A historic road, a listed church and the earthworks of an Augustinian priory give Appleby a distinct cultural and historical focus. The village lies on both sides of the B1207, the historic Roman road Ermine Street, which once ran directly from London to York. The Church of St Bartholomew is Grade II* listed; Thornholme Priory is a well-preserved, medium-sized Augustinian foundation with extensive earthworks visible above ground. This raises a specific question for your planning: are you most interested in the history of a long-distance route, or in the architectural and archaeological record of individual sites?

A road with historical significance

The B1207 provides the direct link to the village: Appleby lies on both sides of this road. As Ermine Street, it was a historic Roman road that once ran directly from London to York. This connection offers a different perspective on the village than looking at a single building. Two scales of historical context sit side by side: Appleby on the B1207 and the former route between London and York. This helps distinguish the road’s history from the individual traces of buildings and earthworks. If you are interested in historic routes, Ermine Street offers a clear starting point; its name connects Appleby with a long-distance route whose direction is made concrete by the two cities.

Church of St Bartholomew

The Church of St Bartholomew is a Grade II* listed building. This is a clear point of reference when choosing a historical focus: the subject is a named church building with a designated listing. This distinguishes it from Thornholme Priory, where the remains of several parts of the complex and their earthwork form provide a particular point of interest. If you are interested in heritage protection, you can consider the church as a separate point of reference alongside the history of the road and the priory. The listing applies to this individual building and offers a different perspective from the surviving remains of the priory.

Thornholme Priory and its earthworks

Thornholme Priory offers another way to explore Appleby’s history. This medium-sized Augustinian foundation is well preserved, with extensive earthworks visible above ground. The site also includes buried remains of the church, cloister and service buildings, preserved as earthworks. The different forms in which the site has survived are important: not all the remains appear as visible parts of buildings. Some are buried, while other traces survive as earthworks. The church, cloister and service buildings show that the site comprises several components. Anyone looking to understand historic sites through their architectural traces will find a specific focus here that encompasses both visible earthworks and buried remains.

Choose a historical focus to suit your interests

There are therefore three ways to approach Appleby’s history: a former long-distance route, a listed church building, and a site with buried remains as well as remains preserved as earthworks. If you want to explore a historical connection through its former route, Ermine Street is the right thematic starting point. If you are interested in individual buildings and how they have survived, Thornholme Priory draws attention to several specific building remains. The Grade II* listing provides a clear point of reference at the Church of St Bartholomew. This allows you to organise Appleby’s local history around whichever of these topics interests you most.

Discover more destinations: Thorpe On The Hill, Epworth, South Kyme, Lissington, Swineshead, Healing, Harlaxton, North Killingholme.

For the main travel overview: Lincolnshire.