Spalding Gentlemen’s Society and Crowland Abbey events mark Celebrate the Fens event – with further plans to remember the story of Hereward the Wake

The history of the Fens came alive over the weekend during two special events.

Spalding Gentlemen’s Society and Crowland Abbey supported the Celebrate the Fens day on Saturday – which proved to be busy for both sites.

This annual event has been organised across Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire to celebrate the unique landscape along with its history and traditions.

About 180 people went along to Crowland Abbey to tour around this historic building and to enjoy the various displays.

A highlight of the event was a performance by Hereward the Wake, aka re-enactor Rory Gibson.

He entertained a good crowd of people with the story of his life interesped with a bit of gore for good measure. Seven-year-old Percy Lamb played the role of Rahenald the Steward of Ramsey, Hereward's Standard Bearer and introduced the final Hereward Living History performance on the Hereward Trail - Five Monasteries Tour.

Hereward, who earned a name for himself by ransacking Peterborough and creating a headache for William the Conquerer, has a connection to Crowland as he rented land from the abbey and he is reported to be buried there.

David Maile, of WakeHereward Project, said: “There was such an air of excitement emanating from the growing audience as the Abbey began to fill up, so it was a nervy start, we were really surprised with the number of people that descended on the place, it was like a pilgrimage to Hereward's shrine.

“The ambience of the abbey's interior was a fitting backdrop to honour a hero who legend has it was buried at the Abbey and Rory received a big round of applause from the crowd that had gatheted to hear about Hereward and his exploits. 'He IS Hereward' one onlooker exclaimed with excitement.

“We had a fabulous time, it is the third time we have done an event at Crowland Abbey and we are working with them to install a heritage interpretation board about Hereward outside the abbey. The slot has already been designated and it will have the Hereward Trail on it and the story of Hereward and Crowland.

“David Searle and I have had this in the planning for a few years but now we intend to get it made and installed in the coming months.

“That is the next part of the WakeHereward Project plan with Hereward at

Crowland Abbey.”

A replica of the Crowland LVT Buffalo was also present to mark a more recent moment in the town’s history – and the battle against the floods of 1947.

Church warden and tour guide David Searle was pleased with the attendance figures.

He said: “There were a number of events over the weekend so I think we did really well with the attendance.”

A busy couple of days was also enjoyed at the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society museum in Broad Street.

Visitors were able to tour around the many treasures which are held by the museum along with admiring a few special exhibits which were brought out especially for the Celebrate the Fens Day.

The notebooks of John Grundy were on display along with documents associated with a group of ‘adventurers’ who in 1632 were granted control of the drainage of Deeping Fen by the crown. They were granted rights to the reclaimed land in return for the investment.

The exhibition will now be in place for the next few weeks to allow more people to visit the museum and enjoy the items on display.

Tour guides also showed visitors upstairs to the lecture theatre where a book donated by the society by Isaac Newton was shown.

l The Spalding Gentlemen’s Society museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 10-4pm.