Cromwell St Giles

Archaeology

Summary

Core fabric mainly 13th-15th century

Restoration 1873

S doorway, with shafts and capitals, early 13th century, reset in S aisle wall

Nave, S aisle, and chancel 13th century

S chancel aisle/chapel 14th century, with 19th century door with carved-leaf capitals

E end of chancel, rebuilt 14th century

The tower
showing stages

Medieval door
on first floor
of tower

Tower, four stages with belfry, traditionally dated 1427 and certainly first half of the 15th century in form

Clerestory, late 15th/early 16th century

Vestry, 1912-13

Significant interior features

Nave

Three bays, with arcade to S aisle

15th century tower arch and restored chancel arch

Two 14th century-style restored double lancet widows, with cusped ogee heads, N side

Re-set Corbel heads ?15th century N side of arch

15th/early 16th century Clerestory, with three restored flat-headed two-light windows

15th/early 16th century three-bay timber roof (W bay 19th century)

Chancel

19th century arch in 13th century style

14th century five-light east window (tracery restored)

13th century two double lancets with Y tracery, one with medieval armorial glass (restored), N side

13th/15th century Aumbry and blocked priest’s door, N side

13th century small chamfered piscina and restored 14th century piscina with moulded surround and bowl, S side

14th century three-light window with modern stained glass (tracery restored), S side

20th century Altar with gradine and tabernacle

14th century restored two-bay arcade to chapel

South aisle

Two restored 14th century two-lights with cusped ogee heads

14th century lancet with cusped ogee head, 19th century stained glass, W end

South chancel aisle/chapel

14th century three-light with intersecting tracery, E end

Timber and Roofs

	Nave	Chancel	Tower	Vestry
Main	15th/early 16th century, restored 19th century, low pitched, with heavily moulded ridge and purlins, moulded tie-beams on large chamfered corbels. Foliate bosses	19th century(1873), principal rafter roof with collars and arch braces from corbels	19th century Low pitched, 19th century Louvres	20th century (1912-13)
S.Aisle	19th century (1873), lean-to on earlier chamfered corbels		Bell Chamber, 15th century floor and frame
S chancel aisle /chapel		19th century (1873), lean-to with struts on chamfered corbels	Sound chamber, ?15th century floor and beams in poor condition

Detail of the bell frame

Bell Frame

The frame (Elphick V or Pickford truss type 6.B), now in very poor order, is the original late medieval one with unusual curved braces, on which carpenters’ marks II II and III III for assembly were recognised by Christopher Brooke in 1981. Though there are now only three bells, part of the framing was assembled in a space for a fourth, smaller one.


Samples of graffiti on the walls

Walls

In 1722, following an archidiaconal visitation, instructions were given that the walls should be white-washed; 19th century accounts also show that this was done on other occasions. A large number of graffiti have been carved into the stone jamb of the door to the stair-turret in the tower since the 17th century.

	Nave & S aisle	Chancel & S Chancel aisle/chapel	Tower
Plaster covering & date	Plaster 19th century, some in poor condition	Stripped in 19th century, now rubble faced and pointed	No plaster, exposed stone in all stages
Potential for wall paintings	nil	nil	nil

Excavations and potential for survival of below-ground archaeology

The fabric in the nave, south aisle, and chancel dates principally from the C13th-C15th, and the tower fabric dates from the first half of the C15th - apparently as a new or rebuild at this time. Although various C19th and C20th restorations and alterations have been undertaken it is expected that below-ground stratigraphy will remain largely undisturbed apart from later burials and the insertion of stone floors and seating. The tower floor may contain complex stratigraphy including evidence of any earlier tower, prior to the current C15th structure.

The standing fabric of the nave, south aisle, south chancel chapel, and tower retain considerable medieval fabric; in the nave and chancel this may possibly predate the C13th, though no architectural features in the building survive from earlier periods. All the side walls appear to contain mid-C13th to mid-C15th fabric.The chancel arch dates from the C19th, but appears inserted into earlier fabric. The east end of the chancel was rebuilt or extended in the C14th, contemporary with the south chancel chapel.

The churchyard is rectangular in form, with the church itself located centrally within the churchyard. Burials are evident on all sides with the earliest recorded in the late C15th; the earliest grave-markers date to the very early part of the C18th. To the west and on part of the adjacent south side, the churchyard is bounded by a stone wall, partly topped with crude hogback stones, badly weathered, and possibly of medieval origin, though a pre-Conquest date cannot be ruled out.

The overall potential for the survival of below-ground archaeology in the churchyard, is considered to be HIGH, comprising mainly burials of all periods, paths, earlier boundaries, and perhaps structural evidence of an earlier tower. The presence of the hogback stones may be indicative of much earlier, perhaps pre-Conquest, stratigraphy. Below the present interior floors it is considered to be HIGH-VERY HIGH. The standing fabric of the church remains largely intact and the overall potential for surviving medieval archaeology in the standing fabric of the church is considered to be VERY HIGH.

Exterior:Burial numbers expected to be average. Pre-Conquest stratigraphy possible. Deposits around the tower may contain evidence of rebuilding in the C15th.

Interior:Stratigraphy under the nave, south aisle, chancel, south chapel, and tower is likely to be mixed C19th layers with earlier, medieval deposits beneath. The tower is likely to have considerable C15th construction deposits, but with the probability of surviving earlier material. In the body of the church the stratigraphy is likely to be punctuated by medieval and post-medieval burials.

Thanks to Dr Christopher Brooke for helping date many of the archaeological features