Possible site of Anglo-Saxon cell, Bishop Cedda's Palace, West Tilbury (EHER 1674)

Earthworks south and west of the church and the hall, obscured by gravel diggings and farm buildings. They are the possible earthworks of an Anglo-Saxon cell and Bishop Cedd's Palace and military camp used by Queen Elizabeth I to review her troops in 1588 (detailed separately in EHER 82370)

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Earthworks south and west of the church and the hall, now much obscured by gravel diggings and farm buildings. At the edge of the escarpment overlooking levels towards the river, covering the neck of a promontory. The churchyard stands on a slight mound suggesting an early camp while a bastion-like projection to the west gives the work a medieval appearance. South-west of the church is a rampart with an internal ditch, which appears to be of a later date than the other works. <1> The site is reputed to be the location of Bishop Cedda's Palace (an Anglo-Saxon monk who is alleged to have built a cell here in 623 AD) and Elizabeth I's camp for her review of the troops in 1588. <2>-<6> Site Assessment: in fair condition in 1980. <7> Photo, distant, of earthworks in SMR. <8> Bede records the foundation of a monastery at Tilbury by Cedd, Bishop of the East Saxons, but the exact location is unknown. The two centres of Cedd's authority named by Bede were at Ythancestir and Tilbury. Tilbury, in Bede's time `Tilaburg', is well known from the fort at the entrance to Thames opposite Gravesend. Whilst at Tilbury, Cedd formed a monastic establishment of those converts he believed capable of observing the discipline of the regular life. <3> As First Bishop of the East Saxons, Cedd founded churches at centres known to include Bradwell-on-sea and East Tilbury. <9> March 1994. Field survey. St Cedd is commemorated by local traditions of a holy well named after him (EHER 1765) and possibly by the place-name Chadwell St Mary, although Gelling interprets this as meaning 'cold spring'. No trace of the well or of the putative monastery could be found. If there was a seventh century monastery in the area it was probably situated on the high ground overlooking the Thames estuary, either at Chadwell St Mary or at nearby West Tilbury (TQ 661 777). <10> <11> 1995. Watching brief. Six features were identified within the foundation trenches of an extension for a conservatory. A pit or ditch contained a single sherd of late Romano-British pottery, three flint-and-chalk footings could not be dated but were probably earlier than the seventeenth century and two postholes or pits were probably post-medieval in date. The footings appear to lie in strata containing medieval or post medieval tile and therefore may pre-date the hall which is 17th century. <12> The Survey of West Tilbury Ao1581 vltimo die augusti. Written survey with map extracts, in original language. <13> See aerial photograph <14>.