About the Project
Old Bolingbroke has a fascinating history that stretches back well over a thousand years. From the Domesday book to the present day, we can see traces of that history within written sources, surviving buildings and archaeological remains beneath our feet. With a thriving community past and present, the history has shaped the lives of all those who have lived here – from kings to farmers, from ancient times to those who are yet to come.
The ‘Old Bolingbroke: Through our Eyes and Imaginations’ project was co-created with two key community groups in the village of Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire: the Friends of Bolingbroke Castle and the Friends of St Peter and St Paul’s Church. It contributes to the development of a wider vision for the village as a cultural and heritage destination, foregrounding residents’ experiences of the site and its history, medieval to modern. The project ran from July 2024 until the end of June 2025 and was funded by Arts Council England National Portfolio Organization for South-East Lindsey Council Partnership.
The project resulted in four outputs: a ballad, an exhibition, a volume of oral histories, and a collection of stories inspired by medieval women from Lincolnshire, including a selection with ties to medieval Bolingbroke.
The Project Team
Renée Ward (University of Lincoln); Sarah Grundy, Rebecca Craven (Lincolnshire County Council); Colin Simpson, Caroline Wills-Wright (Friends of Bolingbroke Castle); Steve Lumb, Bruce Trewin (Friends of St Peter & St Paul Church)
Acknowledgements
We thank our funders, partners, and participants for making this project possible. We thank, as well, the following individuals and organisations: Abbie Dobbs, Sophie Sharpe and the team at Energy Cell; Allen Signs; Louise Wilkinson, Rob Dean, Stephen Bruel, and Joe Purves (The University of Lincoln); Paul Dryburgh, Paul Johnson, and Lynn Swyny (The National Archives); Jonathan Čapek and Scorer Hawkins Architects; Pam Powell (Ramsden Memorial Hall); Andrew Cullum, Isobel Godsell (Old Bolingbroke).
Duchy copyright material in The National Archives is the property of His Majesty The King in Right of His Duchy of Lancaster and is reproduced by permission of the Chancellor and Council of the Duchy of Lancaster.