high-level repairs, but with a number
of issues which need attending. The
chancel roof was being repaired with a
grant from the Church Commissioners
and English Heritage at the time of
writing.
A programme of environmental
monitoring has been instigated
following a report by Tobeit Curtis in
April 2009. There are signs of damp
throughout the interior affecting the
stonework, plaster, and the
congregation and visitors, making the
church too damp and cold to use for
much of the year. Major investment
will be required to solve these
problems.
In terms of security and safety, the
church is kept open during the day. No
valuables are kept on location except
under lock and key.
27
4 ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Major Early Medieval churches and churchyards such as Stow Minster are rare, and
of enormous interest and research potential, not only for the historian, archaeologist,
and architectural historian and art historian but for everybody interested in local and
national history, rich in material resources for understanding the past.
A church has stood here as a beacon of continuous Christian mission for more than a
thousand years, placing worship at the very centre of local life. Churches are by no
means static or frozen in time, indeed the fact that they have been subject to constant
change throughout their history makes them all the more important and fascinating.
In order to manage this change responsibly, it is necessary to define the relative
significance of every aspect of the church and churchyard within its local, regional
and national context. This relative significance is articulated thus, following Kerr
(1994) and the CBC guidance (2007).
• Exceptional – important at national to international levels.
• Considerable – important at regional level or sometimes higher.
• Some - usually of local value but possibly of regional significance for group or
other value (eg a vernacular architectural feature).
• Local - of local value
• Negative or intrusive features, ie those which actually detract from the value of a
site, for example a concrete boiler house adjacent to a medieval church.
4.1 Statutory Designations:
The church building with its fixed contents is of exceptional significance as a major
medieval church with a complex architectural, archaeological and art historical
development and history, recognised in its Grade I listing. Date listed: 16th
December
1964.
The churchyard (and the ground under the church) is designated a Scheduled
Monument because of its archaeological significance, and is of exceptional
significance in this regard. No building ground works are permitted within the
curtilage of the village of Stow without an archaeological watching brief being in
place.
There are no Tree Preservation Orders applying to trees within the churchyard
There are presently no other statutory designations beyond those given above.
4.2 A detailed breakdown of what is of significance:
One of the great parish churches of England, and arguably the most important Early
Medieval church in Lincolnshire, of exceptional architectural significance and
landscape value, and of exceptional historical and archaeological significance. The
28
site is of potentially exceptional significance, especially seen in the context of the
earlier church buildings and associated burials.
Social, religious, community
The church is of exceptional significance as a focus and centre for mission and
worship for the congregation, parish, Diocese, and for the Church of England. It is the
major physical manifestation of the durability of the Christian faith in this place.
The church is of exceptional significance as a symbol of civic identity and pride in
the history and cultural continuity of Stow, being together with the other churches one
of the largest and oldest buildings still used by the community (and for the original
purposes).
The church and churchyard are of exceptional significance as a landmark visual
feature in the village of Stow.
Stow Minster is a tourist attraction in its own right, with the church contributing
greatly to the attractiveness of the village and area. It is therefore of considerable,
potentially exceptional significance as an attraction for the tourist industry and
economy of Stow and Lincolnshire and wider region.
The significance of the church for our understanding of medieval liturgy
The architecture and arrangement of any church are dictated primarily by the
liturgical rites which take place within and around it. The form of the church building
is therefore of exceptional significance for our understanding of the evolution of a
medieval church in terms of its liturgy. The basic cruciform plan form is of
exceptional significance for how early Minsters worked. More research into these
issues could add considerably to our understanding.
The significance of the church for our understanding of Post-Reformation
liturgy
The evidence for this exists only in the form of illustrations of the interior dating to
the 18th
and early 19th
centuries, and accompanying descriptions, which is of some
significance for our understanding of the liturgy of this period.
The significance of the liturgical developments of the 19th
and 20th
centuries
The remnants of the Victorian scheme is in itself of local significance as an example
of the liturgical fashion of the late 19th
century, and of the work of J L Pearson.
Musical significance
The organ is of considerable significance as a fine modern instrument with excellent
tonal qualities, which exploits superb acoustics within the church.
The bells are a fine ring of eight of considerable significance, part of a long tradition
of bell-ringing here and considered one of the better rings in Lincolnshire.
29
The considerable significance of music to the parish and its worship is illustrated by
the fact that the church is a favoured concert venue for community choral events, for
major and small instrumental performances and during festivals, and it is intended to
increase this use in conjunction with other institutions (the cathedral?) and events.
Ecological significance
The church in its surroundings is of some ecological significance, with mature grass
and lichens.
Archaeological significance
The church building itself is of exceptional archaeological significance. Despite the
many changes including window and fabric replacements, much original and
cumulative fabric remains.
The site is of exceptional potential for the archaeology and history of the Early
Medieval period, reflected in its designation as a Scheduled Monument, and reference
should be made to the Historic Environment Record and contact made with the
County Archaeologist and English Heritage if any development of the site or building
is being considered.
There is also potential for the existence of Sub-Roman (including possibly a church
and cemetery), Roman or prehistoric remains. The potential for such remains would
raise the significance, already defined as exceptional, still further if confirmed.
The site is of exceptional archaeological significance as a burial ground used for at
least 1000 years, regarding its potential for the study of human remains and burial
practice over this long period.
Historical significance
The evidence represented by the church and site is therefore of exceptional
significance for the development of Christianity in Lincolnshire and England as an
early Minster, Cathedral, Priory and parish church.
Within the church the intramural monuments are of considerable historical
significance in themselves for the understanding and research of local and social
history, recording the clergy, dignitaries, families and beneficiaries of the church and
village. The War Memorials are of local significance.
Art Historical significance
The Medieval and 17th
-century monuments are of exceptional art historical
significance. The Victorian and later furnishings and fittings are of local significance.
The chair and chests are of considerable significance.
30
The font is of considerable significance as example of late 13th
-century carving. The
remnants of the earlier font are also of considerable significance.
The Medieval monuments, including the carved slabs, are of exceptional significance.
Generally, the 18th
-20th
century wall monuments and ledger slabs are of some or
considerable art historical significance for the development of funerary art and
lettering during this period.
The 17th
- and 18th
-century liturgical items are also of considerable art historical
significance, the 19th
and 20th
-century items of local significance.
Architectural significance
The Anglo-Saxon and Norman parts of the church are of exceptional architectural
significance, bridging the interface between pre- and post-conquest architecture.
The tower is of exceptional significance as an outstanding example of the
Perpendicular style of the mid 15th
-century in Lincolnshire.
The plan form of the church is of exceptional significance for the development of
Minster churches.
The chancel vaulting by J L Pearson is of considerable significance, the Victorian /
Edwardian reordering in general is now so compromised as to be of low significance
as already noted.
5 ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL AND CONSTRAINTS
5.1 Issues affecting the church and possible solutions:
General
The status quo is unsustainable in the long term, putting an impossible burden on a
small number of people. The church needs a new vision, and new uses, to make it fit
for purpose in the 21st century. Change is in the best interests of the church,
facilitating visual, aural, physical and other means of access to the church and to the
Gospel, but this is not enough.
A much wider and far reaching offering of the building through community
discussions and input is a vital and necessary step. The potential of the church for
enhanced cultural, educational and tourist purposes is yet to be properly scoped, but
may be considerable.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that there may be opportunities to enhance the use
of the church as a place of spiritual contemplation by reviving links with Anglican
and other monastic orders, and possible closer links to the cathedral.
Options for the use of the building in the ways outlined briefly above and now to be
considered in more detail may include the need to reconsider the role and legal status
31
of the church in the Deanery and Diocese. There is considerable flexibility within the
Church’s systems following changes to the law, particularly the Pastoral Amendment
Measure (PAM, 2007) and the Dioceses, Pastoral and Mission Measure (2010).
Facilities
The absence of adequate modern catering arrangements is a major constraint on the
use of the church. Heating, lighting and advanced audio needs must be addressed. A
modern and sensitive update of all aspects is urgently needed. Failure to adequately
address these issues will make the church more vulnerable through reduced
attendance and limited potential for complementary use.
Fabric
The external fabric of the church – the “shell”, particularly the roofs of the North and
South Transepts and Chancel – is in general in excellent condition due to the success
of the PCC and Friends in raising funds for its repair, a major and noteworthy
achievement. As the next step, the interior is in need of a new vision and considerable
investment. Some fabric consolidation, conservation of features and furnishings, and
replacement will be necessary on a rolling basis, along with new heating and
ventilation measures to address the damp.
These works have the potential to impact negatively on the significance of the fabric,
furnishings and fittings if not carried out with due care and consultation. They also
however have the potential to reveal and enhance this significance.
Health and safety
An issue which increases the vulnerability of the church in this respect are the
perceived demands of recent legislation. Health and Safety Regulations have made it
more difficult for volunteer labour to carry out a variety of routine tasks. This means
that expensive equipment such as scaffolding may need to be hired for high level
works. The recent emphasis on conservation-led maintenance and repair also
mitigates against volunteer involvement, as specialist (and increasingly, accredited)
expertise is required for jobs previously done by laymen, or by building firms with
limited experience of working with historic materials and fabric. There are, however,
various grant-aiding organisations which can help in this respect, on which the DAC
and CBC can advise.
Risk management
All heritage assets are exposed to losses from disasters such as fire and flood, but
historic buildings and their contents are particularly vulnerable to such damage. The
church is especially vulnerable to fire damage because of the extensive use of timber
in its structure as well as in its internal fixtures and fittings. Damage may be caused
accidentally or deliberately.
Equally, however, buildings and collections are also extremely vulnerable to damage
from inappropriate fire safety regimes, protective works and equipment. A Disaster
32
Management Plan (for which the CBC has developed guidance), and regular reviews
of the safety equipment and procedures, should be instituted.
Access
The Disability Discrimination Act is generally, and to some extent erroneously,
perceived as a difficulty for churches, necessitating instant reactions and change. The
concept of reasonability in this context has yet to be tested, but knee-jerk reactions to
perceived problems generated by this legislation can be damaging.
This is a problem at Stow, particularly the west entrance with its steep uneven steps
and the steps from the south gate onto the path. From the crossing visitors have to step
up into the chancel and nave, and step down into the north and south transepts. There
is ample space for manoeuvring wheelchairs once inside, but it should be noted that
all kinds of disability are included and this is not just about wheelchair access; such
things as large print books and an audio loop fall within the remit of the legislation.
The lack of a dedicated car park is an issue for the church. It might be worth
exploring if there is any land which might be designated a Community Asset under
the new Localism Bill to provide this, and/or whether the Minster (or Diocese) owns
any land or assets which might be traded for such a plot. This may be a way the
Minster and local community can work together to mutual advantage.
Summary evaluation of the present position:
This is a famous historic church in an attractive village and area, there is a large
number of visitors (estimated 3,500 a year), and around 400 people live in Stow and
the immediate surrounding area. The church is in good structural condition, is
beautiful and fascinating, has excellent acoustics and rudimentary facilities. However,
there are weaknesses which make its position vulnerable:
(a) This building as it now exists is not viable for sustainable, 21st century use:
• it has poor pedestrian access, particularly for the physically disabled;
• it has only two small toilets;
• its heating and lighting system is expensive and ineffective;
• there is only one safe route for normal personnel access to, and egress
from, the building;
(b) in order to resolve the immediate shortcomings, the following are needed:
• good access for pedestrians;
• nearby parking and manoeuvring space for a sensible number and variety
of vehicle types;
• safe, multiple routes of emergency egress from the building;
• improved toilet facilities;
• support of services to provide sustainable heating and lighting, and storage
33
(c) in order to make it possible to resolve the immediate shortcomings, the
following are needed:
• good, pro-active relations between the Church community and its various
neighbours and stakeholders, territorial and ecclesiastical;
• the will and the energy (in all the parties) both to perceive that various
solutions are possible and, in addition, the legal, financial and practical
resources to implement an agreed solution;
• the leadership to develop and maintain the motivation to effect a
sustainable solution
Assessment of potential for change:
The church building is in very good condition, and inherently sustainable in terms of
its materials. If it is to continue in use for worship, complementary uses and forms of
community engagement may need to be found or better exploited, whether tourism,
cultural offerings, etc. The location is extremely attractive. There may be more
potential in this large church than is currently realised.
To achieve this potential, sustainability is needed in various aspects:
(i) Human sustainability – sufficient in amount, capability/skills, and motivation;
(ii) Financial sustainability – capital and revenue;
(iii)Energy/environmental sustainability.
It must be remembered that Stow is on the fringe of both the Lincoln and the Wolds
tourist areas, so looks both ways, towards Lincoln and its tourist attractions, and to the
rural hinterland. Visit Lincolnshire’s August 2010 Press Release noted that the value
of tourism in Lincolnshire reached £971 million – 14% of the overall economy. This
is the social and economic context for the development of this building – a challenge,
but also an opportunity.
The proposed way forward
To solve these problems and grasp the opportunities, the CBC intend to work with the
PCC, community and diocese on development plans to re-order the church, creating
space and facilities for use of the church by wider sections of the community, and
perhaps for one or more major user; however an options appraisal regarding these
needs is still in its infancy at this stage.
The options include various legal models, whereby the status of the church within the
diocese and deanery may change, although it will remain primarily a place of worship.
These changes will be considered in consultation with all the stakeholders, first and
foremost with the present PCC.
These plans may include complementary or alternative use of large parts of the
interior, but retaining at least the chancel for regular worship – it is by itself as big as
many parish churches. The nave and crossing could still be used for larger services,
weddings etc if these areas are designed to be flexible.
34
Initial ideas for development of the building include:
• Development of the west end, providing flexible space perhaps for a small shop /
crafts / meeting area. At the same time, thought might be given to improving
access through the west door for weddings, funerals etc, which might involve
repositioning the font.
• Development of the nave, addressing the unsatisfactory configuration of the
pews and the pulpit, as well as the redundant Victorian pulpit base in the
crossing, to provide a flexible space suitable for large services but also music
concerts and art exhibitions / cultural events
• Development of the south transept for a flexible meeting room
• Development of the north transept for a heritage visitor centre focusing on the
Medieval Becket wall painting and fine musician’s carvings. There might be
space for a small kitchen / servery.
• New environmentally sustainable heating and lighting, and reducing the running
costs and Carbon Footprint of the church will be explored
• Re-decoration throughout following the above, with new, attractive seating to
replace the current plastic chairs, as part of a new vision for the use of the
interior which embraces functionality, but within a clear liturgical and aesthetic
vision.
Following this necessary options appraisal phase, a development plan will be devised
and funding will be sought, probably including a major application to the Heritage
Lottery Fund. This programme of works is to be carefully considered with full
consultation and if funding is found, is to be completed over several years.
5.2 Potential areas of conflict:
Changes in patterns and styles of worship may lead to vulnerability in terms of change
to the internal order of the church, particularly its furnishings and fittings. As in so
many cases, the successive Victorian and later reorderings responded to the liturgical
fashions of the time and may not be considered suitable for the forms of worship
practised by the present and future congregation, as well as other complementary
uses. This can lead to a conflict of differing values, as changes to the interior of the
church to further mission and worship and new complementary uses may at times
clash with conservation issues.
The outline development proposals outlined above will also have a potential effect on
the appearance, fabric and use of the building. This will require early and open
consultation with the relevant secular and ecclesiastical regulatory and advisory
bodies.
Development can only be successful in the context of partnership with a number of
stakeholders – the local community whether they worship at the church or not, the pub
35
and shop, the parish and local authority, etc. Only in this way can the potential for
conflict be mitigated or removed.
This CMP process will help the various partners to identify such issues and address
them at an early stage.
5.3 Impact assessment of any current proposals:
This section will be revised (this is of course true of the entire document) as any
proposals for change are articulated in more detail.
The current ordering has been articulated as of local significance, as an example of
Victorian liturgical arrangements as interpreted by a leading architect of the period (J
L Pearson) but with many later changes. Little of Pearson’s reordering in fact
survives following successive changes to the interior in the 20th
century. A new look
at the interior could enhance its appearance and significance.
There is a great deal of flexibility, as there is no fixed seating in much of the nave,
transepts and chancel, and what there is might be made moveable, which would have
to be carefully considered, particularly the handling of the Medieval bench ends. The
position of the font, and implications of moving it, need to be particularly carefully
evaluated and justified.
The north transept has been considered as the space for a visitor heritage and
education centre within the church. The impact on the interior, sight lines and spaces
would have to be carefully evaluated if such a scheme were to be successful. Some
form of permeable division between the various areas and activities might be needed.
There are no fixed furnishings in this area to inhibit such considerations. There might
be space for a small kitchen/ servery.
The south transept has been considered as a flexible meeting area. This would have an
impact on the appearance of this area, as with the north transept. Again, there are no
fixed furnishings in this area, though there are moveable benches and an altar at
present.
One proposal which is being considered is that the chancel become the dedicated
worship area, with the possibility of break-out into the crossing and nave for large
services, weddings, funerals etc. This will require a new look at the layout and its
present and possible future liturgical functions, and how modern needs might be better
served. Experience at other churches teaches us that without careful planning and a
holistic vision, such mixed use of the church can lead to untidy, chaotic interiors.
Although nothing that is being proposed seems likely to have an impact on the fabric,
archaeological stratigraphy relating to the earlier phases of development of the church
survive at a shallow depth, which must be taken into account in the provision of
modern facilities. As necessary archaeological assessment should be carried out,
which might involve both non-invasive (perhaps Ground Penetrating Radar) and
invasive (test trenching) work, all of which would require Scheduled Monument
Consent. This work should enable the development of a Mitigation Strategy to
minimise damage, delays and cost.
36
6 MANAGEMENT POLICIES
This section sets out the policies that have been identified during the process of
preparing the CMP as required for retaining and enhancing the significance of this
major church and site in the face of its vulnerability. These policies will be fully
evaluated with the PCC.
Policy 1: To create a mechanism for a Review Procedure of the CMP itself. Our
knowledge of places like major churches is constantly increasing, and of course the
church and site and its environment are also in a constant state of change. The CMP
will provide a framework for managing information, to which new information can be
added as it arises. An obvious solution is to bed the Review Procedure into the
Quinquennial Review process, to ensure that the document continuously evolves and
remains accurate and useful. The maintenance of the CMP as a digital document
allows this to be done at minimum cost and effort; printed copies will be produced
after each major review. Policy 2: To retain the church as a place of worship, and work with the other churches
to maintain and enhance its active role within the parish, group, deanery and diocese. This may involve development of the building and site. Advice and support will be
sought from the Diocese, the Church Buildings Council and other partners and
organisations, including English Heritage and the local authority.
Policy 3: The PCC will use the adopted Conservation Management Plan to assist
them in managing the historic environment of the church of St Mary, its churchyard
and associated structures and features. Management decisions will be taken in
accordance with the principles and policies set out in the CMP.
Policy 4: The PCC will develop a strategy for the sustainable care of the building and
site, which will enable a strategy for funding the repairs to emerge. Such funding will
be energetically sought, with advice from the Diocese, the CBC, English Heritage and
the local authority.
Policy 5: The PCC are determined to enhance the ambience and retain the heritage of
Stow and will adhere to modern building conservation principles. Maintenance and
repair of this major historic building will continue to be carried out using appropriate
materials and techniques which are not damaging to its historic fabric and character.
The PCC will take care to make appropriate decisions and use appropriate materials
so as to avoid visually intrusive features in and around the PCC. Policy 6: The PCC are mindful of their obligation to the congregation, the local
community and its many visitors to provide access for all. The PCC will explore
potential for better public access where this is appropriate and not in conflict with
existing (or possible future) uses.
Policy 7: The PCC will explore other appropriate related or alternative uses for all or
parts of the building eg for community purposes, and for concerts, exhibitions etc
especially if a degree of income enhancement can be achieved.
Policy 8: Safety, security and inclusion:
37
Policy 8a: The PCC will commission a Disability Audit to ensure compliance with
the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (the terms of which came into force in 2004).
A disability audit should be made by a qualified person, and its recommendations
considered by the PCC. It puts the statutory obligation on the PCC to consider all
disability issues and take ‘reasonable steps’ to eliminate discriminatory arrangements.
This should be done as soon as possible. Once this is done the PCC will seek to
implement its recommendations so long as these are acceptable in conservation terms
and do not involve negative impact on or intrusion into significant fabric (including
visual intrusion).
Policy 8b: The PCC will ensure the protection of the building, including interior
fixtures and fittings integral to the design and function of the building, from fire,
lightning, and other safety and security hazards, undertaking specialist safety audits
and risk assessments to best current practice as necessary. This should include
provision for staff and contractors to receive appropriate and adequate induction and
on-going training. The PCC will also work on producing a Disaster Management
Plan, to help ensure that in the event of a disaster they can respond with preparedness
and in the most effective ways. The CBC has issued guidance on this.
Detection and alarm systems need to be kept serviced and up to date. Training, close
co-ordination and co-operation with the Fire Brigade are essential prerequisites of
successful disaster prevention. A realistic appreciation of protective measures might
suggest that the building be separated into zones. Evacuation procedures in the event
of an emergency when the church is in extensive use, eg major services, concerts etc
should be developed and appropriate training given.
New legislation makes it essential that persons responsible for non-domestic buildings
maintain records of asbestos in the building, for use by those carrying out works and
by the emergency services. This should include a plan showing the location of any
asbestos, a risk assessment and a plan for the management of assessed risks.(A type 2
Asbestos Building Survey was carried out by Rilmac Insulation Ltd, Lincoln in May
2005.)
Policy 9: Periodically review the statutory requirements and constraints governing the
management of the church and site with the help of the Archdeacon and DAC,
particularly in the light of the proposed Heritage Protection Review and Heritage
Protection Agreements with English Heritage and the local authority. If necessary,
short guidance notes to be circulated to PCC and other interested parties so that all are
fully aware of necessary procedures.
Policy 10: The PCC will make strong representations to the appropriate planning and
strategic bodies matters on all issues and proposals that might affect the PCC directly
or indirectly, making use of the material in the CMP.
Policy 11: There are various aspects of the church and its furnishings and fittings
which would benefit from research into the possibilities of proactive conservation
techniques. The DAC and CBC should be approached for advice and possible
funding. Efforts will be made to procure grant aid towards research and conservation
work, including:
38
• The monuments
• The wall painting
• The internal carvings and fabric
• The woodwork, particularly the Medieval items
Policy 12: Visitor management is an issue in terms of outreach. The parish will
continue to keep the church open during daylight hours for visitors. The printed
guidebooks will be reviewed and updated according to the information in the CMP
and as part of the Quinquennial review process and/or when new information
becomes available. All possibilities to improve visitor appreciation and numbers will
be actively considered
Policy 13: Archaeology policy.
Policy 13a: The church and churchyard have been defined as being of exceptional
archaeological significance. The policy of the PCC is to protect and if possible
enhance this significance. The guidance set out in ADCA 2004 and Elders 2005 will
be followed.
Policy 13b: The policy of the PCC in regard to human remains and their archaeology
is to follow the procedures laid down by the Church of England/ English Heritage
2005 guidance document.
Policy 14: The PCC will work in the long term with the architect and potential
external partners such as English Heritage and university departments towards
developing and maintaining a comprehensive database (in hard copy and digital
formats, with appropriate storage locations and environments) of accurate records for
the interior and exterior of the church and the area surrounding including:
• A geophysical survey of the floors within the church and the whole churchyard
would greatly increase knowledge of the development of the church, while
providing useful information regarding possible future development of the
building and site.
• A fabric typology survey (internal and external) identifying original fabric and
subsequent phases of repair/restoration graphically, photographically and in text
would be of great use to disentangle the complex history of the building
Policy 15: The PCC will encourage diversity of habitat in areas of open space where
this is appropriate. Be aware of lichen on walls and monuments and protected species
and legal requirements in this respect. (A bat survey was carry out by Conservation
Constructions on October 5th
2010).
Policy 16: The PCC will take into account in all its policies the need for
environmentally and economically sustainable development and management, and
will consult the DAC regarding playing its part in “Shrinking the Footprint” of the
church in terms of its environmental impact. The Environmental Audit (Appendix 1)
will be kept up to date.
39
7 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES
Directories and inventories
Morris and Co’s Commercial Directory and Gazetteer of Lincolnshire (1870).
Pigot and Co’s (1830) Directory for Lincolnshire
Whites Lincolnshire Directory (1850).
White's Gazetteer of Lincolnshire (1882).
Recent Surveys and archive material
Church Buildings Council survey file on the church, with much original material
pertaining to the history of the church since the mid-19th
century. Environmental
Surveys and Action Plans 2009-, Tobit Curteis and Glew & Smith
Available for view at the CBC library at Church House by request.
Notes from ICBS, from Church Plans online
Parish records, available from Stow PCC
Log book and inventory.
Latest Quinquennial Inspection Report compiled by Glew & Smith of Lincoln.
Local Plans, available from Lincolnshire County Council
Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan, available from
Lincolnshire County Council.
History and Archaeology
1983 excavation report by N Field, unpublished.
The Buildings of England Page 722-5 by Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris; revised
by Nicholas Antram 1989 Lincolnshire
Atkinson, G, 1850-1, ‘On the Restorations in progress at Stow Church, Lincolnshire’
AASR 1, 315-26.
Atkinson, G, 1863, ‘Saxon Churches: Stone or Wood?’ Gentleman’s Magazine,
1863/1, 755-62
Brock, E P, 1890, ‘Churches of the City of Lincoln ‘, JBAA 46, 17-28
Brown, G B, 1925, The Arts in Early England II: Anglo-Saxon Architecture, London,
passim esp. 354-6.
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