Monument record MLI20268 - The Settlement of Crowland

Summary

The settlement of Crowland is recorded as early as the 9th century and survives to the present day.

Type and Period (10)

  • (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Modern - 850 AD to 2050 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1539 AD to 1900 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1401 AD to 1599 AD)
  • (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1200 AD)
  • ? (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD? to 1599 AD?)
  • (Unknown date)
  • (Unknown date)
  • (Post Medieval - 1600 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

PRN 20268 includes the now deleted records prns 20543, 23705, 23706, 22015, 23654, 23655, 23768, 20266, 23717, 22009, 22010, 23790, 22012, 23671, 23722, 23729 Crowland is the site of a monastic house founded the early eighth century; Crowland was the oldest monastic house in Lincolnshire at the time of the Norman Conquest. {1} The name Crowland originates from the Old English meaning 'land in the bend of the river'. {2} Crowland is in the wapentake of Elloe, and although the Abbey (see PRN 23519) and its lands are recorded in Domesday, Crowland specifically is not. {3} The population in Crowland in 1801 stood at 1425, this rose sharply over the next 40 years and in 1841 the population stood at 2973. Population continued to rise in the following 30 years until it peaked at 3168, population then began to fall slightly and in 1901 a population of 2747 was recorded. {4} There was a fair held in Crowland which was first recorded between 1136 and 1154, when King Stephen granted a fair of six days, three before the feast of Saint Bartholomew and three days after. In 1227 the Abbot of Crowland was holding a fair for seventeen days. On the 24 October 1257 a charter granting a market was passed. {1}{5} TF2412 1023 (PRN 20268a) Medieval pottery was identified during building works. {6} TF 2413 1017 (PRN 20268b) A north/south aligned ditch was recorded during trial trenching, thought to be a boundary/drainage ditch, and containing 11th to 15th century pottery and domestic waste. The pottery assemblage contained glazed roof tile, usually associated with high status buildings. It is therefore possible that this occupation debris was associated with Crowland Abbey. A later undated shallow feature is thought to be a recut of the ditch, suggesting that it was still visible as an earthwork after it had been in filled. A layer of limestone rubble containing medieval pot and tile was also observed. Post medieval rubbish pits were also recorded. {7}{8} TF 2416 1031 (PRN 20268c) 'In pulling down the wall of the church this summer (1744) they found vast quantities of Crowland farthings.' - Stukeley's Diaries and letters. Presumably a hoard of tradesmen tokens of the 1660s. {9}{10} TF 2408 1025 (PRN 20268d) Two fragments of medieval tile were recovered during a watching brief on land adjacent to Abbey Walk. One is stone, and the other is a thirteenth or fourteenth century glazed clay tile (stratified). These may be associated with the Crowland Abbey buildings. Five sherds of late Saxon shelly ware were also recovered {11}{12} TF 2401 1027 (PRN 20268e) Trial trenching revealed a stone lined well. From the fill of the well 13th to 15th century pottery sherds and a skate made from the radius bone of a horse were recovered. This suggests that the well dates from before the 13th century and that it was filled in between 1200 and 1499. A wall was identified near the well, it appears that after the well fell into disuse it was covered in earth and a wall was built to retain it. A second wall parallel to the first was also identified. This is thought to mark a partition between the two properties leaving a small pathway or passage between them. 15th and 16th century pottery sherds recovered from this passage suggest that this was the period of use. Finds from the site include sixty-eight sherds of 11th to 17th century pottery, including a single sherd from a Dutch red earthenware bowl with a frilled footring. Animal bones, medieval and post medieval handmade brick and tile were also among the finds. All this evidence suggests that the site was in use from the 13th century onwards and that buildings of brick and tile stood here at this time. {13}{14} TF2415 1040 (PRN 20268f) a bone knife handle found at Crowland Abbey. It is carved in the shape of a man who has a hawk perched on his left hand. Crowland knives with metal, wooden or bone handles were given away at each St Bartholomew's day in Crowland until the custom ceased in the late 15th century, many have been found in Crowland and the River Welland in the eighteenth century. {15}{16} TF 238 105. Two sherds of 16th to 17th century pottery were recovered during a watching brief. {17}{18} TF2381 1013 (PRN 20268g) During a watching brief, a north/south aligned post-medieval drainage ditch was recorded. The ditch contained a late 17th century left sole and left inner sole, probably not from the same shoe. The sole and inner are most likely from a work shoe, and are larger than a British size 8/continental size 42. A scatter of late medieval to modern pottery was recorded. {19}{20} TF2385 1015 (PRN 20268h) Pottery found during building works for an old peoples home includes C19 wares, some slipware and stone wares, a Cistercian ware sherd, a Midlands purple ware handle from a storage jar and two green glazed post-medieval storage jar rims with a thumbed strip at neck. Also two sherds of Roman pottery, developed Stamford ware and other medieval wares including much of a green glazed jug were found. {21}{22}{23} During a trial trenching at TF 24122 10236 (PRN 20268j) a small north/south medieval ditch was excavated, this ditch appears to date to the 13th century or later, a scatter of pottery dated to the 12th to 14th century was also recovered. {24}{25} During a site visit TF 24121 10208 (PRN 20268y) a large quantity of unstratified bone, medieval pottery and tile were seen in piles of soil removed during groundworks. Bricks and tile probably belonging to previously demolished nineteenth century farm buildings where also observed. {49} TF 2440 1030 (PRN 20268K) is the possible site of a medieval pottery kiln, sampled in 1962. {26} During a watching brief at TF 2388 1021 (PRN 20268l) a late medieval/early post-medieval spoon was recovered. The spoon is thought to date to the earlier part of the given date range, as the bowl lacks the 'fig shape' characteristic of late medieval spoons, while the hexagonal-sectioned handle suggests a 14th to 17th century date. {27}{28} At TF234 107 (PRN 20268m) a single sherd of medieval pottery was recovered during a watching brief, it is though to be possibly contemporary with the medieval settlement at the Abbey. {29}{30} During the watching brief at TF 2414 1003 (PRN 20268n) a number of artefacts were recovered from two dumped deposits. These artefacts include 19th and 20th century coal, brick, tile, pottery sherds and a clay pipe, as well as a 15th to 17th century Toynton-Bolingbroke cistern handle and rim pottery sherds. The lack of pre 15th century finds suggest that medieval or earlier deposits either do not occur in this area or were not revealed/disturbed by this development. {31}{32} During trial trenching at TF240 103 (PRN 20268o) two pits were recorded. The pits were lined with clay and smelt strongly of urine, suggesting possible use for tanning. Finds included pottery of fifteenth to sixteenth century date, tile, brick and animal bone. {33}{34} TF239 102 (PRN 20268o) A large quantity of re-deposited pottery was recorded during a watching brief. These include fragment of 9th to 10th century Stamford ware, sherds of 16th century Cistercian ware and a large basal fragment of a 16th century chafing dish. Two areas of re-used, dressed stone were also recorded; the stone probably came from the nearby demolished abbey. {39}{40} A watching brief at TF 236 102 yielded a single sherd of medieval to post medieval pottery. {35}{36} Trial trenching at TF 239 102 (PRN 20268p) identified the presence of what was a possible fluvial layer probably associated with the river that used to run down West Street. Environmental analysis of the silts above this layer indicated that there was no human activity here or nearby during the formation of these layers. The first human evidence recorded here is from the 12th to 14th centuries, this perhaps indicates the stabilisation of the river allowing use of the land, albeit for dumping. This process of dumping continued into the post-medieval period and probably added to the stabilisation of this area of land. A ditch was recorded, probably a boundary and post-medieval pottery was recovered. {37}{38} An archaeological watching brief was undertaken during groundworks on land adjacent to Plum Tree Cottage, 46 West Street, Crowland (TF 2377 1012). The watching brief identified a single pit (20268q) assigned to the post-medieval period and probably served a refuse function during the later 17th century. The finds retrieved from this feature comprised a range of pottery and a small quantity of animal bone.{41}{42} A watching brief was carried out to the rear of 10 North Street. This uncovered an undated possible palaeochannel (TF 2386 1029, PRN 20268r), an undated possible pond (TF 2386 1029, PRN 20268s) and post-medieval features including wall foundations, pottery, brick, glass and clay pipe (TF 2386 1029, PRN 20268t). {43}{44} A watching brief at 1 West Street recorded the edge of a palaeochannel which was flowing until at least the end of the 17th century (TF 2386 1027, PRN 20268u). {45}{46} A watching brief at 32 West Street (TF 2382 1019) uncovered a sequence of late Saxon, medieval and post medieval deposits. The late Saxon material (PRN 20268v) consists of probable soil formation and pottery sherds. Early medieval (13th to 14th century) occupation deposits (PRN 20268w) include hearth bases indicating that a building was present, though no structural remains were found. Pottery and other finds were also recovered. There is a paucity of late medieval and early post medieval deposits, indicating that the site has been truncated in the past or that habitation had shifted elsewhere. Several later post medieval walls (PRN 20268x), correlating broadly with buildings shown on early maps, were recorded and later post medieval finds were recovered including clay pipe fragments. {47}{48} During a watching brief at TF 2379 1009, medieval features (PRN 20268z) were encountered. The features consist of a medieval ditch and two large pits of uncertain function which are undated artefactually but which respect the ditch, suggesting that they are of similar date. The pits may have been used for sand extraction, alternatively they may have been ponds (a single mussel shell was found in one). {50}{51} During a watching brief on land at 3 East Street (TF 2400 1022), post medieval activity consisting of dumping or ground build-up and building was observed (PRN 20268aa). This appears to have taken place in the 18th century, and to have severely disturbed any earlier remains. A ditch containing a single sherd of 15th-16th century pottery was also seen. {52}{53} During an archaeological evaluation at 60 North Street (TF 2376 1045), remnants of a medieval garden or horticultural soil were identified (PRN 20268bb). Pottery from this layer dates to the 13th to 14th centuries and suggests domestic occupation nearby, probably at the street front with the site itself being within the burgage plot to the rear. These deposits were overlain by a thick peaty clay which was probably a flood deposit. The site was probably waterlogged prior to the medieval period as well, as indicated by a thick organic peat layer. {54}{55} A watching brief during excavation of foundation trenches at North Street, Crowland revealed a 14th to 15th century pottery sherd, 15th to 16th century brick from a possible building and a limestone and brick wall from Plot BC. From Plots 4 and 5 15th to 17th century finds and 19th to 20th century glass and pottery was reveaed and from Plots 6 and 7, 16th to 19th century brick and a refuse pit containing mid 20th century glass was found. {56}{57}

Sources/Archives (57)

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  •  Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1998. A Dictionary of Lincolnshire Place-Names. Page 35.
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  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. Page 358.
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  •  Verbal Communication: HEALEY, R.H.. 1997. Verbal report from Hilary Healey. -.
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  •  Bibliographic Reference: Lukis, W. C. (ed.). 1883. The Family Memoirs of the Rev. William Stukeley M.D. and the Antiquarian and other Correspondence of William Stukeley, Roger and Samuel Gale. Volume II Page 307.
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Grid reference Centred TF 239 102 (800m by 741m)
Civil Parish CROWLAND, SOUTH HOLLAND, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Record last edited

Mar 17 2023 1:34PM

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