CROWLAND, or CROYLAND, a parish (formerly
a market-town) in the wapentake of ELLOE, parts of
HOLLAND, county of LINCOLN, 51 miles (S. S. E.) from
Lincoln, and 89 (N.) from London, containing 2113 inhabitants.
During the Octarchy this place was the
retreat of St. Guthlac, who in the reign of Cenred, eighth
king of Mercia, retired from the persecution of the
pagan Britons into a hermitage, near which Ethelbald,
in 716, founded a Benedictine monastery to the honour
of St. Mary, St. Bartholomew, and St. Guthlac, endowing
it with a considerable sum of money, and with
" the whole island of Croyland, formed by the four
waters of Shepishea on the" east, Nena on the west,
Southed on the south, and Asendyk on the north, with a
portion of the adjoining marshes, and with the fishery
of the Nene and Welland." This monastery, which, from
the marshy nature of the soil, was built upon an artificial
foundation of piles, having been destroyed by the Danes
in 870, was rebuilt by King Edred, in the year 948; in
1091 it was by an accidental fire reduced to a heap of
ruins, from which, under the influence of its abbot, who
granted a plenary indulgence to such as should contribute
to its restoration, it was again.rebuilt .in 1112,
but was destroyed, by a like cause, about forty years
afterwards; it was a third time restored, with increased
splendour, and continued to flourish till the dissolution,
at which time its revenue was £ 1217.5.11.: the conventual
buildings, which from neglect were gradually falling
to decay, were almost entirely demolished during the
parliamentary war, when the monastery was occupied
as a garrison: the remains are highly interesting,
consisting chiefly of the western piers of the eastern
portion, in the Norman style, and of some portion
of the nave and aisles of the abbey church, in which
the south piers and arches, and part of the clerestory,
are remaining, the western part of which is partly
Norman, and partly in the early and later styles of
English architecture: the north aisle of the nave has
been restored, and is now used as .the parish church.
The town, which is accessible only by artificial roads,
consists of four principal streets, separated by watercourses,
and communicating with each other by means
of an ancient triangular.'Stone bridge of singular construction,
erected in the reign of Edward II., and consisting
of one principal and finely groined arch, from which
diverge three pointed arches over the streams Welland,
Nene, and Catwater: it is in the decorated style of
English architecture, and on, one-side is a mutilated
figure of Ethelbald, in a sitting posture, holding a globe
in the right hand. The principal employment of the
inhabitants is agriculture, the feeding of cattle, and the
management of the dairy . a great number of geese and
wild fowl are sold for .the neighbouring markets, arid
an extensive fishery is carried on, for the privilege of
which £300 per annum,- formerly paid to the abbot,
is now paid to the crown: the soil, under the influence
of an efficient system of irrigation, has been greatly
improved, and much of the land, formerly unprofitable
from the morasses with, which it was overspread,
has been converted into rich pastures and fruitful cornfields:
the engines employed in draining the water from
the fens are of considerable power, and are set in motion
by wind; one of them, which has twelve' sails,
throws up forty tons of water every minute. The market
formerly held here has been removed to Thorney,
in the county of Cambridge; but a fair is held annually,
commencing' on the festival of St. Bartholomew, and
continuing for twelve days.
The living is a rectory not in charge, in the
archdeaconry and diocese of Lincoln, and in the alternate
patronage of T. 0. Hunter and James Whitsed,
Esqrs. The church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew and
St. Guthlap, though consisting only of the north aisle of
the nave of the abbey church, is a commodious and very
handsome edifice, chiefly in the later style of English
architecture, with a low massive tower; the west front,
which is highly enriched, is ornamented with several
statues of kings and abbots, among which are those of
St. Guthlac and St. Bartholomew, and of King Ethelbald,
the first of whom was interred in a small stone
building near the abbey, probably his abode while leading
the life of an anchorite, from which circumstance,
perhaps, originated its modern names, " Anchorage
House " and " Anchor Church House; " the interior
contains an ancient .font, divided into compartments, a
cylindrical stoup, and some well-executed screen-work;
the roof is finely groined, and, the windows are large,
and decorated with elegant tracery. There is a place
of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. Between the river
Welland and the marshes is- a causeway, on which, at
the distance of two miles from the town, is St. Guthlac's
pyramid; and in the neighbourhood are many stone
crosses.