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Waltham Abbey
In the civil parish of Waltham Abbey.
In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).
King Cnut founded a church with two priests here. In 1060 Harold Godwineson refounded the church as a secular college, and was later buried behind the altar there. In 1177 the college was reconstituted as an Augustinian priory and designated an Abbey in 1184. The Abbey was dissolved in 1540, the last abbey to be surrendered, on March 23rd. Of the abbey, only the Norman nave of the church remains. The presbytery, transepts and crossing were demolished soon after the Dissolution. The cloister adjoined the presbytery to the North with the frater occupying the North part of the range. A gatehouse, bridge and fishponds are all that remain of the domestic buildings, (see TL30SE 74,75,79,128, 132 and 133 for associated buildings and structures.) A hospital was also built within the precincts circa 1218. Licence to crenellate granted in 1369.
This site has been described as a;
Fortified Ecclesiastical site.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.
A Royal licence
to crenellate was
granted in 1366 Sept 18.
A Royal licence
to crenellate was
granted in 1369 April 24.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law.
This site is a
Grade 2* listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 117609, 117608, 117610, 117612, 117611)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL38270066
PastScape number;
367309, 621472, 621474, 621483, 977434, 983876
Books
- Greene, J.Patrick, 1992, Medieval Monasteries p95
Eddy, M.R. and Petchey, M.R., 1983, Historic towns in Essex: an archaeological survey 4 p88-91
Knowles, David and Hadcock, R. Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longmans) p144, 178
RCHME, 1921, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex Vol2 [central and south-west] p237-45
Page, Wm, Round, J.H. (eds), 1907, 'Houses of Austin canons: Abbey of Waltham Holy Cross' VCH Essex Vol2 p166-72 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=39852
Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p243-9
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p417
Journal Articles
- Bascombe, K.N., 1986 Nov, Waltham Abbey Historical Society newsletter p1-4
Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100
Huggins, P.J. and Huggins, R.M., 1973, Essex Archaeological Society transactions [ser3] Vol5 p127-84
Huggins, P.J., 1972, 'Monastic Grange and Outer Close Excavations, Waltham Abbey' Essex Archaeological Society transactions [ser3] Vol4 p30-127
Huggins, P.J., 1970, Essex Archaeological Society transactions [ser3] Vol2 p216-267
1970, Medieval Arcvhaeology Vol14 p126-47
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents
- This section is far from complete and the secondary
sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Calendar of Patent Rolls (1364-67) p309
Calendar of Patent Rolls (1367-70) p245
Most of the sites or buildings
recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission
to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant |
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English
Heritage and other individuals and organisations. |
It is an offence to disturb a
Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of
everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site
without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation. |
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*The listed building
may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site
of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
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