Building record MLI89634 - St Botolph's church and churchyard, High Street, Lincoln
Summary
St Botolph's church and churchyard, High Street, Lincoln
Type and Period (3)
- CHURCH (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Post Medieval - 1000 AD to 1646 AD)
- CHURCH (Post Medieval to Modern - 1721 AD to 2050 AD)
- CHURCHYARD (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Post Medieval - 1000 AD to 1850 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
The church of St Botolph was probably founded in the 11th century and stood in the street at the southern end of the Lower Wigford market. It was apparently cruciform in plan and of large stature (123 feet long and 73 feet wide across the transept). Part of it was vaulted in stone. It appears to have been a very important church - second only to the Cathedral according to at least one author - and was one of the prebendary churches given to Bishop Bloet by Henry I. It was home to the Tilers' Guild of Corpus Christi in the 14th century, which is unsurprising given that the tilery was located not far to the south. A chantry was founded in 1344 by William of Bayeux. The church survived the Reformation and the amalgamation of parishes in 1549 but was eventually destroyed during the Civil War. It was first damaged during a "short dispute" at the Bargate in May 1644 and lead was stripped from the roof to make bullets, leaving the rest of the fabric exposed to the elements. It remained in use, however, until Sunday 6th September 1646, when it finally collapsed during a service (the congregation, warned by the early fall of two stones from the roof, escaped without injury). A new church was built in 1721, after the ruins of the old one had been cleared. The tower of this building survives and contains many stones re-used from the earlier structure. It was further rebuilt and enlarged during the 19th century and this church is still in use today. The current church is said to lie to the north of the medieval one. The graveyard remained in use until the 1850's. {1}{2}
The medieval church is first mentioned in documents of 1106-1203 and 1196-1203. {3}
The current church dates to the 18th and 19th centuries. The west tower was built in 1721 by Henry Grix. The nave and north aisle were added in 1861 by Henry Goddard, the chancel was rebuilt in 1878 and a south aisle and south chapel were added by William Watkins in 1884. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {4}
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SLI9142 Bibliographic Reference: Jones, Michael, J; Stocker, D.; and Vince, A.. 2003. The City by the Pool including LARA. RAZ 9.60.21, 10.60.21, 11.91.4.
- <2> SLI11158 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 330, no. 2.
- <3> SLI6442 Bibliographic Reference: Kenneth Cameron. 1984. The Place-Names of Lincolnshire, Part 1. 1. p 119.
- <4> SLI5854 Index: Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Dec 1999. Revised List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 1941-1/5/181; 269.294.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 97240 69803 (82m by 84m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | PARK, LINCOLN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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