18th to 19th century burial vault, St Mary's Church, Great Bentley (EHER 7261)

Archaeological work in 1982 and 1886 uncovered a vault which consisted of a plain brick burial vault built up against the external face of the east end. The large brick coffin plinth was integral to the vault construction and contained a coffin. At least six other wooden coffins had been laid directly on the floor of the vault.

A site visit was made on February 16th 1982 to inspect a buried vault at the east end of the chancel prior to its partial demolition and lowering of ground level. The vault consisted of a plain brick burial vault built up against the external face of the east end. The large brick coffin plinth was integral to the vault construction and contained a coffin. At least six other wooden coffins had been laid directly on the floor of the vault. All were badly decomposed as were the corpses. At the southern end of the vault was an iron frame which allowed further coffins to be inserted. Two wooden, lead lined coffins rested on it. Their position and relatively intact condition suggests they were the most recent burials. Three decorative coffin plaques and inscription plates were recorded allowing some connection to be made between the plaques on the east wall and the coffins in the vault. A bricked up opening in the E wall of the vault leads to a further vault. The vault would appear to date from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century and belonged to the Dawson family. <1> <2> Archaeological work in advance of the construction of a parish room adjacent to the south wall of the church consisted of digging part of the foundation trenches by hand, and carrying out a watching brief. Abutting the south wall and enclosing the Romanesque south doorway were foundations of a brick structure with stone dressings and a brick floor. The bricks were Tudor and the structure, a porch or possibly a vestry, may be dated approximately to the 16th century. A brick-lined vaulted tomb of apparently 18th or 19th century date cut the east wall of the structure, providing a `terminus ante quem' for its demolition. Otherwise, the main discoveries were post medieval burials close to the church which had destroyed any stratigraphy. To the south, a ditch may represent the pre-1876 churchyard boundary. Finds included pottery, building debris and coffin fittings. <3> <4> <5>