Anchor Church Derbyshire: Cave hermitage or summerhouse? A case study in understanding a rock-cut building (UBSS Proceedings v.28(3))

Abstract: Anchor Church is an artificial cave at Ingleby in Derbyshire, it is cut into a cliff on the south side of a tributary of the Trent. The site has been long suspected to have been a hermitage and has been identified with Saint Hardulph, a deposed Northumbrian king who seemingly retired as a hermit at this site. The fabric of the cave itself has been presumed to largely relate to the use of the site in the 18th or 19th century by the inhabitants of nearby Foremarke Hall. Analysis shows that such a late origin for the structures is very unlikely and that modifications in the 18th or 19th century were on a small-scale and saw no significant enlargement of the existing caves. The phasing, the known history, comparison with similar sites, architectural analysis and the few surviving diagnostic features strongly suggest an early medieval origin for the site, probably dating back to the 8th century. This may be a unique example of an almost intact early medieval domestic interior and requires further study.