Our Anchorhold is, as far as we know,  the only south facing Anchorite's cell in England.

This fact has led many to think that it may not be an Anchorhold at all.  However, the evidence which is extant in the architecture seems to bear witness to an ancient structure.  More than this, there is no archaeological evidence on the north side of the chancel/church to support a similar structure. 

We know, for certain, the names of some of our anchoresses, because they are referred to in sveral wills of the mediaeval period.    The great Mystic/Hysteric of St. Margaret's Priory Church, Margery Kempe, visited 'a holy woman of south Lenne' - or so her biographer, Fr. Alleyn, records in his book of her life. 

In 1368, Isabella the Anchoress, gave a new set of Mass vestments to the church, whilst Katherine (perhaps Katherine Samson), together with the Reverend Robert Flode (the vicar) and John Barbour (a Freeman of the Borough) presented the church with a set of white 'cloth of gold' vestments, complete with a cope. 

Joanna Catfelde  is named as an anchoress in the 15th century, and the final one is mentioned, although not named, in an Archdeacon's return in the 16th cntury. 

Although the term 'anchorite' has little to do with a fixture (it actually comes from the Greek verb 'anchoreo'' which means 'to withdraw') it is not difficult to imagine that they were indeed 'the spiritual anchor' to the mediaeval ship (church).  In the 4th century, St. Cyprian spoke of the church as the 'Ark of Salvation', and the Latin word for the nave of the building (navus, translated as 'ship') reflects this imagery. 

Sadly, we have no idea where our Anchoresses are buried, although we believe that it must be somewhere in our churchyard, possibly near to the Anchorhold.