Monument record COY 012 - Church of St Michael

Half church + 1 acre recorded at Cookley in Domesday Survey of 1086. Church of St Michael. Consists of Norman N wall on nave, N doorway, tower (with C13 arch). Chancel rebuilt in C13. Nave built in C14. 1597, chancel decayed, repaired same year. 1894 restoration.
For details see (S1-S3).
1999: graffiti, including lots of shoes, recorded on lead of church roof prior to reconstruction by Stuart Boulter. The tower dating to the late 13th century, exhibited a number of structural features; the use of galleting and decorative use of brick, which suggest that the wall's facing stoned were originally visible and not covered by any form of surface treatment. Graffiti on the roof included a number of dated examples, the earliest 1632, which suggest that the majority of the roof was laid early in the 17th century with only a limited amount of replacement and repair since that time.
Details in 'Church of St. Michael, Cookley (COY 012): Archaeol Recording of the Tower Wall Fabric & Tower Roof Graffiti' (S4).

A programme of renovation and restoration to the tower provided the opportunity to record architectural and wall fabric features that may have become obscured by the building works. In addition the comprehensive graffiti on the lead roof of the tower was recorded prior to its removal.
The tower, dating to the late 13th century, exhibited a number of structural features - the use of galleting and decorative use of brick - which suggest that the wall’s facing stones were originally visible and not covered by any form of surface treatment.
Graffiti on the roof included a number of dated examples, the earliest being 1632, which suggest that the most of the lead for the roof was laid early in the 17th century with only a limited amount of replacement and repair since that time. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 1999 (S5).