Wat Chedi Kao, or the Monastery of the Old Chedi, is situated off Ayutthaya's city island in the northern area, in the Suan Phrik Sub-district. The monastery was located on the west bank of Khlong Nam Ya (1), north of Wat Nak and west of Wat Borommawong, in an area called Thamle Ya (2), just south of the Pho Sam Ton Fields (3).
Wat Chedi Kao was built on a mound standing in the rice fields. The site is filled with broken bricks and shattered holes dug by treasure hunters. A Buddha statue, orientated in a northeastern direction, sits on top of the mound. Near the pedestal of the Buddha are some remains of broken Buddha images.
Historical data about the monastery and its construction are unknown.
The monastery does not feature on any of the old maps.
The site is in geographical coordinates: 14° 22' 53.10" N, 100° 33' 51.38" E.
The story behind
I first got a hint of the existence of a monastery called Wat Chedi Kao in the vicinity of Wat Nak when visiting Wat Ngiu in the Khlong Sra Bua Sub-district in May 2011 CE. I checked Google maps and pinpointed a possible location for this mysterious site. I went to the vicinity of Wat Nak to search for more indications, but nobody had a clue about its existence. In June of the same year, I went to the Fine Arts Department (FAD) to query, but there was no information in their logs regarding the temple. In August, I tried to access the area from behind Wat Borommawong but failed as it was too swampy. Shortly before the Great Flood in 2011 CE, during one of my reconnaissance trips north of Ayutthaya, the name of Wat Chedi Kao was mentioned again. In August 2012 CE, I visited the FAD, and on indicating the possible location on a map, I was told that the area North had never been excavated. In 2013 CE, I still got the site marked with a white pin, indicating the site was not yet confirmed. Taking profit of the hot season, I finally made my way into the area in April 2013 CE. The place was indeed the location of an old monastery and clearly visible in the fields as most of the vegetation had been cleared recently.