Church Archaeology 07-09

Excavation in the second bay of the nave of Lichfield Cathedral yielded remarkable and wholly unexpected results. These included elements of the Anglo-Saxon church and a sunken chamber over which a canopy of honour had been erected. This may be the primary site of the shrine of St Chad, which remained a focus through the Norman and Gothic reconstructions of the building. The position was finally abandoned in the 14th century, when Bishop Langton erected a costly new shrine in the eastern arm. The discovery of a pre-Viking sculptured and painted limestone panel, potentially an Annunciation scene from the shrine, is an art object of European importance. Several medieval priests graves were found: one contained a partially preserved oak coffin and other accoutrements of exceptional interest. No English medieval burial has hitherto yielded evidence of a painted cross on the fabric covering of the coffin lid, or of the consecrated Host being buried with the funerary chalice and paten. The remnants of the eucharistic wafer and linen napkin (corporal,) must surely be the oldest found in Britain. It has hitherto been held that pewter chalices and patens were made especially for mortuary use and were only symbolic. That they could be buried holding the Host sheds new light on English sepulchral history.

Structural assessment and documentary research on the church of Saint Mary, Linton, in Herefordshire and its wider territorial context indicated that it was an important pre-Conquest mother church. This paper describes the historical perspective, the likely phasing of this complex building, the materials used and their probable source.

A staircase in the church of St Mary the Virgin, Brabourne, was examined as part of a wider study of medieval buildings. Few original stairs survive in vernacular houses because of strenuous use over a long period of time. The Brabourne staircase, situated in an inconspicuous position used only for access to the belfry, and distinctly primitive in construction, was possibly contemporary with the building of the tower in c 1180. This paper describes the stairs and the investigation into its manufacture and date.

A group of headstones from Wrestlingworth and Potton, Bedfordshire, belong to the second half of the 17th century. They demonstrate the presence of skilled carvers creating external memorials in a range of styles that can be seen to develop over time, with seven distinct types identified at the two graveyards. The competence in carving, and the range of motifs and letter styles, indicates that external commemoration based around professional carvers was established in this region at least by the time of the Restoration. All the stones are decorated, and the earliest display contemporary domestic motifs. From the 1670s, mortality symbols are introduced, suggesting the application of appropriate symbolism to this type of commission. By the end of the 17th century a well-developed local style with mortality symbols in high relief can be identified, and at this time cherubs make their first appearance.

This paper was prompted by a survey of the roofs over the nave, aisles and chancel before and during the recent restoration programme at St Mary’s Church at Ingestre (Staffordshire). The project re-opened the question of who designed and built the church, and how the craftsmen involved could be secured to work on the building at a time when the Fire of London had created such a high demand for their skills in the capital. Commissioned by Walter Chetwynd, St Marys was built between 1672 and 1676. The circumstantial evidence that Sir Christopher Wren was the architect is discussed, along with the possibility that Edward Pearce might have been available to control the work on site, and this reflects some of the complexities of the mid-17th-century building industry. The roofs are described, with particular reference to the carpentry and metal fixings.

The recent government paper on the future of the 'Ecclesiastical Exemption in England accepted its advantages and that it ought to continue. This article examines what the exemption is, how it works and how the state and the exempt denominations might work together to improve it, from the Church of England’s point of view.

In both Scotland and Wales there are large collections of carved stones, some with inscriptions, others with complex ornament and iconography, dating from the early medieval period onwards. The majority of these are Christian and include freestanding crosses and cross-slabs, grave-markers of all types and architectural sculpture. A great many are associated with church sites, not only places of continuing Christian worship, where they may stand in the grave-yard or be built into the fabric, but also churches and chapels that have fallen out of use and become ruinous or have been put to a different function. Others are in private hands, for example standing in farmland, or are displayed in national and local museums and other heritage collections. Only some of the monuments in church or private hands are eligible for scheduling. In addition those built into fabric may have some protection as part of listed buildings. A significant number, however, are portable antiquities and as such cannot be scheduled or listed and sometimes disappear, usually through neglect, but occasionally as a result of theft. Weathering and other damage are also taking an unacceptable toll. Concern for the long-term future of all these carved stones has led to the establishment of national committees in both Scotland and Wales. The aim of these is to co-ordinate the better recording, protection and display of all inscribed stones and stone sculpture as well as greater public awareness of their importance.

The subject of this paper is the recently discovered graffiti of a knight, a horse and a dragon. The question addressed is whether or not it all the marks can be read as one event and whether it depicts the mythical battle of St George and the Dragon.

A documentary and field study of nonconformist chapels and meeting houses in Darlington, covering the period from the 17th century up to 1914, revealed 50 buildings either purpose built or modified, for worship. The majority of these belonged to various strands of Methodism. The study identified various denominational distinctives, and changes in architectural taste; a large number of buildings have been lost in the last 50 years or so, and some of these have been virtually undocumented.

The history of the small villages of northern New Mexico, and their regionally unique vernacular architecture, has not been well documented. Because of the central role of the Catholic Church in the everyday lives of most of the residents, past and present, church buildings comprise an important part of this architectural and cultural tradition. This study, an RCHME Level 3 archaeological survey, was undertaken in August, 2001, to record St Michael’s Parish church in the village of San Miguel del Vado, New Mexico, USA. The aim was to determine whether the reported construction date of 1805 could be confirmed, modifications to the structure, and materials and building techniques detected, and to relate any such changes to cultural changes in the village over time.