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Summary

Possible site of St Peter Ad Fontem church and churchyard.

Full description

Domesday book mentions that Colswein founded two churches in his new colony between 1066 and 1086, one of which was probably the church of St Peter Ad Fontem, also known as 'in Baggerholme' or 'at welles'. {1}

The name element 'ad fontem' refers to a spring, and it has been suggested that Spa Close represents the site of this spring. {2}

By 1428 this church had less than 10 parishioners, and in 1461 it was appropriated by the monks of St Mary's Abbey, York, on account of it having fallen into ruin and there being no parishioners to repair it. The monks continued to hold services there, although for how long is uncertain. Documents of 1540 refer to a cemetery (which was in the hands of a chaplain) but make no mention of a church building. It is not known why the monks appropriated this church amongst all the many which were falling into ruin at this time but it is suggested that it may have been in order to look after the spring for which the church was named. It is also suggested that the spring may already have been a site of devotion, possibly with an accompanying chapel, prior to the founding of the church.The location of this church is only approximately known. {3}

A large number of interments and stone coffins along with fragmentary foundations were unearthed in 1857 (although no exact location is given for this event). {4}{5}{6}

<1> HILL, J.W.F., 1948, Medieval Lincoln, pp 133-34 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1087.

<2> Kenneth Cameron, 1984, The Place-Names of Lincolnshire, Part 1, pp 131-32 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI6442.

<3> Jones, Michael, J; Stocker, D.; and Vince, A., 2003, The City by the Pool including LARA, RAZ 9.60.12, 10.60.12 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI9142.

<4> Ordnance Survey, OS card index for Lincoln, SK 97 SE; 55 (Index). SLI2604.

<5> SMR file cards for Lincoln, SK 97 SE; FO (Index). SLI3134.

<6> 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, pp 335-36, no. 17 (Article in Serial). SLI11158.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD?)
• CHURCHYARD (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Sources and further reading

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