Monument record MCC7844 - St Peter's Church, Colchester

Summary

The church was rebuilt in the C18 and restored in the C19 with reuse on each occasion of much flint and stone rubble and many Roman bricks.

Location

Grid reference TL 9940 2522 (point)
Map sheet TL92NE
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (4)

Full Description

The church was rebuilt in the C18 and restored in the C19 with reuse on each occasion of much flint and stone rubble and many Roman bricks. The site of this important church would have been occupied by a major building in the Roman period (possibly even the HQ of the fortress). The main atreets are N-S and E-W. However, the only knowledge of Roman structure comes from William Wire's Diary (1842) in Colchester Museum. Wire observed walls running into the churchyard from under the pavement of North Hill, and a Roman wall and concrete floor were reported in grave-digging. A mosaic pavement was found on the site of the Rectory garden immedieately NE of the present chancel (see ). These remains lie at c.2m below the present surface. <1> <2> Wire recorded the discovery of a wall on the E side of North Hill opposite the gates of the church. It continued up the hill for 10ft when it turned in towards the churchyard. Another wall came down the hill to within about 10ft of the first and also turned into the churchyard. between them was a Roman road, obviously the entrance to some premises in Insula 18. <3> <2>

Site Assessment = Excavation in the churchyard would be difficult and only worthwhile on a very large scale, except perhaps immedieately adjacent to the walls of the church. <1>

Sources/Archives (4)

  • <1> Monograph: Rodwell, Warwick J with Rodwell, KA. 1977. Historic Churches - A Wasting Asset. pp28-9.
  • <2> DESC TEXT: Wire, W. 1842. Wire Diary. 25 May 1842, 12 Dec 1842.
  • <3> DESC TEXT: Hull, MR. 1958. Roman Colchester. p66, 149-50.
  • <4> DESC TEXT: RCHME. 1922. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex - Volume 3. Vol 3, p23.

Finds (1)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Record last edited

Nov 3 2015 11:41AM

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