Possible site of medieval Church of St Albrights (EHER 8526)

Site of a possible chapel seen as cropmarks. Upon fieldwalking, a light scatter of medieval tile and undressed stone were found. It is possible that the church at this site was dedicated to St Ethelbert.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 8526 and 8527. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Spiritual site of 'lost' church of Belchamp St Albrights. Samples of building materials from site of church of Belchamp St Albrights. Include fragments of brick, roof tile and Mayen Lava. Collected by E. Sellers, from ploughed field in 1967. <1> A scatter of tile and flint noted over an area of 28 x 40 ft. <2> Finds in Colchester Museum collection. <3> Crop marks reveal the position of an apsidal-ended building here. A 16th century terrier (now at Colchester Museum) refers to a chapel of St Albrights on this property. <4> Aerial photographs show foundations and a possible enclosure. <5> - <7> Church at this location was dedicated to St Ethelbert. <8> There seems no reason why the name of the chapel should have changed. <9> June 1950. Field visit. The site was under standing crops when visited, the crop being stunted in the area and flint rubble and medieval till fragment (with peg holes) were scattered over the surface. The outline of the building was not traceable. Mr C. Offard said a trial trench was dug some 30 years ago and foundations uncovered. The field is named Chapel Yard and belongs to the chapelry of Albrights. <10> <11> August 1976. Field survey. Cropmarks reveal the position of an apsidal-ended building here. A 16th century terrier (now at Colchester Museum) refers to a chapel of St Albrights on this property. The site was under standing crops when visited, the crop being stunted in the area and flint rubble and medieval tile fragment (with peg holes) were scattered over the surface. The outline of the building was not traceable. Mr C. Offard said a trial trench was dug some 30 years ago and foundations uncovered. The field is named Chapel Yard and belongs to the chapelry of Albrights. The site of the chapel was indicated by Mr F. Tarbun, a farm employee at Paul's Hall Farm. He said that parch marks of the wall foundations could be seen in dry weather when the field was under pasture a few years ago, and confirmed the field Chapel Yard was centred TL80584325. Perambulation of the field, which is at present under stubble, showed a light scatter of medieval tile and undressed stone covering an area of 30.0m by 15.0m across centred TL80524326. <13> <14>