Background Overview and Aims.

The Churchwarden of Stow Minster has invited volunteers from Lincoln Archaeology Group, in collaboration with Bishop Grosseteste University, to help extend the current understanding of the history of the church, its foundation and the evolution of the surrounding village. 

 

Mission

Stow Minster is a disproportionately large Romanesque building in a small Lincolnshire village.

The Stow Project aims, through working with the community, to employ a range of investigative techniques to explore the early history of the village, understand how this led to the foundation of the Minster church, document the later development of the surrounding area and create a lasting and accessible archive of Stow.

     

In the future it is hoped that this archive will help foster a sense of belonging for current and future generations of residents.

Key Questions

Some of the questions raised at the outset of the project included establishing evidence for :-

• A structure or void beneath the floor of the North transept

• Previously existing structures outside and adjoining the church walls.

• Earlier structures which predate the current church building (including an early Saxon church and Roman temple)

• The relationship between the early church and the evolution of the village

• A market or fair associated with the village

 

Investigations and methodologies

 

In relation to the history of the church the project will :-

• Investigate views on whether the site had roman origins

• Collate documentary information on the foundation of Stow Abbey and the subsequent development of the Norman church

 

In relation to the fabric of the church building :-

• Create a 3D laser scanned plan of the church interior

• Undertake a non-invasive geophysical survey of the floor of the north transept.

• Make a photographic record of historic graffiti within both the church itself and the churchyard

• Make a record of gravestones and their inscriptions

• Use non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether there is any evidence for structures surrounding the church

• Review and if necessary refine existing records of stonework in the church walls

 

In relation to the historic development of the village, the project will research the development of the village through time (including its local landscape, geological and regional setting) through :-

• Establishing what information is held by the Stow Local History Society

• Reviewing published literature specific to the village and landscape change

• Researching Doomsday book records

• Arranging public meetings for people to bring in artefacts for identification and recording

• Collecting historical information about the village from current and past residents

• Obtaining relevant information from Jane Young (resident and post-Roman ceramics expert)

• Obtaining information from Naomi Field (leader of previous archaeological digs in the village)

• Collating documented finds and sites information from publicly available data sources

• Undertaking non-invasive geophysical surveys to search for archaeological structures elsewhere in the village.

• Undertaking test pitting or more substantial excavations where opportunities arise

• Carrying out fieldwalking on land adjoining the village should permissions be granted

• Carrying out metal detector surveys on land adjoining the village should permissions be granted

 

In relation to the more recent history of the village, the project will :-

• Record oral histories from current and recent past residents

• Record current and recently demolished buildings (location, plan, date of construction, past uses etc)

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