Take A Look Tour: Uncovering the Past - Excavations & Archaeology

This week was the first of our Take A Look tours.  Entitled "Uncovering the Past - Excavations & Archaeology", visitors were able to come and find out what has been going on inside the church. 

Adrian, from Bakers of Danbury who are in charge of the renovation work, gave a short talk on what they have been doing so far.  Excavating down to a depth of half a metre, the team had to first remove all the bricks and parquet flooring, with the re-usable bricks being stored off site.  They sometimes had to drill through concrete and remove old pipes; lorries have been taking the rubble away daily.  Adrian then explained how the floor will be built back up again and what materials will be used.   We learnt about "glapor", which is a foamed recycled glass aggregate (some samples were passed around).  With an appearance like coal, it was surprisingly light in weight.  It will be crushed down and form a breathable insulating layer at the bottom of the new floor.  We also learnt about limecrete, which is a type of concrete but without cement, which will also form a layer on the new floor.

Megan from Colchester Archaeological Trust put on a fascinating display of artefacts such as old tobacco pipes, parts of the old rood screen and pieces of very old stained glass.  Together with some interesting photos, she gave a short talk on her findings, which included a bricked over tomb and evidence of ancient church foundations.

Visitors were then invited from the vestry into the chancel, stepping down into the excavated area, with Megan and Adrian pointing out areas of interest.

It was a highly enjoyable and informative day, with three tours throughout and over 20 visitors (spaces were limited).

We look forward to the next Take a Look tour in February next year.