This modest, interdisciplinary paper is a report on fieldwork undertaken a decade ago in Lincolnshire, whilst the authors were collecting material for the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture for that county. On most maps of Anglo-Saxon remains in England, Lincolnshire is thickly spread with symbols marking churches. This exceptional density is mostly due to the survival in considerable numbers of church towers of the characteristically simple, tall, unbuttressed type exemplified in a complete form by St Peter-at-Gowts or St Mary-le-Wigford in the southern suburb of Lincoln (Fig. 1). They are frequently said to be late Anglo-Saxon in date and thus the Corpus had a legitimate interest in their architectural sculpture, notably the distinctive capitals in their bell-chamber openings. However, we have become interested in the broader meaning of the sculptures, in the towers themselves, and in the settings of the churches to which they were attached. This paper focuses on these more general issues and is offered in advance of publication of the book that records our results in detail.

Architecture and Obsequies

Our study includes sixty towers in all, which have been considered to be relevant to this discussion in the past; and we have discussed all but nine of these in detail. These nine – Barnetby-le-Wold, Brattleby, Claxby-le-Wold, Greetwell, Irby-on-Humber, Laceby, Lincoln St Benedict, Normanby-le-Wold, and Stoke Rochford (forming Group H in Table 1) – appear wholly later in date than the mid twelfth century.