Anglo-Saxon Church Reveals Its Secrets

Kevin Booth, English Heritage Senior Curator for the North, holding a 14th century chalice, found in the grave of a priest, clasped to his chest. An exciting new chapter in the 1,000 year story of one of England’s most important – yet least known - historic sites is set to be written.

Simon Thurley, English Heritage Chief Executive, today (Thursday, 24 May 2007) officially launched the Anglo Saxon church of St Peter’s, Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire, after a major £600,000 conservation, repair and interpretation project. 

He also launched a ground-breaking new exhibition called “Buried Lives” – staged as part of the project - offering a unique glimpse into the lives and deaths of our ancestors to before the time of the Norman Conquest.

The flagship project has been undertaken by the South Humber Bank Heritage Tourism Initiative and has also involved the creation of new visitor facilities.   Backed by Yorkshire Forward, the region’s development agency, the multi-agency partnership aims to tap the immense potential of local heritage assets to boost regeneration, bringing more visitors to the area.

English Heritage and North Lincolnshire Council will now market the ancient site for the first time as a fully-fledged visitor attraction. It opens to the public daily from Saturday (26 May).

Restoration work has involved repairs to the roof, re-laying of tiles, reinstallation of the Victorian pews and the reinstatement of wall memorials.

The move also paves the way for the return of almost 3,000 human burials to the church dating from the late Anglo-Saxon period up to the mid-19th century.  They will be housed in a specially built ossuary, or bones repository - the first of its kind in England.  

A young curator working in the new ossuary based inside St Peter's Church.  The ossuary - or bones repository - is the first of its kind in the UK and will house the 3,000 skeletons being returned to the church early next year. Unearthed between 1978 and 1984 during excavations to shed light on the church’s origins, the skeletons comprise one of the largest and best preserved collections ever recovered from one site in this country.  They have provided experts with clues on the development of crippling diseases like arthritis in a bid to improve modern day treatment and diagnosis. Historians have also been able to glean a vast amount of new information about the past. 

Now in a pilot project with the Church of England, English Heritage will fulfil a pledge to return the bones to their original resting place.  The ossuary will allow the remains to rest on consecrated ground, while still being accessible to researchers.  English Heritage believes this will be a model for the excavation, display and storage of remains in churches elsewhere.  Early next year, a rededication ceremony will be held when the bones are returned.

Simon Thurley said:  “Although for many years St Peter’s has kept a low profile, in reality it is one of the most important historic buildings in England.  Its unique Saxon tower and baptistery and the extraordinarily important burials have helped re-write the history books. Few places in the UK have such a compelling tale to tell.

“With great local support, we have restored this beautiful place and created a fascinating new exhibition; it will now be accessible to thousands more people a year.  Our agreement with the Church of England to restore the bones to St Peter’s, while permitting continued access to the collection will also make the church an international centre of research.”

Nestling in a leafy corner of Barton, St Peter’s has been described as the most studied parish church in the country.  With a magnificent Anglo Saxon tower and Baptistery – the latter being the only surviving example in the UK - it was the first building in England to be shown to date to the pre-conquest era, thanks to the work of 19th century scholars.
 
For 1,000 years, until it was made redundant in 1972, the church has been a centre of worship and a final resting place for the ancestors of the people of Barton and the surrounding countryside.

Now some of their stories will be told in the exhibition, using research findings and sensitively displayed exhibits from the Barton collection.

Kevin Booth, English Heritage Senior Curator for the North, explained:  “We reveal what changing burial traditions tell us about past societies and highlight how the bones are being used by scientists to uncover secrets about disease and diet.  But we also strike a modern note and look at contemporary attitudes to issues surrounding our own mortality.”

Amongst the exhibition displays are three skeletons from the 11th, 14th and 18th centuries. The earliest burial, that of a man over 50 years old, possibly born in the reign of King Canute (1016-1035), has been restored to its original and exceptionally rare oak coffin.

Two medieval belt buckles found in a grave at St Peter's, can be seen on display as part of the Buried Lives exhibition. Although bones rarely betray the cause of death, they do provide clues about a person’s quality of life. Samples on show reveal that polio was prevalent at Barton, along with many forms of arthritis. Despite the violence of early English society, only six individuals had blade injuries, including a man from the 12th or 13th century, whose skull reveals signs of a near-fatal knife attack, which left him with brain damage.  Medieval Barton was clearly no rural idyll. Poor nutrition led to slow growth, with ten year olds on average 18 centimetres shorter than their modern day counterparts; but adults were almost as tall as people today.

Elsewhere, artefacts highlight how burial rites gradually changed and became more ornate and interactive displays allow visitors to become history sleuths and piece past lives together.   Finds on display include a four inch Saxon chisel, found in a grave and providing a clue to the occupation of its incumbent.

Simon Driver, Chief Executive, North Lincolnshire Council: added: "The project will bring the church back to its former glory. It is important that we recognise our heritage. Buildings such as St Peter's Church provide a great insight into our history and enable us to learn about the past. It is an exciting project that when finished will provide a focal point in Barton and will provide visitors with an astonishing wealth of information to help piece together our past."

You can see more images of St Peter's Church and the “Buried Lives” Exhibition in our dedicated Photo Gallery.

St Peter’s Church is open daily, 10am to 5pm, from Saturday 26 May.  Winter opening times (October until March) are Saturday to Monday, 10am to 4pm.  Admission is £4 adults, £3 concessions and £2 children.  English Heritage members are admitted free.  Visitor information on 01652 632516 or visit the St Peter's web page.