St Nicholas Church, West Worldham, Hampshire. Archaeological Monitoring & Recording

The archaeological monitoring and recording is a condition of Faculty consent for a new extension on the north side of the church, installation of a sewage treatment unit, and improvement of the churchyard path to the south entrance. A ground penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical investigation has already been carried out across specified areas of the churchyard with the object of searching for evidence of burials and archaeological features (SUMO April 2022). This identified numerous burial features in the graveyard on the north side of the church, along with three possible pipes/ drains, and possible burial features in the vicinity of the access pathway to the main south door. A percolation test pit was excavated in July 2022 and archaeologically monitored by C1. This provided an opportunity for some ground truthing of the geophysical results, encountering a grave at a depth of 1.40m. The church occupies a small mound indicating that the ground has been used repeatedly for burials. A ground penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical investigation by SUMO suggested numerous burial features in the graveyard on the north side of the church, a possible structure beneath the new extension, and possible burial features in the vicinity of the path to the main south door. During groundworks, two Victorian-era graves were discovered in the northern graveyard area, containing skeletal remains at 1.40m depth. The coffins had deteriorated, though one left a visible wooden outline in section. Iron coffin furniture including handles, nails, and a plate suggest a Victorian date. Only the skulls were disturbed, exhumed and examined before reburial. The remains indicated a middle-aged male and female with no evident pathological conditions. One burial was located just north of the GPR survey area, while another likely corresponds to a disturbance visible on the GPR survey. The groundworks were not deep enough to encounter the other features suggested by the GPR survey, nor the stone drain leading to Manor Farm's cellar. Apart from a single medieval pottery sherd, no evidence was found relating to the medieval settlement that may survive as earthworks south and east of the church.