Monument record IKN 007 - Monastery of St Botolph (Sax)

In January 1977 an Anglo-Saxon carved stone was discovered by S E West built into the NE corner at the base of the tower of St Botolph's church at Iken. "The fragment consists of the lower part of a monolithic cross shaft, rectangular in section and tapering slightly toward the upper broken end. The free-standing portion is 1.5m long, with a further 14cm of broken tenon at the base. From the proportions of the surviving piece, it is very likely that the complete cross was originally at least 3m high. The tenon has a rounded profile which appears to be original; presumably the base must have been a substantial block of stone. There is extensive damage; the broken upper end has a rounded, weathered appearance and the tenon has lost about a third of its mass". The lower part of this cross shaft probably "served as a memorial to St Botolph, even though it was carved many years after his death" (precis)(S1).
In 1977 the nave and the narrow space between the N wall and the churchyard wall at St Botolph's church were excavated as part of a search for the site of the earlier Sax monastery of St Botolph. During the excavation a Sax cross shaft (CRN 01709) was extracted from the base of the tower of the Med church. The excavation demonstrated that the Norman foundations of the present nave overlie traces of an earlier beam-slot building and cut earlier graves. A few fragments of MSax [Ipswich ware?] ware are an important indication of an early date for the occupation of the site (precis) (S1). Cross now stands in Iken church.
There is some dispute about the location of the Benedictine monastery of St Botolph. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 654, states that the monastery was at "Icanho" and three places have been put forward as occupying the position of "Icanho"; they are Hadstock, Grundisburgh/Burgh and Iken. (Boston in Lincolnshire is no longer regarded as a strong contender). Hadstock and Grundisburgh/Burgh both have dedications to St Botolph and both have C12 documents to back their claims. Iken, however, has similarity of name, the right topographical situation and location in the East Anglian Kingdom, a dedication to St Botolph and the suggestive grant of the manor of Sudbourne, including Iken, to St Aethelwold, who was also granted the remains of St Botolph. Taken altogether these pieces of evidence argue strongly that St Botolph's monastery was situated at Iken in Suffolk (precis) (S2). For the major detailed evidence see (S4).