Colchester Archaeological Trust

CAT Report 410: summary

Watching brief report: St Giles' Church, Great Maplestead, Essex: November 2006-February 2007
by Orr, K

Date report completed: 01/03/2007
Location: Great Maplestead, Essex
Map reference(s):
File size: 711KB kb
Project type: Watching brief
Significance of the results: Neg
Keywords: post-medieval, church, brick and clay flooring, Purbeck marble, flint wall foundation, peg-tile, human bone

Summary. The church authorities received faculty consent for various works including the excavation of foundation pads to support posts in the tower and the cutting of beam bearings in the tower walls. To the south of the church, in the churchyard, trenching was carried out for various services. Where possible, these services were cut under existing pathways where the likelihood of burials was low, and therefore they were not monitored archaeologically. A short length of foundation trench was also dug in order to convert the store by the south porch into a toilet. Ground reduction in the tower exposed the flint foundations to the tower but no earlier foundations. The holes made in the tower wall exposed the medieval flint and mortar fabric and putlog holes made for scaffolding. The foundation trench for the toilet was 500mm deep and exposed a concentration of disarticulated human remains at 440mm below ground- level. Removal of part of the eastern wall of the south porch exposed a medieval window.