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| Monument Name |
Church of St Botolph, Hadstock |
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| SMR Number |
4810 |
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| Summary |
Flint rubble walls. |
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| Media |
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| Associated Media |
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| Description |
Flint rubble walls. Cruciform church-nave and north transept remain-built in the 2nd quarter of the 11th century. It probably had a central tower, pulled down at an uncertain date or fell c1200 when the arch opening into the north transept was rebuilt. The walls of the north transept, except the north wall, were rebuilt later also. The east bay of the nave was at a different angle from the 3 western bays-further evidence for a former tower. The south wall has bands of slightly varied rubble in a rough herringbone. 11th century details: plinths of arch to north transept, the north doorway, 4 windows, responds and plinths of arch to south transept. Details of north doorway and south transept arch are similar, with roll mouldings and honeysuckle ornament. <1> The church has unique and rare features of an 11th century building, including the details already mentioned (evidence for transepts) and an Anglo-Saxon oak door. <2> Excavations in 1974 in advance of reflooring uncovered much of the floor of the church, many previous floors being excavated where they survived. From excavation and structural investigation it is apparent that the building has had a more complex history than was previously thought. There had already been much debate over the possible identification of Hadstock with the 7th century monastery founded by St Botolph and the minster built by Cnut to celebrate his victory at Assandun in 1016. This debate has been compounded as a result of Rodwell's 1974 campaign. Rodwell envisaged several periods of building at lengthy intervals, starting in the middle Saxon period with a large stone, cruciform building, subsequently embellished in the late Saxon period with the architectural features already mentioned and other additions, such as a stone tower. Of the few graves discovered, one seemed to have been shallow and to have had a stone coffin removed from it. This was put forward as being the possible grave of St Botolph himself. Other finds in the excavation included 135 post holes, mostly for scaffolding, 6 furnace pits including 2 lead melting hearths, a bell foundry and 2 possible casting pits. <3> <4> <5> <6> <7> Church graded AIb by Rodwell. <14> Fernie has challenged Rodwell's interpretation, particularly concerning the arch responds and Rodwell's spreading out of the phases. He would prefer to see all the late Saxon or Saxo-Norman phases as post conquest, possibly beginning in the immediate post-conquest years even, in the 1060's. In a footnote in this source, Fernie states that, in a letter, Rodwell had informed him that "recent evidence, including C14 dating, makes it clear that the first church was post-Danish" . <8> Other evidence argues strongly for the placing of St Botolph's monastery at Iken in Suffolk. <9> <10> Other refs: <11> <12> <13> Most sources carry numerous other references
Site Assessment: Prior to archaeological excavation restoration had already begun, causing several losses in the churchyard. Archaeology and architecture have been lost owing to other works such as the construction of a drainage trench around much of the building <14> The building is very important in the study of late Saxon architecture, as the vigorous debate shows.
Excavations of a soakaway uncovered a typical graveyard soil. Work uncovered part of the foundations of the original church and later modifications. No signs of the apse (as Rodwell claims) were seen. A possible 19th C well was discovered near the south wall of the nave.<15>
Repairs to the single phase tower, victorian vestry chimney and to the northern and eastern walls of the north transept were carried out in 2007 and archaeolgically recorded. Excavations in 1974 (Rodwell) demonstrated that there were three pre-1100 structural phases. Based on radiocarbon and archaeological data the first period is post 9th century, while the third period based on style and dendro dates to the 1060s.The former means that any link with St Botolph may be discounted. On the other hand the evidence for identifying the church with Cnuts Minster of 1020 remains strong, especially in light of increasing evidence regarding the Battle of Assundun at nearby Ashdon.
The earliest fabric of the north transept walls together with the blocked transept north door should belong to the first perod (post C9). In the second period the junction of the nave/crosing wall is lost with the insertion of a timber tower. In period 3 (1060s) the tower was replaced in stone and an apse may have been added to the est side of the transept. The central tower collapsed in the early C13, te internal arch of the transept was rebuilt and te transept north door remodelled. Later this door was blocked and the eastern apse removed. This all happened just before the mid-late C14 refensetration <16>. |
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| Monument Type(s) |
BELL PIT (Dated 1000AD to 1100AD)
BELL FOUNDRY (Dated 1000AD to 1100AD)
CHURCH (Dated 1000AD to 1100AD)
PIT (Dated 1000AD to 1100AD)
POST HOLE (Dated 1000AD to 1100AD)
METAL WORKING SITE (Dated 1000AD to 1100AD)
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| Monument Class(es) |
EXTANT BUILDING
SUB SURFACE DEPOSIT
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Period
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1000AD to 1100AD Early Medieval - Medieval
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| Status |
Listed Building (EH) |
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| Administration Area |
HADSTOCK, UTTLESFORD, ESSEX |
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National Grid Reference
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Square: TL54SE
Ref: 558447 |
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| Finds |
WOOD DOOR (Dated 1000AD To 1100AD)
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| Events |
SALV RECORD by Rodwell, WJ, 1974-
FULL SURVEY by Rodwell, WJ, 1974-
SALV EXCAV by Rodwell, WJ, 1974
Repairs to church roof
Excavation of soakaway
St botolphs hadstock Archaeological report after repairs
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Sources
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Desc Text : An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex, Vol 1 (RCHME) Vol 1, pp143-145 Dated : 1916
Desc Text : The Buildings of England, Essex (Pevsner, N) pp199-200 Dated : 1954
Desc Text : SMR Form (unknown) Dated : 1960s to
Desc Text : SMR Form (unknown) Various newspaper cuttings Dated : 1960s to
Desc Text : Anglo-Saxon Architecture (Taylor, HM and Taylor, J) Vol 1, pp272-275 Dated : 1965
Excavation report : An Interim Report on the Archaeological Investigation...St Botolph's.. (Rodwell, Warwick J) Dated : 1974
Excavation report : Under HadstockChurch (Rodwell, Warwick J) Dated : 1974
Excavation report : The Archaeological Investigation of Hadstock Church: An Interim Report (Rodwell, Warwick J) Vol 56, pp55-71 Dated : 1976
Desc Text : CBA Research Report No. 19 Historic Churches - a wasting asset (Rodwell, Warwick J with Rodwell, KA) pp50-54 Dated : 1977
Desc Text : Excavations in Essex, 1976 (Rodwell, Warwick J and Rodwell, KA in Couchman, CR) Vol 12, No3, pp92-93 Dated : 1977
Desc Text : Antiq J (Martin, EA) Vol 58, pp153-159 Dated : 1978
Desc Text : TL54SE03 (unknown) Dated : 1979
Desc Text : List of Buildings of Special Architectural orHistoric Interest: Uttlesford (unknown) p204 Dated : 1980
Desc Text : The Responds and the Dating of St Botophs, Hadstock (Fernie, E) Vol 136, pp62-73 Dated : 1983
Desc Text : Hadstock Church. Watching brief (unknown) Dated : 1992?
Desc Text : St Botolph, Hadstock (Hall, Jackie) Dated : 2007
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