Monument record MLI33233 - Bourne Abbey

Summary

Bourne Abbey was a house of Augustinian canons founded in 1138 and surrendered in 1536 or 1539.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status/Designation

Full Description

The Augustinian abbey of Bourne was founded in 1138 and surrendered in 1536 or 1539. In or before the year 1138, Baldwin fitz Gilbert de Clare invited 12 canons of the Augustinian Order to settle near his castle at Bourne. He gave them St Peter's church at Bourne as well as land, fisheries, etc., a fishpond near the church and the profits of several other churches. The monastic buildings were on the north side of the church and the cloister adjoined the nave. Nothing remains of the cloister, but a row of low-pointed arches on the outer face of the north-west tower, now concealed by a stoke-hole, probably formed the south wall of the outer parlour or passage by which the cloister was entered from the outer court. Evidence of under-lying building foundations survives but modern ornamental ponds may have been adapted from some monastic earthworks. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5} Human bones, medieval pot and tile as well as some Saxon-Norman material have been found at the site of St Peter and St Paul's abbey. {6} A sherd of 13th to 14th century pottery and two fragments of masonry were recovered during a watching brief centred on TF0970 2005. Both pieces of masonry were dressed limestone, the larger being a broken window jamb with a socket for a glazing bar. {7}{8} An excavation was conducted in August 1985, in advance of construction of the new vicarage. A substantial portion of the conventual buildings were investigated, and remains relating to the north, east and west ranges were uncovered. The north range was a substantial range of stone buildings and remains include robber trenches for walls 5 and 6 feet thick. Plaster or mortar floor levels of several periods also survived. The west range had been much disturbed by post medieval buildings and appears not to have been completed in stone, or at least not to the standard and scale of the north range. A large pit containing much charcoal and Stamford ware was seen in the area of the west range. Of the east range, only the eastern extension of the cloister wall was seen and the rest of the eastern range lay outside the area of investigation. {9}{10}

Sources/Archives (10)

  •  Index: OS CARD INDEX. BOURNE. TF 02 SE 5,1964, DA.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: D. Knowles and R.N. Hadcock. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales - Second Edition. p.149.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: William Page (ed). 1906. The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2. vol.2, pp.177-8.
  •  Article in Serial: TROLLOPE, E.. 1862. Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers. vol.6, p.VIII.
  •  Article in Serial: THOMPSON, A.H.. 1914. Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers. vol.32, pp.329-32.
  •  Index: SMR FILE. BOURNE. TF 02 SE W,1966, KERR N.
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. Aug 1999. Land adjacent to the Cedars Nursing Home, Church Walk, Bourne. BCW99.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. Aug 1999. Land adjacent to the Cedars Nursing Home, Church Walk, Bourne. LCNCC 114.99.
  •  Article in Serial: Trust for Lincolnshire Archaeology. 1985. 'Bourne Abbey' in Archaeology in Lincolnshire 1984-1985. p.34.
  •  Article in Serial: Trust for Lincolnshire Archaeology. 1986. 'Bourne Abbey Excavation - 1985' in Archaeology in Lincolnshire 1985-1986. pp.15-6.

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Location

Grid reference Centred TF 0969 2000 (140m by 140m) Estimated from sources
Civil Parish BOURNE, SOUTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

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Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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