222
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Parish Tower Church
Bardfield Saling Early 14th cent. "unusually late". 14th cent.
(This date seems well-authenticated.)
Broomfield Early 12th cent. "but Roman brick 11th cent.
arch". (I should have judged this
tower to be nearly a century earlier,
i.e. 1060-80.)
Lamarsh Early 12th cent. (Again I should Probably
have thought this tower a little 12th cent.
earlier.)
Gt. Leighs Late 12th cent. (There seems no Late 12th cent.
reason to doubt this tower date.)
Pentlow "14th cent. windows", (but in my 12th cent.
view this tower is Much earlier in
its structure, probably late 10th or
very early 11th cent.).
South Ockendon Early 13th cent. "tower arch 1230" Early 12th cent.
(but I should put the tower at early
12th cent.)
Note:—The quotations are from the Historical Monuments Commission
Report; the remarks in parentheses are my own views.
By tradition, some at least of the East Anglian towers have
been said to be refuges from the Danes. When such architectural
features as original window-openings and mouldings can be used
to date the structures, some are found to be of 13th century date,
most appear to be post-Conquest of the 12th and 11th centuries,
a few being Saxon of early 11th or 10th centuries with one or
two in their foundations dating doubtfully from the late 9th
century. In other words, most of them coincide in their building
both spatially and temporally with the raids of the Danish sea-
rovers.
It may be objected that the concentration of Round Towers
along river valleys and on the coast is no more than might be
expected, since all Saxon villages were established by preference
in such situations and when round towers became fashionable,
they would naturally adorn some of the existing village churches.
I must concede that this argument is plausible and that there
may be some truth in it, but I feel it is not the whole reason for
this remarkable distribution.
The typical English round tower is by definition of circular,
or nearly circular, section (the oldest are sometimes a little oval
or otherwise out of true). The most generally constant feature
is an original door-opening some ten feet from the ground, access
originally being by a removable ladder. Then comes the group
of look-out windows near the top, often four in number, orientated
to the cardinal points, with one or two other windows lighting
intermediate levels. The features of diversity, the bricked-up
doors, the 14th century and later additions, the new doors at
ground level into a later church—all these features are, in my
opinion, unrelated to the original purpose of the structure.
It has been said that while some are in good defensive posi-
tions, others are not so well sited for defence, being on low ground,