St Mary's Stow, in Lincolnshire - also known as Stow Minster

St Mary's, in Stow near Lincoln, was also founded by Godiva and Leofric.

 

St Marys Stow. Towards the Chancel

Many Visitors to St Mary's Church in Stow - also known as Stow Minster - (8 miles West North West of Lincoln) wonder why such a large church is set in such a small village. Without doubt this church is of major architectural importance. Though Stow may have been larger than it is now it has always been a small hamlet yet it was the centre of a large block of estates belonging to the Saxon Bishops of Dorchester on Thames.In about 975 Bishop Aelnorth built a church to serve as a "Mother Church" or Minster for the Lincolnshire part of his diocese. It was a sort of Cathedral, because part of the bishops household of priests lived at Stow and administered this part of the diocese. The memory of this period gave rise to the tradition that Stow was the Mother Church of Lincoln Cathedral.

According to legend St Etheldreda (c630-679) rested at a place called Stow while travelling from Northumberland. It was believed that a miracle happened here and a church was constructed to celebrate the event. There is however some discussion about the "Stow" of the legend being a different Stow in southern Lincolnshire.Nevertheless the Minster at Stow exists largely as a result of Bishop Aelnorth where his works can be seen at the lower parts of the transepts and the crossing. There was a fire with a large amount of damage being caused and the church was rebuilt by Bishop Eadnorth II (1034-1050). Later the church was endowed by Earl Leofric and his wife the Lady Godiva. A charter survives (1054) describing what they did.

There have been a lot of changes since, in fact the church fell into disrepair at some point in its history.  Finally the Victorians completely re-furbished the Church. They even placed a new roof line on the building.

The church contains some ancient graffiti. It is believed that the rough scratching of an oared sailing ship dates from the 10th or 11th century. It is the earliest representation of such a vessel in England.