More information : TL 3827 0066 Waltham Abbey (NR) (1)
The church was originally founded by Harold as a secular college in 1060 and then reconstituted by Henry II as an Augustinian Priory in 1177, designated an Abbey in 1184 and finally dissolved in 1540. (2)
The Church of the Holy Cross and St Lawrence is principally of ashlar with some rubble-work in the south wall of the south aisle. Most of the 12th century dressings are of Caen stone. The present building formed the nave of a secular college founded by Harold and dedicated in 1060, but reconstituted by Henry II as an Augustinian Priory in 1177 and as an Abbey in 1184. (see TL 30 SE 8)
A patch of rubble in the west wall of the south transept may be a fragment of Harold's church. Building work seems to have proceeded from east to west with the nave, north and south aisles being finished in the mid 12th century. Shortly after the institution of the monastic foundation the eastern arm appears to have been rebuilt on a larger scale. c1315-20 the west bays of the nave were remodeled, the 12th century west towers removed and the west front rebuilt. The south chapel was added c 1320-30.
The present west tower was built in 1556-8 from fragments of the Abbey church's central tower. The whole building has been frequently restored since the mid 19th century.
So far as it is known, the Abbey church consisted of a long Presbytery with north and south Aisles, Central Tower, north and south Transepts, nave with north and south aisles, south chapel and perhaps two West Towers. The Presbytery was entirely destroyed but rubble foundations and a fragment of wall survive. The west piers and arch of the crossing are incorporated into the east end of the nave, which survives as the parish church (see TL 30 SE 125). (3)
FG Aldsworth visited Waltham Abbey for the Ordnance Survey in 1964 finding that: "Of the Abbey Church all that remains is the Norman nave with 14th century south chapel and a 16th century west tower. All the remainder of the east end, including the crossing and central tower have been destroyed. The Cloister lay on the northern side of the monastic part of the church and is represented by short adjoining lengths of the east and north walls at the north-east angle. (See OS card TL 30 SE 8 for a conjectural plan of the Abbey church and cloister).
Extending east from the cloister is a length of late 12th century walling with pilaster buttresses on its north face and traces of a string course. It has subsequently been pierced after the suppression by the doorways and windows of a building. This south face of the wall incorporates numerous lengths of Purbeck marble sahtings identified as the north wall of the Chapter House. The passage of Stype at the east end of the north cloister range is of late 12th century. The doorway in the north wall has remains of moulded jambs and adjoining it is the broken continuation of the east wall. In the south wall is a two centred doorway, now blocked; on the exterior of the wall are the traces of the start of side walls (north and south) of the adjoining building, probably the frater. (4)
Excavations in 1955-62 and 1967 by DOE, Essex Archaeology Society and Waltham Abbey History Society concentrated on the cloister area to the north-east of the parish church. All four sides of the inner cloister wall were identified and the foundations for the outer wall to north and east. Two tombs were located in the cloister. The foundations for the northern wall of the central nave were excavated and two burials found.
An apsidal foundation was revealed extending the line of the present church to the east. The building material possibly incorporated Roman tile. This apse was thought to represent the eastern end of the church associated with the college foundation.
A layer of debris above the loam of the cloister represented the destruction of the church after the Dissolution, possibly mid 17th century. (5)
TL 38160064 Excavations in 1984 raised the possibility that the collegiate church was originally built with a three apse east end, and was altered, perhaps in the 1120s to the apse and ambulatory form. Salvage excavations in the Abbey crypt revealed burials, vaults and heating ducts dating from medieval times to the 19th century. (6)
A selective assessment of the church foundations by PJ Huggins revealed some evidence for a church predating the collegiate church (see TL 30 SE 133). (7)
TL 38110065 Excavations by PJ Huggins revealed that part of the early 12th century church stands on earlier, presumably pre-conquest foundations. Three possible pre-Conquest churches wer found (see TL 30 SE 133), the latest may represent the first aisled cruciform church and be the work of Harold c1056-58. The excavations investigated the original form of the eastern end of the abbey church. The apse-and-ambulatory was original and not adapted from a multiple apse as previously suggested. A small chapel was added outside the ambulatory wall by curving round between two buttresses.
Courses of puddingstone seen in 1960 at the side of the Augustinian extension were not of primary structural significance, but could have supported minor features along the Augustinian central nave. (8)
Report on restoration and excavation. (9)
Brief note on an excavation in 1938 by J Charlton. (10)
See OS card TL 30 SE 8 for plans. (11)
A medieval church much reduced in size with later additions and alterations. The nave and aisles date to circa 1100-1151 and the two west bays of the nave and the west front date to circa 1300. The Lady Chapel and undercroft were built in the first quarter of the 14th century while the west tower was erected in 1556-62. The main body of church was restored in 1859-60 by William Burges with a new nave roof, reredos and east window which had glass by Edward Burne-Jones. The Lady Chapel was restored in 1876 by Burges and J A Reeve. (12)
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