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The priory that never was and   the church that was lost Local lore in Langar holds that there was once a priory to the south-west of the village. This led to Bleak House being renamed Priory Place by former occupants Dick and Sylvia Shelton. But there's no documentary evidence for a priory. What written accounts do tell is that there was once a church dedicated to St Ethelburga. Over time her name corrupted to St Aubrey and, by scribal error, to St Ambrose. In the seventh century there were three St Ethelburgas. Presumably this church's dedicatee was the one associated with Southwell. We know the Minster was re-dedicated after the Norman Conquest so her remains could have been removed ('translated') to a decidedly remote feld kirk ('field church'). Why this chapel is where is it is best explained by its location near two streams. Very early churches were often little more than baptistries offering conversion to christianity. As I've already written, the archaeology of this church reveals it is the successor to a substantial Roman building, perhaps a bath house. And furthermore there are finds which suggest before that it was an Iron Age shrine site. Where is it? Simple question, not-so-simple answer. The site in now in Langar parish. But in medieval times things weren't so neat and tidy. Langar was divided up into scattered smallholdings (sokelands). Some of these smallholdings and the field church were owned by Granby parish church. So the church was known as 'St Ethelburga's, Granby'. Not surprisingly for a good many years the location was lost as researchers were looking too far to the east in modern day Granby. To avoid excess confusion modern writers refer to the church as being in Langar. But that wasn't true in medieval times. Looking across the flood plain to the site of St Ethelburga's church. The chapel is known to have been a place of pilgrimage until the Reformation. Whatever relics it held clearly had a good reputation and the income sustained a resident priest. But come the Reformation and shrines and their relics were banned by Henry VIII in 1538. No relics meant no pilgrims. Which meant no income. Which meant no maintenance. And no clergy. The priest house to the north-east of the chapel became a farmhouse. Presumably the family living there continued some sort of services as the last recorded burial was not until 1648 and the last baptism was 1650. At some point the chapel was demolished – little doubt that the stone would be repurposed – and the site reduced to a low mound in a small field or close. Then folks forgot where it was! Only in 1959 did an amateur archaeologist begin to excavate the foundations and revealed several human burials. More details of the excavations at St Ethelburga's: 2020 report 2017 article 2016 overview Other lost chapels and churches in the Vale Michael Honeybone in his 1987 book The Vale of Belvoir refers to now-lost chapels of ease at Aslockton, Colston Bassett (not to be confused with the ruined parish church) and Normanton. The locations of the former parish churches at Colston Bassett, Kinoulton and Woolsthorpe are known, although nothing remains of the buildings at Kinoulton or Woolsthorpe, only the graveyards. Other early church dedications in the Vale Michael Honeybone also notes that four churches in the Vale were once dedicated to St Guthlac or St John of Beverley. St Guthlac was born in 673 and died in 714. His parents were part of the Mercian royal family. Between the ages of 15 and 23 he was a soldier then became a monk at Repton. About 701 he wished to emulate the Desert Fathers and live in relative solitude. He opted for the Croyland peninsula, surrounded by fen and only accessible by boat. As Mike Haigh stated in 2024 'Unfortunately he was often attacked by Britons who had taken refuge in the fens to escape the English, and also by devils, but by way of compensation received visits from angels.' Guthlac founded Croyland Abbey (corrupted to 'Crowland' in the twentieth century). The churches at Stathern and Branston are still dedicated to him. Before the Reformation Croyland Abbey held land in various parts of Leicestershire (and presumably Nottinghamshire too). For example, a now-lost medieval trackway, known as the Salt Way, ran from Croyland's lands at Sutton Cheney in south-west Leicestershire and crossed the Fosse Way at Guthlac's Stone before continuing to Croyland. Guthlac's Stone gave its name to Guthlaxton Hundred which held its moots ('meetings') at the stone. St John of Beverley was a near-contemporary of Guthlac and became Bishop of York in 705. According to Patrick MacAuley, 'Of his new activity little is known beyond that he was diligent in visitation, considerate towards the poor, and attentive to the training of students whom he maintained under his personal charge.' source The churches at Scarrington and Whatton are still dedicated to St John of Beverley, although nationally he is an unusual patron. Back to top of this page     Back to home page   This website does not gather or store any visitor information. Copyright Bob Trubshaw 2025 No unauthorised copying or reproduction except if all following conditions apply: a: Copy is complete (including this copyright statement). b: No changes are made. c: No charge is made. www.hoap.co.uk/chronicle

Chronicle entries home page what's new? the geology of the Vale the boundaries and rivers of the Vale long, long ago prehistory in the Vale prehistoric boundaries in the Vale north-south prehistoric routeways Romans roads in the Vale Roman settlements in and near the Vale long ago introduction to Anglo-Saxons place-names of the Vale waterborne transport around the sixth century Orston's early church Anglo-Saxon sculpture in the Vale why Orston lost out to Bingham and Bottesford what the Normans did for the Vale Granby's importance in 1086 Granby's lost castle the Vale's watermills in 1086 Romanesque sculpture in the Vale St Remigius why Bottesford is in Leicestershire the Vale in medieval times medieval gargoyles of the Vale Eastwell's chancel screen St Ethelburga's church other early saints Elston's old chapel Muston and Long Clawson saltways of the Vale the Vale's medieval tile collection the Vale in Tudor times Dissolution in the Vale not that long ago the Vale in the C17th the 'great and the good' of the Vale Bottesford's effigies 'wicked practice and sorcerye' the whales on the Whalley memorial Car Colston's bigoted GP cum JP the Vale's very own regicide Wiverton Hall five rare C17th fonts in the Vale pinfolds and pounds in the Vale dovecotes in the Vale the Vale in the C18th turnpiking the Vale gravestones and C18th trade routes goodbye 'Belvoir Angels' C18th gravestone carvers in the Vale Daffy's Elixir the Marquess of Granby Stilton from the Vale springs and spas of the Vale outstanding organs in the Vale Grantham canal changes in the Vale's agriculture since 1800 Eastwell's recusant priest house and chapel Colston Bassett's ruined church seems like yesterday windmills in the Vale stained glass in the Vale village life in the southern Vale 1850 to 1880 folklore of the Vale Flintham museum lacemaking in the Vale gypsum pits in the Vale brick and tile works in the Vale ironstone quarrying in the Vale ironstone railways ironstone quarries of Leicestershire (YouTube video) The Vale's railway stations Orston's famous architect Mothers Union banners of the Vale redundant telephone exchanges in the Vale WWII airfields and pillboxes in the Vale the Vale in 1944 location shooting at Belvoir Castle Screveton's giants researching and writing local history the Vale as a verb getting started free advice from 2005 asking curious questions (YouTube video) local history groups in and around the Vale Aslockton (Cranmer LHG) Bingham Heritage Trails Association Bottesford Eastwell Harby Harlaxton Hickling Redmile archive Belvoir Villages History and Memories Group Belvoir Angel Society Grantham Canal Society you may also be interested in free PDFs written by Bob Trubshaw Earliest Churches in Nottinghamshire How Anglo-Saxons Found Their Way Anglo-Saxon Leicestershire Conversations in Churchyards Little-known Leicestershire and Rutland Bob Trubshaw's YouTube channel Introduction to medieval carvings Anglo-Saxon and Romanesque carvings How Anglo-Saxons found their way Anglo-Saxon shrines at fords Meetings at triangles Rota's Land and Franni's Land Reading Romanesque fonts Church and manor The significances of square headdresses Early churches and waterborne trade Charnwood slate gravestones and C18th trade routes Ironstone quarries of Leicestershire Roman roads in north-east Leicestershire Salt ways in Leicestershire Why Melton Mowbray needed to called 'middle town' Evolving Anglo-Saxon agriculture Nottinghamshire's earliest churches Ploughs not piety? Economic regeneration in the C7th Were Anglo-Saxon weaving huts women-only places? Barrowby Until Now website Rutland Village by Village website Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland