Church of St Andrew, Boreham (EHER 30250)

Late 11th or early 12th century central tower, upper part of the tower late 12th century. 13th century aisles. Eastern two bays of South aisle widened 14th century. Chancel rebuilt late 14th century, North aisle widened and South porch added or rebuilt 15th century. South chancel chapel 16th century in origin, rebuilt in the 19th century. The church was restored by Frederic Chancellor in stages between 1868 and 1912, with further work in 1924 by A Y Nutt. Roman material in churchyard.

April 1967. Grade I listed. An unusual church of Saxon origin - with some Saxon work remaining, and a Norman central tower with the upper part rebuilt or added in around 1200. The nave was largely rebuilt in around 1230, and aisles were added. The chancel was rebuilt in the 14th century and in the 15th century alterations were made to the north aisle and the south porch was added. In the late 16 th century the Sussex chapel was built as a mausoleum chapel for the monument of the Earls of Sussex. There was considerable restoration in the 17th century when the Sussex Chapel was largely rebuilt. The Tufrell Chapel was added to the north side in around 1800. The church is built of flint and stone rubble with stone dressings. The chief feature is the central tower which has an unusually lofty west arch with Roman brick voussoirs still visible above the 14th century arch. The east arch is Saxon with Roman brick voussoirs and quoins. There are some 11th-12th century windows in the north and south walls and the embattled parapet is of the 17th century. The windows in the lower stage of the tower are probably of Saxon origin. The Sussex Chapel contains a fine alabaster and black marble altar tomb by Richard Stevens of Southwark (completed in 1589). It has the effigies of three Earls of Sussex and stands above the vault of the Radcliffe family from which came the Earls of Sussex. There is an early 14th century hexagonal font of unusual design with trefoil headed arches above a moulded base and beneath gabled hood moulds; the arches are filled by 19th century tiles. <1> The Church is of Saxon origin. Some Saxon work remains in the east arch of the central tower which has Roman brick voussoirs and quoins and probably windows in the lower stage of the tower. There was much restoration in the 17th century, when the Sussex Chapel was largely rebuilt. The Tufnell Chapel was added to the north side of the church in around 1800. The Sussex Chapel has a fine alabaster and black marble tomb, completed in 1589. The arches of the early 14th century font have been filled with 19th century tile. The embattled parapet of the church is 17th century in date. <2> See photos <3>. April 1976. Field survey. Roman brick can be seen in the south east angle of the nave, the fabric of the tower and the north wall of the chancel. The siting of the Roman material from the churchyard could not be confirmed. According to the vicar a further Roman tile was found in 1970 at TL 75580960 which was donated to Chelmsford Museum. <4> <5> July 1987. Field survey. St Andrew's Church (name confirmed) is in normal use and as described externally. The Roman brick in the tower and the brick corner dressings are clearly visible, and together with the finds made in the churchyard presumably indicate the site of a villa beneath the church or very close by. <6> Roman brick in church. <7> Roman brick used as dressings for 12th century part of the church. In the central tower, a semi-circular doorway and round-headed windows are partly of Roman bricks. The nave has, in the east wall north of the tower arch, the northern half of a late 11th-early 12th century semi-circular wall arch for a side-altar with Roman brick voussoirs mixed with stone. The walls are of flint rubble with ironstone and freestone. The dressings of the 12th century parts are largely of Roman brick. The other dressings are of limestone and clunch. The roofs are tiled except the lead north aisle roof. The chancel, nave and central tower were built in the 11th century or the first half of the 12th. The upper part of the tower was added or rebuilt in around 1200, probably. In around 1230 the nave width was reduced and the nave almost completely rebuilt, and the north and south aisles were added. The east half of the south aisle was widened in around 1300 to form a chapel. In the 14th century the chancel was rebuilt and lengthened, probably. The north aisle was widened and the south porch added during the 15th century. Features and fittings: windows of late 11th-early 12th centuries, late 12th, 13th centuries, approximately 1300, early 14th century, 1st half of the 15th century, late 15th century, doorways of late 11th-early 12th centuries, 13th century, 15th or early 16th centuries, north aisle and south porch roofs contain 15th century timbers, a chest is possibly 16th century, the font is early 14th century, there are piscinae of around 1300 and around 1340, a late 15th century screen-not 'in situ', parts of a 15th century screen incorporated in modern work, a slab built into a recess north of the tower-arch has a grooved and chamfered front edge (now forming a narrow shelf) and is 12th century in date. The Sussex Chapel was built late in the 16th century. This was largely rebuilt in the 19th century when the church was restored and the south chapel refaced. The annexe north of the chancel and the south-west vestry are 'modern'. The central tower 'has an embattled parapet with 17th-century brick quoins to the merlons and a moulded brick coping'. Some of the windows have been altered and restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. The bells include examples of 1626 and 1653. A brass in the nave is of 1573, a chest in the tower may be 16th century in date, the Sussex chapel contains late 16th, 17th and 18th century monuments and floor slabs. The nave has 17th century floor slabs. Also in the nave is late 16th century panelling. The plate includes a cup of 1699, dated 1700. Part of a modern screen incorporates late 16th century wall panelling. <8> Roman brick voussoirs remain from the tower west arch, above the 14th century chancel arch and 'there is a Roman brick arch partly revealed in the east wall of the north aisle in line with the arcade which is hard to explain, unless the Norman nave was wider than it is now. The arch probably held a side altar'. The tower has a staircase in the wall thickness, projecting into the interior of the church. There are Norman windows in the tower. The narrower part of the south aisle is later than the nave. The arcade piers of the south and north aisles are similar-the indications are that they were cut out of the solid Norman nave walls. 'Yet there is a Roman brick arch partly revealed in the east wall of the north aisle in line with the arcade which is hard to explain, unless the Norman nave was wider than it is now. The arch probably held a side altar'. The south aisle in the wider part has early 14th century windows. The chancel is contemporary, from its windows. The north aisle windows are 15th century. The Tufnell Chapel dates from around 1800. The church plate includes a cup of 1699. There is a monument to three Earls of Sussex in the Sussex Chapel, 'All three recumbent on one tomb-chest', completed in 1589. <9> Roman brick in south east angle of nave, fabric of tower and north wall of chancel. <10> <11> An aumbry was found under the tower, on the north side of the church, during replastering in 1979. Its oak which had rotted away and its sides were of Roman brick. 'Some parts of the church date back to the early Saxon period'. A stoup was also found in the east part of the church. Its bowl 'had been hacked away, leaving the base filled with flint'. According to the vicar the stoup dated to around 1190-1210. The aumbry was found under the tower on the north side. The stoup and aumbry were to be left exposed, the latter being lined with concrete where the original beams had rotted. <12> Shortly after the discovery of the stoup and aumbry, a 14th century squint was found during plaster-stripping on the north wall of the chancel. The squint is cut obliquely through to the outside wall, leading the vicar 'to believe that it was the opening to a hermit's cell'. <13> Human burials have been found outside the churchyard. Oral report from a local resident. <14> Site Assessment: 'The church is interesting for its plan and for the exceptional height of its 11th or early 12th century west tower-arch, with flanking altar-recesses'. <9> 'The appearance from the street is most curious-more curious than beautiful.' <10> St. Andrew's Church, of Saxon origin, with some Saxon work remaining, also contains Roman brick. Romano-British pottery of 1st to 4th century date has been found in the churchyard as well as part of a small roof-tile and two parts of a globular amphora, see EHER 5716. Finds in Colchester Museum No. 52.45. <15> <16> <17> See also <18>. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data transfer.