Churchyard of St Michael's Church (MCC2351). 14th century origin? <1>

The building of flats for elderly people in 1975 at Rectory Close, Mile End Road, entailed landscaping the graveyard of the old church of St Michael which had been demolished in the nineteenth century and incorporated into the garden of Myland Rectory. All standing tombstones were removed in August 1975, when the area was levelled and covered with additional topsoil ready for seeding. The more notable gravestones were later replaced in the S.W. corner of the churchyard.
When enough walling was found to have survived either at or just above ground level, the Colchester Archaeological Group undertook to prepare the foundations of the church for conservation and to ensure that related archaeological levels were protected for the future. On six successive weekends in October and November some 17 members in all helped to clean the walls, level up the interior for turfing and grade the external ground surface up from the walls to the new level.<2>