Essex erratic boulders: a gazetteer
The Gazetteer
All measurements are in centimetres unless otherwise stated
BASILDON DISTRICT
No large erratics are known from this district.
BRAINTREE DISTRICT
Alphamstone
In the vicinity of St. Barnabas Church (TL 878354) there are at least eleven sarsens; eight in the
churchyard, two by the road and one inside the church (at the base of the west wall of the nave)
(Rudge 1964). The largest stone (150x120x45) is in the churchyard adjacent to the west wall of the
church. It is likely that there are others in the churchyard that are now completely buried. The
abundance of sarsens here suggests that a former Pagan stone circle or monument may have existed
on this site, all the stones being transported here by humans. St. Barnabas Church is mostly fourteenth
century with Norman origins.
On the roadside, outside a cottage (TL 871357), south-west of Ansell's Farm, is a sarsen
(130x110x40).
Bardfield Saling
On the grass outside the entrance to the churchyard of St.Peter and St.Paul Church (TL 686265) is
a 1.2 metre diameter boulder of weathered sandy limestone covered in lichen and moss.
Bocking
The old retaining wall surrounding the churchyard of St.Mary's Church (TL 757257) contains
numerous small erratics including two of basalt (maximum 45 centimetres long).
Bulmer Tye
Several sarsens are situated by the private entrance road to Bulmer Brickworks (TL 832380).
Castle Hedingham
Next to and opposite the youth hostel (TL 786356) in Luces Lanc are two sarsens (the largest
90x50x50).
Finchingfield
A large and splendid boulder of basalt (85x70x50) lies by the roadside (TL 685329) on the left
hand side a few metres from the village green on the road north out of the village.
Gestingthorpe
Sarsens are remarkably abundant in the area around Gestingthorpe village. Boswell mapped their
distribution in die Sudbury district (Boswell 1929) and stated that over sixty 'blocks of sarsen-
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Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)