Abbey Lawn
Encyclopedia
The Abbey Lawn in Bourne, Lincolnshire
, England
, is a centrally-located space used as the principal recreation ground in the town. The cricket
, tennis
, bowls
, pétanque
, and football clubs play their home fixtures here. The hockey
club practices here, though it now plays its fixtures on an all-weather
pitch elsewhere. "The Lawn" is the site of the Bourne Cricket Club (Lincolnshire)
and its associated facilities.
and the swimming pool
originated as one of their fish pond
s, the present form of the Abbey Lawn and its name derive from the 18th century development of a sheep lawn as an adjunct of the house built by George Pochin, the then lord of the manor
of Bourne Abbots. His house was on the site of the claustral buildings
of the monastic abbey
which had been dissolved
in 1536. A sheep lawn was among the gentry, the equivalent of an aristocrat
's deer park
.1
While the part of the Abbey Church which had been used by the parish was retained, the buildings formerly used by the canon
s were demolished wholly or partially except where a current use could be found for them. Much of the site was therefore vacant around the period of landowner prosperity and investment which arose in relation to the agricultural enclosure
s of the 1766 Act of Parliament
which related to most of the parish
of Bourne. Pochin's house was known as 'The Abbey' so that the associated sheep lawn was known as the Abbey Lawn. The house was demolished in 18792 but the grounds remained and in the 1930s, they were developed for sports, by Bourne United Charities
for the benefit of the townspeople.
Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is a centrally-located space used as the principal recreation ground in the town. The cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
, pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
, and football clubs play their home fixtures here. The hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
club practices here, though it now plays its fixtures on an all-weather
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
pitch elsewhere. "The Lawn" is the site of the Bourne Cricket Club (Lincolnshire)
Bourne Cricket Club (Lincolnshire)
Bourne Cricket Club, located in the town of Bourne, Lincolnshire. Is an ECB Lincolnshire Premier League club who have won the competition 4 times since 2000 when it was founded, winning it in 2000,2001 and 2002, and 2010...
and its associated facilities.
Origins
Though all or most of the land once formed part of the estate of the canons of Bourne AbbeyBourne Abbey
Bourne Abbey and the Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul is a scheduled Grade I church in Bourne, Lincolnshire, England. The building remains in parochial use, despite the 16th century Dissolution, as the nave was used by the parish, probably from the time of the foundation of the abbey in...
and the swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
originated as one of their fish pond
Fish pond
A fish pond, or fishpond, is a controlled pond, artificial lake, or reservoir that is stocked with fish and is used in aquaculture for fish farming, or is used for recreational fishing or for ornamental purposes...
s, the present form of the Abbey Lawn and its name derive from the 18th century development of a sheep lawn as an adjunct of the house built by George Pochin, the then lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Bourne Abbots. His house was on the site of the claustral buildings
Cloister
A cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
of the monastic abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
which had been dissolved
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1536. A sheep lawn was among the gentry, the equivalent of an aristocrat
Peer of the Realm
Peer of the Realm is a term for a member of the highest social order in a kingdom, notably:...
's deer park
Medieval deer park
A medieval deer park was an enclosed area containing deer. It was bounded by a ditch and bank with a wooden park pale on top of the bank. The ditch was typically on the inside, thus allowing deer to enter the park but preventing them from leaving.-History:...
.1
While the part of the Abbey Church which had been used by the parish was retained, the buildings formerly used by the canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
s were demolished wholly or partially except where a current use could be found for them. Much of the site was therefore vacant around the period of landowner prosperity and investment which arose in relation to the agricultural enclosure
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
s of the 1766 Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
which related to most of the parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Bourne. Pochin's house was known as 'The Abbey' so that the associated sheep lawn was known as the Abbey Lawn. The house was demolished in 18792 but the grounds remained and in the 1930s, they were developed for sports, by Bourne United Charities
Bourne United Charities
Bourne United Charities is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Its purpose is the joint administration of several legacies dedicated for the relief of poverty, the provision of housing and accommodation and environmental, conservation or heritage objectives in the Parish...
for the benefit of the townspeople.
Footnotes
- 1: Bourne Abbots Estate Map of 1825.
- 2: Birkbeck p. 103