Stow Fair, Lincolnshire
Encyclopedia
Stow Fair was a medieval fair inaugurated in 1233. Permission was granted in 1268 to the Prior of Sempringham
for a fair here, confirming the earlier charter. This fair is known to have been held on 23 June each year, but it seems likely that the earlier fairs were held on the same day, which is the feast day of St Ætheldreda
, long associated with the site. The fair continued until living memory, being run as a horse fair until 1954.
The district council have erected an information board at the site, with a photograph of the horse fair in 1908 and such other details as are known and are reported here.
between Sleaford
and Rippingale
via Threekingham
. This, in turn, is thought to be the route of a Roman Road
aligned with King Street
.
The location is on the edge of the Limestone hills, looking North over the fen country toward Sleaford. It is toward the end of a small ridge of high ground pushing east into the fen from Walcott
. The field is around 33 m above sea level. It would have been a commanding position at the time.
A nearby farm is called Stow Farm, and the lane into Horbling
is called Stow Lane. The area is signposted Stow from the A16 at Threekingham
Very minor Roman remains have been found along the route of Mareham Lane.
A field at the corner of Mareham Lane and Stow Lane is fenced, and bears the historic notice board described above. The land is owned by the Crown Commissioners and farmed my their tenant Mr Chapman. Pedestrian access to the site is permitted. Metal detectors are forbidden. It is said that the original fair extended over a far wider area.
The field is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
, RSM no. 22610
, probably destroyed by the Danes circa 870.
Historian David Roffe has researched the life of St Æthelreda
and his own web site article on the subject describes the connection with Stow Green, saying it was called Ædeldreðestowe and chosen because the saint's staff took root and sprouted leaves there. Stow is well known to be a place name denoting a holy place, or a burial place.
Sempringham
Sempringham is a hamlet in Lincolnshire, England that is located north of Bourne, on the Lincolnshire fen edge. Sempringham is now a very small hamlet consisting of a church, a house and a well, giving little clue to the history embodied within its parish boundary. Most of its houses are a...
for a fair here, confirming the earlier charter. This fair is known to have been held on 23 June each year, but it seems likely that the earlier fairs were held on the same day, which is the feast day of St Ætheldreda
Æthelthryth
Æthelthryth is the proper name for the popular Anglo-Saxon saint often known, particularly in a religious context, as Etheldreda or by the pet form of Audrey...
, long associated with the site. The fair continued until living memory, being run as a horse fair until 1954.
The district council have erected an information board at the site, with a photograph of the horse fair in 1908 and such other details as are known and are reported here.
Location
It was held at a place now called Stow Green Hill, by Mareham LaneMareham Lane
Mareham Lane is an unclassified road between Graby and Sleaford in Lincolnshire, England.-The Roman Road:For most of its length Mareham Lane follows the route of a minor Roman road, and the name is also used for that Roman road from Bourne to the original ford at Sleaford and perhaps on to Lincoln...
between Sleaford
Sleaford
Sleaford is a town in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It is located thirteen miles northeast of Grantham, seventeen miles west of Boston, and nineteen miles south of Lincoln, and had a total resident population of around 14,500 in 6,167 households at the time...
and Rippingale
Rippingale
Rippingale is a village in Lincolnshire, England on the A15 road about 5 miles north of Bourne. Its local government district is South Kesteven. Rippingale is a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in the Aveland Deanery of the Diocese of Lincoln....
via Threekingham
Threekingham
Threekingham is a village in mid-Lincolnshire, on the A52 Grantham to Boston road, near Sleaford, close to the A15 Threekingham Bar roundabout. Mareham Lane, the Roman Road aligned with King Street, crosses the A15 at Threekingham....
. This, in turn, is thought to be the route of a Roman Road
Roman roads in Britain
Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
aligned with King Street
King Street (Roman road)
King Street is the name of a modern road on the line of a Roman road |Durobrivae]]. The whole is I.D. Margary's Roman road number 26. -The Roman road's route:Archaeological work has revealed more of its length than is in use nowadays...
.
The location is on the edge of the Limestone hills, looking North over the fen country toward Sleaford. It is toward the end of a small ridge of high ground pushing east into the fen from Walcott
Walcott, Lincolnshire
Walcott is a small village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, about north of Billinghay and north east of the town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire....
. The field is around 33 m above sea level. It would have been a commanding position at the time.
A nearby farm is called Stow Farm, and the lane into Horbling
Horbling
Horbling is a village which is situated a half mile north of Billingborough, in South Kesteven, in Lincolnshire on the B1777.It contains a church and a scout group. The scout group also serves Billingborough, Horbling and Morton. The church is dedicated to . The village pub is the on Spring Lane...
is called Stow Lane. The area is signposted Stow from the A16 at Threekingham
Threekingham
Threekingham is a village in mid-Lincolnshire, on the A52 Grantham to Boston road, near Sleaford, close to the A15 Threekingham Bar roundabout. Mareham Lane, the Roman Road aligned with King Street, crosses the A15 at Threekingham....
Very minor Roman remains have been found along the route of Mareham Lane.
A field at the corner of Mareham Lane and Stow Lane is fenced, and bears the historic notice board described above. The land is owned by the Crown Commissioners and farmed my their tenant Mr Chapman. Pedestrian access to the site is permitted. Metal detectors are forbidden. It is said that the original fair extended over a far wider area.
The field is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
, RSM no. 22610
The chapel
The Domesday book records two churches in Threekingham; St. Peter and St. Mary. The church of St. Mary was at Stow Green. The church survived until the 18th century, and 11th and 12th century funerary remains have been found at Stow Green. It is possible that it was the site of the Early medieval nunnery, founded in the late 7th century by St Werburgh and dedicated to St ÆthelredaÆthelthryth
Æthelthryth is the proper name for the popular Anglo-Saxon saint often known, particularly in a religious context, as Etheldreda or by the pet form of Audrey...
, probably destroyed by the Danes circa 870.
Historian David Roffe has researched the life of St Æthelreda
Æthelthryth
Æthelthryth is the proper name for the popular Anglo-Saxon saint often known, particularly in a religious context, as Etheldreda or by the pet form of Audrey...
and his own web site article on the subject describes the connection with Stow Green, saying it was called Ædeldreðestowe and chosen because the saint's staff took root and sprouted leaves there. Stow is well known to be a place name denoting a holy place, or a burial place.