Bardney Abbey – Pillars in the Nave, North Aisle c1910-1912.
This original real photographic postcard records the early twentieth-century excavation of Bardney Abbey, one of Lincolnshire’s most important medieval monastic sites. The view looks across the excavated north aisle of the nave, where surviving column bases and lower drums remain in their original positions, with additional original drums carefully reassembled to illustrate the scale and architectural form of the abbey church.
Founded in AD 697 by King Æthelred of Mercia, Bardney Abbey was one of the principal monasteries of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. It became a place of great religious importance through its association with St Oswald, King of Northumbria, whose relics were brought to the abbey during the seventh century, attracting pilgrims from across the region. Following destruction during the Danish invasions in the ninth century, the monastery was refounded as a Benedictine abbey in 1087. It flourished throughout the Middle Ages until its surrender to the Crown during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538, after which the buildings were dismantled and much of the stone was reused in the surrounding district.
Between 1909 and 1914, the buried remains were systematically excavated under the direction of the Rev. Charles Edward Laing, Vicar of Bardney. His work revealed the foundations of the abbey church together with the cloister, chapter house and other monastic buildings, greatly advancing knowledge of one of Lincolnshire’s most significant religious sites.
The photograph captures the excavations while work was still in progress. Architectural fragments are neatly stacked awaiting recording, excavation trenches remain open, and a workman’s spade rests against the edge of the trench—a small but evocative reminder of the painstaking manual labour involved in Edwardian archaeology. The exposed remains attracted many visitors and remained open for public viewing for around two decades.
Concern for the long-term preservation of the fragile masonry eventually led to the reburial of most of the excavated remains in 1933. Today, much of the abbey survives beneath protective earthworks, making contemporary photographs such as this an invaluable record of the site when its medieval architecture could still be appreciated above ground.
Published as No. 14 in a numbered series of Bardney Abbey views, the postcard bears the credit “Harrison, Photo.” It was produced by Ruddock Printers of Lincoln, one of the county’s best-known commercial printers during the early twentieth century. Although little is known about Harrison, the photograph clearly belongs to the period of the Edwardian excavations and provides an important documentary record of their progress.
Historical Significance This postcard is more than a picturesque view; it is an important archaeological document. It preserves a contemporary record of the excavation that first revealed Bardney Abbey after nearly four centuries beneath the soil. Because most of the exposed remains were deliberately reburied for their protection in 1933, photographs such as this preserve a view of the abbey that can no longer be experienced today. For historians, archaeologists and visitors alike, it offers a rare glimpse of one of Lincolnshire’s greatest medieval monuments at the moment of its rediscovery.
Collection Note The Grimsby & Cleethorpes Museum holds the original postcard from which this catalogue entry has been prepared. The postcard survives in clean, unused condition, with no written message or postal markings, preserving it as an excellent example of an Edwardian real photographic postcard. The illustration reproduced here has been taken directly from the museum’s original artefact.
Catalogue Information Title: Pillars in the Nave, North Aisle, Bardney Abbey Object Type: Real photographic postcard (RPPC) Date: c.1910–1912 Photographer: Harrison Printer: Ruddock Printers, Lincoln Publisher: Believed to have been issued by Ruddock Printers, Lincoln Series Number: No. 14 Condition: Original postcard in clean, unused condition. Location Depicted: Bardney Abbey, Bardney, Lincolnshire, England Collection: Original postcard held in the Grimsby & Cleethorpes Museum Collection. Image Credit: © Grimsby & Cleethorpes Museum Collection.
