If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

31 and 32 St Peter's Street, formerly Sempringham Hall, Stamford

Full description

PRN 30622
Sempringham Hall was merely a hall or house of studies in the quasi-university that had been growing up since 1266. Doubtless it was closed in 1334, if not earlier. A wall plaque reads, 'This is the site of Sempringham Hall. A school of the Gilbertines founded in the 13th century.' {1}{2}{3}
It is the only hall to be substantiated on medieval evidence. It stood on the north side of St Peter’s Street (about numbers 31 and 32). There is no doubt that Sempringham owned property there, with the chapel of St Mary. The house came into the possession of Lord Burghley and remained in the Exeter estate until 1959. {4}
Several religious houses had halls for their students at Stamford. These include Sempringham which was founded in 1292. {9}
These halls for religious students appear to have had relatively little influence but in 1334 they were joined by a number of students from Oxford during a short-lived secession from the main university. {5}
The house at nos. 31 and 32 may be of 15th century origin and is of timber framed and plastered construction. A photograph taken around 1900 shows it with a stone front wall which has now been entirely removed and replaced. The openings shown on this picture suggest that this is the building drawn by Stukeley as 'Sempringham Hall' in 1735. The house consists of a main range and two rear wings. The main range has a roof with clasped purlins and windbraces. One of the rear wings is also timber framed and probably 15th century although it has been curtailed at one end by a 17th century stone range. The other rear wing includes two reset 15th century stone doorways (see PRN 37630). In the yard is a lead pump of c. 1800. {5}
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. {6}
There are two reset 15th century arches (see PRN 37630) in a store shed behind the main building (which is now a garage). {7}

<1> SMR cards for Stamford, TF 00 NW CD - (Index). SLI3292.

<2> Ordnance Survey, O.S. cards for Stamford, TF 00 NW 48,1961, FC (Index). SLI2751.

<3> D. Knowles and R.N. Hadcock, 1953, Medieval Religious Houses: England and Wales - First Edition, P199 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI902.

<4> Hartley, J.S. and Rogers, A., 1974, The Religious Foundations of Medieval Stamford, No 69, pp 78-80 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1102.

<5> Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1977, An Inventory of Historical Monuments. The Town of Stamford, p xlii, no 412, p 155, plate 70 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI912.

<6> Department of the Environment, 1974, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1/336 (Index). SLI6708.

<7> ROGERS, A., 1970, The Medieval Buildings of Stamford, No 60, p 45 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI12932.

<8> Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram, 1989, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition), p 706 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1062.

<9> ROGERS, A., 1965, The Making of Stamford, p 56 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI13194.

Monument Types

• RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CENTRE (Medieval - 1292 AD to 1539 AD?)
• HALL OF RESIDENCE (Medieval - 1333 AD to 1334 AD)
• HOUSE (Medieval to Modern - 1400 AD? to 2050 AD)
• TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• WATER PUMP (Post Medieval - 1800 AD to 1899 AD?)

Associated Events

• Site visit to 31 and 32 St Peter's Street, Stamford

Protected Status

• Conservation Area
• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

Related records

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.