Church of the Holy Cross, Felsted (EHER 18609)

Church. Early 12th century with 14th and 16th century and later additions and alterations. Mainly built of rubble and flint, with some brick and tile, and stone dressings. The south chapel of clunch ashlar. Plain red tile and lead roofs. Early 12th century west tower and north-west angle of nave. Late 12th century couth aisle and arcade. Early 14th century north aisle and arcade and clerestory. Chancel and possibly south aisle rebuilt mid 14th century. 15th century north vestry with two contemporary windows of 1 and 2 lights. 15th century south porch with modern outer arch and 1 light windows. Early 16th century south chapel. Restored 1877.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 18609, 18610, and 37028. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Holy Cross Church (C of E) (NAT). <1> Church of the Holy Cross, grade A. Mainly 12th century with 14th-16th century additions and alterations. Restored in 1877. <2> <3> Church of the Holy Cross. Church of the 12th century with 14th, 16th century and later additions and alterations. RCHM 1. Grade I. <4> 1991. Watching brief. A watching brief on a water pipe trench located a brick built tomb 9m south of the south edge of the tower. The walls were built of 6 or more courses of 18th /19thC brick and the corbelled roof was built of thinner "Tudor" shaped brick. The burial was visible inside but it was uncertain whether there was a wooden coffin. No grave slab or tombstone marked the burial. A large lump of sarsen was located 1m south and west of the tower during excavation of a water pipe trench. The stone had previously been disturbed by a gas pipe laid outside the west face of the tower. A local parallel for sarsen stones in churchyards is provided by Great Bardfield Church where large sarsens underpin the corners of the structure. <5> 2010. Evaluation. A second evaluation in 2010 revealed ten grave cuts, aligned east-west. All continued below the 700mm excavation depth limit and so were not excavated. The graves are of post-medieval or later date. <6> November 2011. Watching brief and excavation. Archaeological Solutions Ltd carried out a programme of archaeological monitoring and excavation at the Church of the Holy Cross, Station Road, Felsted, Essex. The archaeological monitoring was required in association with the removal of all the floors within the church and their replacement with new surfaces incorporating under floor heating. The monitoring of the church interior encountered seven post-medieval or modern tombs or graves. Four possibly medieval pits were recorded and three of them cut a mortar floor layer located at the western end of the nave. Possible early 12th century wall foundations of the original church were also revealed. The majority of the graves were brick- lined and capped with a brick arch. One, F2032, a young infant burial was interred without a coffin and cut the early wall foundations. The pits preserved evidence for intense in situ burning and contained charcoal, lead, nails and metal fragments suggesting that they may have been used for smelting during the construction of the windows possibly during the 14th century. The flint and mortar wall foundations represent the remains of a rectangular structure which followed the outline of the nave and may represent the early 12th century church. The majority of features were preserved in situ. <7> See also: <8> - <11>