Monument record MLI70187 - Site of St John the Baptist's church and churchyard, Newport, Lincoln

Summary

The site of a church first recorded in about 1123 which was built within a market or street. Numerous burials have been found in the area.

Type and Period (5)

  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1100 AD to 1546 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1100 AD to 1546 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1100 AD to 1546 AD)
  • (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • (Unknown date)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

The church of St John at Newport appears to have been founded within a market place or street, presumably to provide a parochial focus for the market traders living nearby and also to provide a spiritual patron for the market itself. The church is first recorded in 1123 to 1148. Although it has a graveyard it appears to sit in the middle of the street therefore it is unlikely to have been founded prior to the market. By 1428, there were fewer than ten inhabitants in the associated parish and the church was ordered to be taken down and the materials sold in 1546. {1}{9} Lead, stone, timber, utensils, plate, jewels and ornaments from the church were sold, although the books from the church were excepted from the sale and given to St Nicholas Newport church. {10} The church was included in the gift of Henry I to Bishop Bloet. Although much of the building was taken down in 1546, the steeple remained standing until at least 1674. Burials have been found in this area, on both sides of the road, since the 1930s. They often occur in stone lined graves with no bases, oriented east to west. No structural remains have been found. {2}{3}{9} A total of 56 graves were uncovered within approximately 30 metres of a linear trench during a watching brief in 1994. More than half of the burials were in roughly constructed stone cists with sides and a lid but no base, whilst the remainder were interred in simple earth graves. Virtually no dateable finds were recovered although a piece of textile made of cow hair was recovered. This has been interpreted as part of a hair shirt. A limestone wall was revealed immediately to the south of the burial ground and this probably represents some form of structure marking the south or east boundary of the burial ground. {4} A series of investigations at the former Broadway service station in 1993 to 1994 revealed numerous burials including some in stone cists. A possible robber trench indicating a substantial stone structure was also recorded in the south east corner of the evaluation area. This may represent the north west corner of the northern transept of St John's church or possibly an associated structure although this interpretation is tentative due to the absence of secure dating evidence. {7}{8} Two groups of burials were recorded during a watching brief. The first group were centred on NGR SK9765 7271, with three cist graves and evidence for a fourth being recorded, along with evidence for further burials in unlined graves. The second group were centred on NGR SK9765 7274, and consisted of four cist burials and two burials in unlined graves. However, the watching brief did not produce any conclusive evidence of the location of the church, but it has been suggested that the church is most likely to have been located to the south of the New Veterinary Hospital and to the west of Newport (see the 1817 map by Marratt). The watching brief report notes that the medieval church was sited upon a focal point of Roman occupation, suggesting possible continuity of settlement or deliberate re-use of the site.{5}{6} An undated limestone wall was located inside the area previously occupied by the Broadway Service Station, during a watching brief carried out in March to May 2009. The wall was of loose construction, aligned north to south, and lay at a point approximately 4m west of the entrance to the Veterinary Hospital car park. The wall was considered to represent a comparatively early phase of activity and may (although not suggested by the excavator) have a connection with St John's church. {11}{12} During trial trenching at Newport Fire Station in December 1993 by the City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit, one trial hole revealed evidence of four cist burials and disarticulated remains. The remains were probably associated with St John's Church. {13}{14}

Sources/Archives (14)

  •  Bibliographic Reference: Jones, Michael, J; Stocker, D.; and Vince, A.. 2003. The City by the Pool including LARA. RAZ 9.60.1, 10.60.1.
  •  Index: Ordnance Survey. OS card index for Lincoln. LINCOLN. SK 97 SE:CO.
  •  Index: SMR file cards for Lincoln. LINCOLN. SK 97 SE:CO -.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1994. Welton - Lincoln Trunk Watermain (City Section): Archaeological Recording. -.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Nov 2000. Watching brief on gas mains renewal, Newport, Lincoln. NPC00.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. Nov 2000. Watching brief on gas mains renewal, Newport, Lincoln. LCNCC 2000.24.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1994. The Former Broadway Service Station, Newport, Lincoln: Archaeological Evaluation. NPB94.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1994. The Former Broadway Service Station, Newport, Lincoln: Archaeological Evaluation. LCNCC 90.94.
  •  Article in Serial: Edmund Venables. 1888. 'A list and brief description of the churches of Lincoln previous to the period of the Reformation' in Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers. p.345, no.51.
  •  Article in Serial: Stocker, D.A.. 1990. ‘The archaeology of the Reformation in Lincoln’ in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. Vol.25, p.21 (table 1).
  •  Report: Archaeological Project Services. Jul 2009. Archaeological Recording and Monitoring at the Veterinary Hospital, Newport, Lincoln, Lincolnshire. LNVH09.
  •  Archive: Archaeological Project Services. Jul 2009. Archaeological Recording and Monitoring at the Veterinary Hospital, Newport, Lincoln, Lincolnshire. LCNCC 2009.36.
  •  Report: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1994. Archaeological Recording at Newport Fire Station. -.
  •  Archive: City of Lincoln Archaeology Unit. 1994. Archaeological Recording at Newport Fire Station. 72.93.

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Location

Grid reference Centred SK 9767 7270 (228m by 104m)
Civil Parish LONGDALES, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE
Civil Parish CASTLE, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE

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Related Events/Activities (8)

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Record last edited

Apr 17 2021 2:37PM

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