The church being occupied by the parliamentary forces when they stormed the castle, was almost entirely demolished by the cannon of that fortress.
The part now remaining, is situated a short distance north of the scite of the castle, and consists of a tower, and a part appropriated for public worship, which was once the southern aisle of the original edifice. It is built of sand stone, and if the delicate tracery of its windows be excepted, it contains but little architectural beauty. These windows were once ornamented with richly stained glass, of which not a fragment is now remaining. [71]
There is yet preserved in this church the mutilated remains of an embroidered cloth for the communion table, said to have been wrought by one of the Duchesses of Lancaster.
Two chantries, which formerly were attached to this church, were suppressed at the dissolution of religious houses, in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of Henry the eighth.
The rectory is in the presentation of Lady Eyre of Mortlake, in Surrey.
THE TOWN.
At so early a period as the time of forming the Domesday survey, this town appears to have arisen into some consideration as a place of trade, being possessed of a market, which however is in that record denominated a new one. [72]
For a many years it was considered one of the principal market towns of the county of Lincoln; but its trade, for some time previous to the destruction of the castle, had been gradually withdrawing to other places more conveniently situated; and afterwards the town fell rapidly into decay, and its market became wholly unfrequented.
Although it may be at present identified as a mere village; yet its widely detached houses, partially paved streets, and grass grown market place, connected with the mounds of the castle which once adorned the spot, evince sufficiently that there has been a time when destitution was not the characteristic of the town of Bolingbroke.
An attempt has lately been made to revive the market, on a portion of land allotted to this parish on the enclosure of the fens, in lieu of right of common thereon. An annual fair on the tenth of July, is held both at this town and on the fen allotment.