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Maldon Archaeological and Historical Group Maldon, Essex, England
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS |
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MAHG carries out its own geophysical surveys and members are encouraged to join in to gain an understanding of; the purpose of carrying out geophysical surveys; interpretation of the results; and, how they are used to plan future excavations.
A recent geophysical survey at a Little Baddow Orchard area presented some interesting results and may be a target for future MAHG excavation. Results are shown below:
A further resistivity survey was carried out on the 27th April 2008 to see if there was any evidence of a possible kiln site in an area historically used for clay & gravel extraction for tile manufacturing. The results have persuaded us to carry some targeted excavations to resolve some interesting anomalies:
Field Report as at 10 May 2008; Excavation of two sites have revealed nothing of significance. There will be no work on site this coming Saturday (17th May 2008) but there will be a meeting on site on Saturday 25th May 2008 to examine a ring feature. For further information contact either Brian Riley or Stuart MacPherson.
We were invited by one of our Chelmsford members to carry out a resistivity survey to investigate some unusual crop marks. Brian, Stuart, Dave P, Bernie, Michael and Simon, armed to the teeth with resistivity kit, tapes, and 'stakes', etc, went to have a little look see. These are the results:
With five MAHG members on site on Saturday the 20th May 2006 success was guaranteed! By late afternoon we had marked out and carried out a resistivity survey over four 20 m x 20 m grids which should have taken in all of the Abbey church area. The results of the survey are shown below. The data appears to show the foot print of the Abbey church. The next task is to report back to our hosts with regard to our findings and suggested course of action.
A copy of the resistivity survey report can be downloaded here: Should there be any more detailed investigation this would most likely to be in 2007. We would like to thank Mr & Mrs Hadlee for inviting us to support them in their archaeological investigation of this fascinating site and for their warm hospitality.
Burnham: Dig completed 29th April 2006. Preliminary report has been completed and a copy is held in the MAHG Headquarters library. There are some lesser crop marks seen in standing crops in an adjacent field which may be subject to future geophysical survey (see Projects).
Ulting Church: A geophysical survey was carried out along one side of the church in 2007, to establish the site of a demolished Guild chapel. The results were promising.
There may be an opportunity for MAHG to carry out a small scale excavation; the purpose being to locate the remains of lost a chapel which was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. MAHG hopes that it can provide material evidence for the existence of this chapel which vanished from human eye over 450 years ago.
Research
by Dr Janet Cooper who, for many years was
Editor of the Victorian County History, gives a full account of this
chapel and
much of what follows
is based on that article (‘The
Cult of Our Lady of Ulting,’ by
Dr Janet Cooper, published in Essex
Archaeology and History 2003). In 1317, Thomas of Ulting, lord of Ulting Manor founded a chantry of the Virgin Mary, building a new aisle or chapel onto Hatfield Peverel priory church. This was abandoned some years later as there were not enough funds to maintain it. During the course of the 15th century, a chapel was built on the end of the west wall of Ulting Church. The
guild or fraternity to maintain the chapel elected two wardens
and it had enough endowments to support a chaplain who was
to pray for Edward 1V (1461-1483) and his wife, Elizabeth, both during
their lifetime and for their souls after death. The
chapel
continued to attract bequests and, in return, prayers were to be offered
to the benefactors and their souls. The
centre piece of the chapel was a statue of the Virgin Mary. Ulting
became a place of
pilgrimage in common with the shrines of Thomas of Canterbury,
Our Lady of Walsingham and Our Lady of Ipswich. When
Edward VI (1547-1553) came to the throne, the catholic elements
in the Church in England were increasingly removed and inevitably
the chapel, with its veneration of Mary, was dissolved along with all
the other guilds and chantries in the country. The
chapel was demolished
and its lead worth £8 and its timber, tile, glass, iron and stone
worth £2 6s 8d were sold by the crown. Although the church underwent restoration in 1873 to designs by the Chelmsford architect Frederick Chancellor when the east and west walls were rebuilt, it remains essentially a 13th century building untouched by 15th century alterations. Dr Cooper concludes that this was because, in her words, ‘The energies of its late medieval parishioners clearly went into the chantry chapel, which was so completely demolished in 1549 that no trace of it or memory of its cult seems to have survived the 16th century.’
Beeleigh Abbey: A number of such surveys have been carried out as a part of the planning process, with very much mixed results in view of the significant scatter of demolition debris. Surveys were conducted using a resistivity meter, magnetometry (by Essex County Council's Field Archaeological Unit), and even divining rods. It is intended to carry out a further resistivity survey at a nearby site during 2008 where, according to the 1873 OS map, a building existed which has since been demolished. It is intended that an excavation of that site will follow. A nearby mound will also be investigated.
Hadstock Church: Situated North of Saffron Walden, this is an impressive late Saxon building. The Hadstock Society were interested to know whether the church once extended beyond its present confines. Unfortunately the survey was conducted when the ground was very wet which might account for the inconclusive results.
Bicknacre Priory: A resistivity survey of part of the site of the demolished priory revealed the clear outlines of wall foundations, but as yet there has been no request for an excavation from the parish council which owns the site. Further surveys are proposed to be undertaken in the in the final quarter of 2007. Initial Resistivity survey results from Bicknacre Priory
Lawling Creek: The regular alignment of field boundaries on the Dengie Peninsula provided circumstantial evidence that this was once a Roman Imperial Estate. This assumption was strengthened by the considerable quantity of Roman pottery found on the adjacent foreshore of the River Blackwater. The results of a geophysical survey were inconclusive. The site may be revisited.
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CONTACT US AT: TELEPHONE: 01621 788774 E MAIL: digup@smartemail.co.uk
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