St Ebba's Chapel (Beadnell)
Reconstruction of St Ebba's Chapel, Beadnell. Drawn by Terry Ball.
Remains of St Ebba's Chapel, Beadnell. Photo by Northumberland County Council.
(NU 23952871) Chapel (Remains of). (1)
The remains of this chapel, long covered by drifting sand were uncovered by Mr Hodgson Hinde in 1853. It is rectangular, measuring externally 55ft x 16ft with rubble walls two feet thick, and is divided into a nave and chancel with another division at the west end of the nave. The nave has two doors, north and south, immediately opposite one another. The north door had a semi-circular head cut out of two stones. No traces of any windows remain. In the south-east corner of the nave was a cavity for a piscina and near the south door a roughly formed stone basin, supposed to be a font. The nature of the roof was indicated by the finding of numerous slates among the ruins.
The ruins are situated on a rocky point called Ebbs Nook and it is supposed that the chapel was dedicated to St Ebba. Its age is not known but Mr Tate visiting the chapel in 1857 ascribed it to the 13th cent. (2) A survey c.1715 states that there was a chapel of ease at Beadnell where a preacher from Bamburgh attends once a month (3).
The walls of the chapel remain up to 5 feet in height and are of limestone rubble. The compartment to the west of the nave uses chiefly clay as a building medium, and appears from the lack of bonding to be a subsequent addition, perhaps the lower part of a tower for a seamark. No sepulchral monuments have been discovered but rabbit burrowings have occasionally brought to light human bones. The chapel may have been the retreat of a Saxon recluse, or a commemorative chapel to the Saxon princess Ebba who died in 683. (4) The architecture of the doorway indicates a date not earlier than the 12th century. (2)(3)(4)(5)
The remains of this chapel are very ruinous, consisting of a rectangular building measuring 15m x 4.6m internally; the walls, where visible, are 0.8m wide consisting of some dressed stone, but mostly of rubble and mortar. The building is partially covered by blown sand and reeds; the interior is sunken with the effect that the walls appear to be high but actually are only 1m in height topped by sand. The only architectural feature is an opening in the north wall which is probably the north door referred to in the NCH; it is 0.5m wide with chamfered stones at each side. The foundations of a stone wall are traceable along the north side of the chapel, this may be the churchyard wall 2m wide and 0.4m high covered by a turf bank. It extends from NU 23942871 to NU 23982872. A notice board on the site reads 'Site of St Ebba's Church Founded about 660 AD. Disused about 1680 AD'. (6)
Blown sand and tussocky grass have encroached upon the remains to such an extent that only the inner faces of parts of the north and south walls and the east end are now visible. The internal width of the chapel is 4m. The chamfered stones formerly at each side the opening in the north wall have now collapsed.
The wall, noted by F1 to the north of the chapel, is no longer evident, but to the north-east are the foundations of a north-south wall, 0.9m thick, visible for 6m of its length.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. (7)
Small ruined chapel at Ebb's Nook. Stands beside the North Sea - situation is all-important. Such exposed coastal sites were favoured by devout hermits. Ruins of the chapel were uncovered in 1853. No certain date for the building but placename Ebb's Nook, associated with St Ebba, step-daughter of Ethelfrith, king of Northumbria, suggests it is an ancient site. St Ebba's feast day is 25th August. (8)
St Ebba's chapel and monastic site. Scheduling revised on 14th April 1994, new national monument number 25055.
The monument includes the remains of a post-Conquest medieval chapel situated on the rocky promontory known as Ebb's Nook. The chapel is surrounded by a range of earthwork features, some of which are considered to pre-date the chapel and provide evidence of an earlier monastic site here. The visible remains consist of a stone built, rectangular chapel and a series of earthworks. The chapel, which was partially excavated in 1853 is situated at the centre of the complex and measures 17m east-west by 4m north-south. It is thought to date, in its present form, from the 12th or 13th centuries AD. It consists of a nave, a chancel and a later western annexe, although it is now overgrown and much of the detail of the internal layout uncovered by the excavation is obscured. Although other buildings surrounding the chapel were noted in the mid 19th century they have only recently been understood.
Immediately east of the chapel there is a rectangular stony earthwork measuring 3m north-south and 4m east-west; this is thought to be the remains of an earlier building, built on a slightly different axis to that of the later chapel. The stone chapel and the earlier structure form the south side of a walled enclosure 22m by 13m, the other sides being formed by low rubble walls. This complex is situated at the eastern end of a larger enclosure 55m by 25m. The perimeter of this enclosure is formed by a large bank of earth which cuts off the promontory at the western landward end; the bank runs around the edge of the promontory on the western and north-eastern sides and varies in width from 1m to 2m and stands to a maximum height of 1m. The bank is thought to have originally continued along the south side of the promontory; here the cliff face has been eroded and surface traces are not visible. Within the enclosure there are several hollows at the western end and a linear hollow which cuts the north-eastern perimeter bank; these are interpreted as the result of later quarrying and military activity. A stone circular feature 1.5m in diameter is situated at the extreme eastern end of the promontory; it is composed of reddened stone and is thought to be the remains of a hearth associated with the use of the site (see NU 22 NW 36).
The monastic settlement has for over a century been associated with St AEbba, the stepdaughter of the king of Northumbria AEthelfrith; though there is no absolute proof of association, it is thought that an early Christian origin for the earthworks at St Ebb's Nook is not inconsistent with the fact that St AEbba was a devoted Christian who is known to have founded other monasteries in Northumberland and it is known that Beadnell was tenurially linked to the Anglian royal seat at Bamburgh.
The monastic site and later chapel at St Ebb's Nook are well preserved. The monastic site is one of a number situated on promontories or island locations in Northumbria. It will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of early Christian settlement in the immediately post-Roman period. (9)
The area adjacent to the chapel at Beadnell Point has produced pieces of bone including possible human skull fragments in the headland track. The chapel is a rectangular sandstone building, bank and walls are a minimum of 1.5m above the interior, which is severely eroded in places by rabbits. Externally there is erosion in two areas, one of which has a stone wall perpendicular to the chapel, which is c.5m x 10m externally. Possible entrance on north side, facing wall has been pointed with concrete.
The footpath is under erosion from visitors and the edges of the headland are suffering marine erosion. The chapel is covered with vegetation. See photographs C7-10 and slides Y26-28. (10)
AEbba was the half sister of the kings Oswald and Oswiu. (11)
In September 1994 A Williams and G Goodrick cleared away much of the superficial deposits of sand which masked the chapel remains. During the work the heavily robbed cross wall between nave and chancel, as seen on Alfred Way's plan of 1854, was revealed. No evidence for the central doorway was seen. It seems likely that much disturbance to and infilling of the chapel may be due to military activity on the site in WW2. The rabbit population appears not to have caused significant harm to the archaeological levels. The most intense activity was between 0.2m and 0.5m into the sandy mound in the nave and had virtually ceased by the level at which excavation was stopped. (12)
A series of geophysical surveys were undertaken across the site of Saint Ebba's Chapel on Beadnell Point by GSB Prospection during 2011 for Wessex Archaeology as part of the Time Team programme. This work aimed to identify the location of a feature shown on early drawings of the site called the 'Olde Wall' which appears to cut off the headland from the main harbour and village of Beadnell. This work detailed a considereable depth of made ground around the modern housing at the western side of the rocky promontory and sand dunes. In the more accessible areas the data from ground penetrating radar work recorded geological formations. The 'Olde Wall' may have used this feature or have been robbed in the construction and repair work associated with other buildings in the area.
A series of evaluation trenches were excavated by Wessex Archaeology following the geophysical work, also during 2011. Trench 1 placed over the remains of the chapel revealed six main phases of activity, including a sequence of construction for the chapel, later extended to the east, a blocked opening and the subsequent build-up of windblown sand. The northern part of the trench produced a sequence of burials and a World War II defensive trench with further topsoil and windblown sand. The earliest phase encountered on the site was a single-celled chapel of rough sandstone blocks bonded with lime and charcoal mortar. The walls were not fully exposed in the evaluation trench given their unstable nature.
The burials recorded were found, by radiocarbon dating, to be 17th to 19th century in date across the various trenches. The presence of very shallow graves of at least five foetal/neonatal individuals was encountered in Trench 5; these were all laid north-east to south-west and may represent an attempt to bury unbaptised infants and foetuses within consecrated ground.
Finds recovered included a few stone roof tiles, a small carved architectural fragment, ceramic pantiles and a lead window came from the chapel use. Later domestic refuse was recorded around the chapel walls and may relate to the 19th century excavations carried out by J Hodgson Hinde. Some plant remains and molluscan remains were recovered from the environmental sampling carried out. (13)
The results of the Time team investigations were published in Archaeologia Aeliana in 2016. (14)
Additional Reference (15)
The remains of this chapel, long covered by drifting sand were uncovered by Mr Hodgson Hinde in 1853. It is rectangular, measuring externally 55ft x 16ft with rubble walls two feet thick, and is divided into a nave and chancel with another division at the west end of the nave. The nave has two doors, north and south, immediately opposite one another. The north door had a semi-circular head cut out of two stones. No traces of any windows remain. In the south-east corner of the nave was a cavity for a piscina and near the south door a roughly formed stone basin, supposed to be a font. The nature of the roof was indicated by the finding of numerous slates among the ruins.
The ruins are situated on a rocky point called Ebbs Nook and it is supposed that the chapel was dedicated to St Ebba. Its age is not known but Mr Tate visiting the chapel in 1857 ascribed it to the 13th cent. (2) A survey c.1715 states that there was a chapel of ease at Beadnell where a preacher from Bamburgh attends once a month (3).
The walls of the chapel remain up to 5 feet in height and are of limestone rubble. The compartment to the west of the nave uses chiefly clay as a building medium, and appears from the lack of bonding to be a subsequent addition, perhaps the lower part of a tower for a seamark. No sepulchral monuments have been discovered but rabbit burrowings have occasionally brought to light human bones. The chapel may have been the retreat of a Saxon recluse, or a commemorative chapel to the Saxon princess Ebba who died in 683. (4) The architecture of the doorway indicates a date not earlier than the 12th century. (2)(3)(4)(5)
The remains of this chapel are very ruinous, consisting of a rectangular building measuring 15m x 4.6m internally; the walls, where visible, are 0.8m wide consisting of some dressed stone, but mostly of rubble and mortar. The building is partially covered by blown sand and reeds; the interior is sunken with the effect that the walls appear to be high but actually are only 1m in height topped by sand. The only architectural feature is an opening in the north wall which is probably the north door referred to in the NCH; it is 0.5m wide with chamfered stones at each side. The foundations of a stone wall are traceable along the north side of the chapel, this may be the churchyard wall 2m wide and 0.4m high covered by a turf bank. It extends from NU 23942871 to NU 23982872. A notice board on the site reads 'Site of St Ebba's Church Founded about 660 AD. Disused about 1680 AD'. (6)
Blown sand and tussocky grass have encroached upon the remains to such an extent that only the inner faces of parts of the north and south walls and the east end are now visible. The internal width of the chapel is 4m. The chamfered stones formerly at each side the opening in the north wall have now collapsed.
The wall, noted by F1 to the north of the chapel, is no longer evident, but to the north-east are the foundations of a north-south wall, 0.9m thick, visible for 6m of its length.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. (7)
Small ruined chapel at Ebb's Nook. Stands beside the North Sea - situation is all-important. Such exposed coastal sites were favoured by devout hermits. Ruins of the chapel were uncovered in 1853. No certain date for the building but placename Ebb's Nook, associated with St Ebba, step-daughter of Ethelfrith, king of Northumbria, suggests it is an ancient site. St Ebba's feast day is 25th August. (8)
St Ebba's chapel and monastic site. Scheduling revised on 14th April 1994, new national monument number 25055.
The monument includes the remains of a post-Conquest medieval chapel situated on the rocky promontory known as Ebb's Nook. The chapel is surrounded by a range of earthwork features, some of which are considered to pre-date the chapel and provide evidence of an earlier monastic site here. The visible remains consist of a stone built, rectangular chapel and a series of earthworks. The chapel, which was partially excavated in 1853 is situated at the centre of the complex and measures 17m east-west by 4m north-south. It is thought to date, in its present form, from the 12th or 13th centuries AD. It consists of a nave, a chancel and a later western annexe, although it is now overgrown and much of the detail of the internal layout uncovered by the excavation is obscured. Although other buildings surrounding the chapel were noted in the mid 19th century they have only recently been understood.
Immediately east of the chapel there is a rectangular stony earthwork measuring 3m north-south and 4m east-west; this is thought to be the remains of an earlier building, built on a slightly different axis to that of the later chapel. The stone chapel and the earlier structure form the south side of a walled enclosure 22m by 13m, the other sides being formed by low rubble walls. This complex is situated at the eastern end of a larger enclosure 55m by 25m. The perimeter of this enclosure is formed by a large bank of earth which cuts off the promontory at the western landward end; the bank runs around the edge of the promontory on the western and north-eastern sides and varies in width from 1m to 2m and stands to a maximum height of 1m. The bank is thought to have originally continued along the south side of the promontory; here the cliff face has been eroded and surface traces are not visible. Within the enclosure there are several hollows at the western end and a linear hollow which cuts the north-eastern perimeter bank; these are interpreted as the result of later quarrying and military activity. A stone circular feature 1.5m in diameter is situated at the extreme eastern end of the promontory; it is composed of reddened stone and is thought to be the remains of a hearth associated with the use of the site (see NU 22 NW 36).
The monastic settlement has for over a century been associated with St AEbba, the stepdaughter of the king of Northumbria AEthelfrith; though there is no absolute proof of association, it is thought that an early Christian origin for the earthworks at St Ebb's Nook is not inconsistent with the fact that St AEbba was a devoted Christian who is known to have founded other monasteries in Northumberland and it is known that Beadnell was tenurially linked to the Anglian royal seat at Bamburgh.
The monastic site and later chapel at St Ebb's Nook are well preserved. The monastic site is one of a number situated on promontories or island locations in Northumbria. It will contribute to our knowledge and understanding of early Christian settlement in the immediately post-Roman period. (9)
The area adjacent to the chapel at Beadnell Point has produced pieces of bone including possible human skull fragments in the headland track. The chapel is a rectangular sandstone building, bank and walls are a minimum of 1.5m above the interior, which is severely eroded in places by rabbits. Externally there is erosion in two areas, one of which has a stone wall perpendicular to the chapel, which is c.5m x 10m externally. Possible entrance on north side, facing wall has been pointed with concrete.
The footpath is under erosion from visitors and the edges of the headland are suffering marine erosion. The chapel is covered with vegetation. See photographs C7-10 and slides Y26-28. (10)
AEbba was the half sister of the kings Oswald and Oswiu. (11)
In September 1994 A Williams and G Goodrick cleared away much of the superficial deposits of sand which masked the chapel remains. During the work the heavily robbed cross wall between nave and chancel, as seen on Alfred Way's plan of 1854, was revealed. No evidence for the central doorway was seen. It seems likely that much disturbance to and infilling of the chapel may be due to military activity on the site in WW2. The rabbit population appears not to have caused significant harm to the archaeological levels. The most intense activity was between 0.2m and 0.5m into the sandy mound in the nave and had virtually ceased by the level at which excavation was stopped. (12)
A series of geophysical surveys were undertaken across the site of Saint Ebba's Chapel on Beadnell Point by GSB Prospection during 2011 for Wessex Archaeology as part of the Time Team programme. This work aimed to identify the location of a feature shown on early drawings of the site called the 'Olde Wall' which appears to cut off the headland from the main harbour and village of Beadnell. This work detailed a considereable depth of made ground around the modern housing at the western side of the rocky promontory and sand dunes. In the more accessible areas the data from ground penetrating radar work recorded geological formations. The 'Olde Wall' may have used this feature or have been robbed in the construction and repair work associated with other buildings in the area.
A series of evaluation trenches were excavated by Wessex Archaeology following the geophysical work, also during 2011. Trench 1 placed over the remains of the chapel revealed six main phases of activity, including a sequence of construction for the chapel, later extended to the east, a blocked opening and the subsequent build-up of windblown sand. The northern part of the trench produced a sequence of burials and a World War II defensive trench with further topsoil and windblown sand. The earliest phase encountered on the site was a single-celled chapel of rough sandstone blocks bonded with lime and charcoal mortar. The walls were not fully exposed in the evaluation trench given their unstable nature.
The burials recorded were found, by radiocarbon dating, to be 17th to 19th century in date across the various trenches. The presence of very shallow graves of at least five foetal/neonatal individuals was encountered in Trench 5; these were all laid north-east to south-west and may represent an attempt to bury unbaptised infants and foetuses within consecrated ground.
Finds recovered included a few stone roof tiles, a small carved architectural fragment, ceramic pantiles and a lead window came from the chapel use. Later domestic refuse was recorded around the chapel walls and may relate to the 19th century excavations carried out by J Hodgson Hinde. Some plant remains and molluscan remains were recovered from the environmental sampling carried out. (13)
The results of the Time team investigations were published in Archaeologia Aeliana in 2016. (14)
Additional Reference (15)
N5786
EXCAVATION, Excavation at St Ebba's chapel 1893; HINDE, J H
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1955; J H Ostridge
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1969; D Smith
FIELD SURVEY, Northumberland Coastal Survey 1992; GUARD
PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY, Northumberland Coastal Survey 1992; GUARD
EXCAVATION, Beadnell Point (Ebb's Nook) 1994
EVALUATION, St Ebba's Chapel, Beadnell, Northumberland: archaeological evaluation and assessment of results 2011; Wessex Archaeology
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY, St Ebba's Chapel, Beadnell, Northumberland: archaeological evaluation and assessment of results 2011; GSB Prospection
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1955; J H Ostridge
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1969; D Smith
FIELD SURVEY, Northumberland Coastal Survey 1992; GUARD
PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY, Northumberland Coastal Survey 1992; GUARD
EXCAVATION, Beadnell Point (Ebb's Nook) 1994
EVALUATION, St Ebba's Chapel, Beadnell, Northumberland: archaeological evaluation and assessment of results 2011; Wessex Archaeology
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY, St Ebba's Chapel, Beadnell, Northumberland: archaeological evaluation and assessment of results 2011; GSB Prospection
Disclaimer -
Please note that this information has been compiled from a number of different sources. Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council can accept no responsibility for any inaccuracy contained therein. If you wish to use/copy any of the images, please ensure that you read the Copyright information provided.