Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

1980.
"Crabb's Abbey" or "Crabhouse"; St John's nunnery, Augustinian. Founded c1181, dissolved 1536. Information from (S1)

The nunnery was founded for nuns of Fontrevault, who were later driven away by floods except for one who became an anchoress in Wiggenhall Magdalen churchyard. It was afterwards given to a house of canons who became attached to Castle Acre.

Tom Martin's Church notes from 1772 (S2) give a drawing of a crenellated abbey gate marked "Crabhouse" with the text "?Magdalen church, Part of ye steeple and piece of south wall standing. The old man that lives here says he has found a brass plate and several bones. The plate he gave to the minister of Magdalen (Mr Beeston) who has a leidger (sic) of the Abbey as I'm informed from Sir Ralph Hares written in Latin and French…They dig much brickearth on the south side of the church and there bones are daily found." Despite the strange opening words "?Magdalen church," this almost certainly refers to Crabhouse and not to St Mary Magdalen's.

Bryant states that "urns and a bronze blade have been found here," (S3) but this could be confusion with other sites.
E. Rose (NAU), 1 October 1980
Updated by H. White (NLA), 1 April 2009

1984.
Many carved medieval fragments of stonework built into present house, used to edge flowerbeds and generally lying around. The owner states that in digging holes for horse tethering posts in front of the house he often hits foundations.
R. Silvester (NAU), 24 July 1984

August 1984. Site visit by A. Rogerson.
No trace of nunnery in home or garden except for some ?plinth mouldings in the east wall of the house, some limestone and carstone in the garden including 2 similar limestone jambs probably from an archway. See sketch in file. Thirteenth century (?) human burials reportedly found by previous owner few yards east of the east wall of the eighteenth century house at shallow depth. See plan in file.
A. Rogerson (NAU), 31 August 1984

Plan of part of the nunnery is given in (S4).

August 1998.
Medieval sherds and roofing tile found.
See notes in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 16 September 1998.

For the present house on the site (late 18th century, altered 19th century not listed) see (S5) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 28 May 2004.

March 2009.
It is possible to re-create the layout of the priory based on information recorded in 1557 (S6). The precinct contained two large courts or yards to the west and north of the original cloister. Entry to the courtyard was from a gate to the east, through a passage with eight-foot high walls. The west range and cloister of the original priory were retained after the Dissolution. The range was ordered as a hall with upper and lower ends. The outbuildings in 1557 included an old mill house and storehouse. The Parson's lodgings are described as a chamber, kitchen and buttery, adjoining the old steeple. The church formed the south range of the cloister.
Information from (S7)
H. White (NLA), 1 April 2009

Monument Types

• INHUMATION (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• NUNNERY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

• POT (Undated)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Undated)
• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CLAY PIPE (SMOKING) (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen (Parish Summary)