Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 308: summary

A watching brief at St Nicholas' Church, Little Wigborough, Essex: February 2005
by Crossan, C (with contributions from Benfield, S; Brooks, H.)

Date report completed: 02/02/2005
Location: Little Wigborough, Essex
Map reference(s): TL98101453
File size: 2433 kb
Project type: Watching brief
Significance of the results: *
Keywords: medieval, church, ceramic building materials, tower, human bone

Summary. A trench was dug by contractors to investigate the cause of subsidence in the north-west corner of the nave of the 15th-century church of St Nicholas, Little Wigborough. The 1.55m-deep trench exposed intact stone foundations beneath the north and west return walls. At the junction with the tower, the stone foundation had been removed and replaced with modern brickwork as part of the reconstruction works following the 1884 Essex earthquake. No early floors were found. Two layers of modern tile flooring and underlying mortar occupied the uppermost 25cm, beneath which was a disturbed soil which extended to the natural subsoil.