Church of St Botolph

The Church of St Botolph is a Grade I listed building located on Bartlow Road in Hadstock. The walls of the current nave and north transept date back to the late Anglo Saxon period, and it is believed that this church was established by Canute after the battle of Assandun in 1016. It was constructed on the site of an earlier Anglo Saxon church, likely associated with the monastery founded by Abbot Botolph in 654. The nave features four original 11th-century double-splayed windows, although there were originally six. The north door, with its stone surround and "honeysuckle" carved ornamentation on the arch and imposts, dates to the early 11th century but was relocated to its current position later in that century. The west door is likely from the same period. The south doorway was added around 1200 but is now blocked. The south transept was rebuilt in the late 14th century, and in the 15th century, the west tower and north porch were constructed. The chancel was rebuilt in 1884 by William Butterfield. Notable interior fittings include a font with a 14th-century bowl on a stem and base, likely of Saxon origin, and a font cover from the 17th to 18th century. There is also a rare 14th or 15th-century oak lectern with cable moulding, a 15th-century screen featuring carvings of fox and geese on one panel, and some 15th to 16th-century oak benches that were restored in the 19th century. The church is recognized for its architectural and historical significance.