Monument record MLI88314 - Chapel of St James and Possible Religious House, Skendleby

Summary

The remains of the chapel of St James, Skendleby, dates to the late 11th to early 12th century, and may have developed into a cell of Bardney Abbey.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

A religious house was recorded by Bede in the 7th century as being 'near Partney', which it is suggested, due to later events there, may have been located in Skendleby (see PRN 46355). It is thought to have had a connection with Bardney Abbey. A chapel, dedicated to St James, was founded there, probably in the early 12th century, by Walter de Gant, which also belonged to Bardney Abbey. It is suggested that the foundation of the chapel was possibly part of a pattern of re-establishing lost monasteries (real or supposed). It is also thought that the chapel of St James was developed as a dependent cell of Bardney Abbey after its refounding. Typically, a small cell would have two or more monks, one of whom was required to be a priest. The monastery or nunnery would probably have comprised a chapel, a residential building, and possibly other buildings and enclosures. {1}{2} The site has been identified on aerial photographs by the National Mapping Programme as surviving as cropmarks, although it has been interpreted as being part of a medieval field system. {3} Geophysical survey has been carried out on the site, followed by field walking and metal detecting surveys. {4} Resistivity survey carried out in January 2005 recorded clear traces of the structural remains on the chapel site. A well-defined rectangular anomaly almost certainly indicates the in-situ walls of the primary building. Elsewhere on the site, zones of high resistivity may signify traces of other buildings. {5} An excavation was carried out in April 2005. This located the foundations of a two phase stone building, almost certainly the chapel itself, and also an ancilliary stone structure to the south of the main building. Medieval pottery and building materials were the main finds recovered. Part of an enclosure was also located - this appears to have had an agricultural function and was broadly contemporary with the chapel. {6} Medieval carved stones have been recovered from a nearby pond. {7}

Sources/Archives (7)

  •  Verbal Communication: Coppack, Glyn. 2004. Documentary research regarding chapels and religious houses at Partney and Skendleby. -.
  •  Article in Serial: Dorothy M. Owen. 1975. 'Medieval Chapels in Lincolnshire' in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. vol. 10, p.20.
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. TF4369: LI.181.1.11.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Geophysics. 2004. Resistivity and Fluxgate Gradiometer Surveys: Site of Skendleby Chapel, Skendleby, Lincolnshire. -.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Geophysics. 2005. Resistivity Survey: Site of St James's Chapel and Surrounding Earthworks. SKENDLEBY. -.
  •  Report: Pre-Construct Archaeology. 2006. Archaeological Excavation Report: The Park, Skendleby. SKEN 05.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Skendleby Heritage Society. 2008. The Mystery of the Chapel of St James, Skendleby. -.

Map

Find a placename, postcode or grid reference

Map layers

Base layers

Info

Record list

Tools

Location

Grid reference Centred TF 4310 6940 (111m by 111m) Estimated from sources
Civil Parish SKENDLEBY, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (6)

Please contact the HER for details.

External Links (0)

Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

Feedback?

Your feedback is welcome. If you can provide any new information about this record, please contact us.