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Summary

Possible site of the cell of St Guthlac and St Pega, and a succeeding medieval chapel, Anchor Church Field

Full description

PRN 22029
Guthlac, saint of Crowland, came in a boat from Repton Abbey seeking refuge and his anchorage, where his boat was first stranded about three and three-quarters of a mile north-east of Crowland in 697-99, is still called Anchor Church Field. His cell was said to have been in the side of a hillock on which later stood a small chapel. Stukeley says that in 1708 he saw the remains of a small chapel converted into a cottage. This was pulled down in 1720. Excavation on the site in 1866 exposed foundations of two parallel walls, running east to west, about 14 feet apart and 84 feet long. On either side at the west end was a room, making the west end 42 feet wide. Some 200 tons of Barnack ragstone were carted away from the foundations. Portions of deer horn and the metal lid of small cup were found. The cell is also traditionally that of St Pega, who later moved to Peakirk, Northamptonshire. {1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}
A slight non-surveyable mound seen in the arable land at the published site. No foundations could be traced.{1}
Anglo-Saxon pottery dating to the 7th century was recovered from this location. {13}
An aerial photograph from 1969 clearly shows the cropmark of a rectilinear building with two internal divisions and a smaller room adjoining the south-west corner of the main structure. This building and a possible timber post-pad structure to the south-east are apparently enclosed by an outer ditch. {14}
A geophysical survey at the site confirmed the presence of the building visible in aerial photographs as well as revealing a possible second adjacent building. The survey also recorded enhanced magnetic responses which could represent semi-industrial activity such as metalworking at the site. However, these anomalies could also be caused by modern ferrous debris. {14}
Further investigation was carried out in 2004, consisting of fieldwalking and trial excavation. Middle Saxon deposits were present, although no structural remains were identified. One of the enclosure ditches was of late Saxon date. Medieval deposits comprised a number of pits and layers and the sand filled foundation trench of a building along with a short section of limestone walling interpreted as a column base. These remains probably relate to the chapel building previously identified. Pottery of mid Saxon to medieval date was recovered during fieldwalking and excavation. An 8th or 9th century, bone, single-sided handled comb and 9th to 12th century riveted bone mounts were also recovered during excavation. The investigations also revealed that the site is being seriously damaged from deep ploughing. {15}

<1> OS CARD INDEX, TF 21 SE:5,1965, D.A. (Index). SLI2461.

<2> MOORE, REV CANON, 1879, JOURNAL OF THE BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, P 132-4 PLAN (Article in Serial). SLI480.

<3> Lukis, W. C. (ed.), 1883, The Family Memoirs of the Rev. William Stukeley M.D. and the Antiquarian and other Correspondence of William Stukeley, Roger and Samuel Gale, VOL 76 P 305 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1120.

<4> 1861, Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies’ Reports and Papers, VOL 6 P XXV-XXVI (Article in Serial). SLI344.

<5> William Page (ed), 1906, The Victoria County History: Lincolnshire - Volume 2, VOL 2 P 118 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1104.

<6> J. Charles Cox, 1924, Little Guide: Lincolnshire (Second Edition), p.111 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI896.

<7> SMR FILE, TF21SE:G - (Index). SLI2980.

<8> HALLAM, S.J., 1970, ‘Settlement around the Wash’ in The Fenland in Roman Times, P 275 (Article in Monograph). SLI63.

<9> 1923, PETERBOROUGH ADVERTISER, 13 APRIL 1923 PLANS (Serial). SLI3953.

<10> 1945-84, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY COLLECTION, AYC9,1969, (Aerial Photograph). SLI110.

<11> LANE, T.W., 1988, TRUST FOR LINCOLNSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGY FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT, p 8 (Aerial Photograph). SLI206.

<12> Hayes, P. P. and Lane, T. W., 1992, The Fenland Project No.5: Lincolnshire Survey, the South-West Fens, p 197 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1079.

<13> HEALEY, R.H., 1997, Verbal report from Hilary Healey, - (Verbal Communication). SLI4944.

<14> English Heritage, 2002, Anchor Church Field, Crowland: Report on Geophysical Survey, - (Report). SLI8386.

<15> Archaeological Project Services, 2004, Assessment of the Archaeological Remains from Evaluation at Anchor Church Field, Crowland, CAC04 (Report). SLI11121.

Monument Types

• ARTEFACT SCATTER (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 650 AD to 1539 AD)
• METAL WORKING SITE? (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 650 AD? to 1065 AD?)
• HERMITAGE (RELIGIOUS) (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 697 AD to 799 AD)
• CHAPEL (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 800 AD to 1539 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 800 AD? to 1539 AD?)

Associated Finds

• SHERD (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 650 AD to 1539 AD)
• COMB (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 700 AD to 899 AD)
• COMPOSITE COMB (Early Medieval/Dark Age to Medieval - 800 AD to 1199 AD)

Associated Events

• Geophysical survey at Anchor Church Field
• Fenland Survey Field Walking
• Fieldwalking at Anchor Church Field, Crowland
• Trial trenching at Anchor Church Field, Crowland

Sources and further reading

Related records

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