Early to middle Saxon settlement at the Church of St Botolph, Hadstock (EHER 4809)

During the 1974 excavations, the lower horizons of a buried soil were found to be intact under much of the church.

1974. Excavation. During the 1974 excavations the lower horizons of a buried soil were found to be intact under much of the church. Finds: numerous animal bones and oyster shells, one sherd of pagan Saxon pottery, a group of stones (perhaps a hearth) included part of a Rhenish lava quern and a stone cresset lamp. The food debris and lack of associated pottery suggested an aceramic phase. In this region this can hardly be other than early or middle Saxon in date. <1> 1992. Watching brief. 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 century well was discovered near the south wall of the nave. <2> 2003. Dendrochronology. Tree ring dating of the door using dendrochronology produced a likely felling date for the timbers of AD 1034. <3> 2007. Building survey. 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 archaeologically 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 Cnut's 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 period (post C9). In the second period the junction of the nave/crossing 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 east side of the transept. The central tower collapsed in the early 13th century, the internal arch of the transept was rebuilt and the transept north door remodelled. Later this door was blocked and the eastern apse removed. This all happened just before the mid to late 14th century refenestration. <4>