St Peter's, Barton-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire: Volume 1, History, Archaeology and Architecture [eBook (PDF)]

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St Peter's, Barton-upon-Humber, is a redundant medieval church in the care of English Heritage. As a result of a major programme of research carried out between 1978 and 2007, it is now the most intensively studied parish church in the UK. Excavations between 1978 and 1984 investigated most of the interior of the building, as well as a swathe of churchyard around its exterior. At the same time, a stone-by-stone record and detailed archaeological study of the fabric and furnishings of the church was undertaken, continuing down to 2007. The twin aims of the project were to understand the architectural history and setting of this complex, multi-period building (Volume 1, Parts 1 and 2) and to recover a substantial sample of the population for palaeopathological study (Volume 2). An extensive programme of historical and topographical research also took place in order to set the archaeological evidence firmly in context. The nearby substantial church of St Mary, which was once a chapel dependent on St Peter's, has also been studied, as have the furnishings, fittings and funerary monuments in both buildings. The topography of the small market town and port of Barton has been researched and its Saxon and Norman defensive earthworks have been traced. All aspects of settlement, from the Roman period onwards, have been studied and the vicissitudes of the Christian community in this typical English country town reconstructed through the history, archaeology and architecture of its two magnificent churches.

"St Peter's is an exemplary project and will stand as our generation's demonstration parish church excavation. The complexity and scale of the fieldwork was prodigious, yet the report sets a very high standard to which others can only aspire."
David Stocker
Journal of the British Archaeological Association (Vol. 106 (2013))

"...a substantial two volume work that will form the basis of all future discussion of the church and serve as a model for other church studies. Much more than an archaeological report, this includes extensive discussion of the significance of the material within its context, distilled through Rodwell's unparalleled knowledge, and presenting much that is new."
Dr Jennie Alexander
Lincolnshire History and Archaeology (Vol. 46, 2011)

"these remarkable volumes can be recommended as a readable, well-planned and comprehensive study of one of this country's best-known churches."
John E. Vigar
Journal of Stained Glass (Volume XXXVII)

""This is a detailed and richly illustrated pair of books reporting on the results of excavation and
building survey between 1978 and 2005."

"St Peter’s is unquestionably the most extensive and intensive archaeological project to have been conducted on any English parish church."

"As a comprehensive study, and for its expert constituent elements, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in church archaeology..."

"...each section is written and structured to allow easy access for layperson and scholar alike to a
wealth of archaeological evidence from below and above ground."

"Many will be interested in this volume first and foremost for the detailed appraisal of the
early burial practices dated to the mid-tenth to mid-twelfth centuries..."

"The exemplary investigation of a single building and its environs is to be highly
applauded, not only in terms of the quality of the material reported and the archaeological
methods employed in the work, but also the scholarly depth and comparative analyses
presented in the report."

"This is a book that is far more than the sum of its superb elements.""
Howard Williams
Archaeological Journal

"This mighty publication is a triumph of will and skill and erudition. "
Paul Everson
Landscape History (Vol.25, Issue 1)