The ruins of St Mary's or St James's Church. Built in the early and middle 12th century with the chancel being replaced and enlarged during the 15th century. The church fell into ruin in the second half of the 18th century. The church is constructed in the Romanesque style from carstone rubble. It is all that remains of the medieval village that once surrounded the church of which there are no extant structures. Archaeological deposits recovered from this area indicate continuous occupation of the area from the Iron Age to 16th century.
See (S1) for further details.
S. Howard (NLA), 2010.
1930/1931. Excavations.
Revealed north side of apse.
See (S2).
D. Robertson (NLA) 6 October 2005.
1960. Field Observation.
Late Saxon grave slab, with interlacing pattern found on site of church ruins , this has been removed to the King's Lynn Museum (KILLM : 1960.58). See drawing (S13).
See (S14) for further information.
Church ruins, in deserted medieval village site.
Late Saxon?, Norman and Gothic. Iron slag has also been recorded.
For full details and press cuttings see (S3), (S4) and (S5).
E. Rose (NLA) amended by M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 25 February 2013.
See reference (S6) and photographs (S7) and (S8) in file.
1996. Building survey.
Essentially Romanesque Church. On hill, now isolated. Built of mixture of local carstone, iron conglomerate rubble, occasional flint and glacial erratic - unusually flint not dominant. Dressings of limestone from Barnack.
Aisleless nave, central tower and late medieval chancel. Central tower Norman - two sides survive, long and short quoins below bell stage are Norman but of Late Saxon technique, bell stage of tower is later. North side of nave relatively complete, south wall has lost eastern end. Surviving part of chancel is 14th or 15th century.
Information from (S9).
D. Robertson (NLA) 6 October 2005.
August 1998.
During the Time Team restoration two carved stones previously examined by N. Moore in February 1993 were drawn and then were replaced in the voussoirs (S15) (S16). A third stone was drawn however this was retuned to the HBMC store (S17).
A. Rogerson (NLA) 6 September 1998.
3 October 1998. Section 17 Management Agreement signed (five years).
See copy (S10).
H. Paterson (A&E) 14 September 1999.
2001.
Area of schedule extended.
See file.
D. Gurney (NLA) 23 January 2002.
2002.
No evident fresh fall of masonry.
H. Paterson (A&E) 21 June 2002.
July 2003.
No apparent recent stone fall from fabric.
H. Paterson (A&E) 9 July 2003.
6 January 2004. Section 17 Agreement received.
H. Paterson (A&E) 15 January 2004.
Before 1 January 2005. In topsoil after ploughing at TF 6624 2073.
One rim sherd of Thetford type ware.
See description in file.
E. Darch (NLA) 4 February 2005.
Site visit. August 2006.
Site in excellent condition.
H. Paterson (A&E), 5 September 2006.
January 2007.
Scheduled monument consent granted concerning fencing around the exterior of the church.
See (S11).
H. White (NLA), 6 April 2009
March 2009.
5 year Section 17 agreement signed, backdated to 6 January 2009.
See (S12).
D. Robertson (NLA), 1 April 2009.
July 2014.
5 year Section 17 agreement signed.
See (S18).
D. Robertson (HES), 18 May 2015.
| --- | Aerial Photograph: TF6620 A-F,H-AL. |
| --- | Publication: Corbishley. M.. 1983. AM107. |
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 62 SE 17 [5]. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Designation: English Heritage. 2001. Schedule Report. |
| --- | Designation: Ministry of Works. 1952. Schedule Report. |
| --- | Unpublished Document: Robert Freakley Associates Architects. 1992. St James, Bawsey, Norfolk. |
| --- | Photograph: Ashley, H.. Bawsey (NK5915 to NK5921, NK5924, NK5925 and NK5928). |
| --- | Illustration: Ladbrooke, J.B.. 1831. Bawsey Church. |
| --- | Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 197. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Bells ring at ancient church to celebrate the harvest. 14 July. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Explore west to find our treasure. 1 November. |
| --- | Serial: 1960. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries for 1960. No 7. p 2. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon. Bawsey [2]. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Bawsey. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Slide: Various. Slide. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1979. Part of Norman arch stolen. 25 September. |
| --- | Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Miscellaneous. Bawsey. |
| <S1> | Unpublished Document: Heywood, S. Historic building report for St Mary or St James' Church, Bawsey St James, Norfolk.. Building Report. |
| <S2> | Article in Serial: Fairweather, F. H. 1931. Excavations in Norfolk; Summer 1930. Antiquaries Journal. XI No 2 pp 168-169. p 169. |
| <S4> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1982. [Photograph of St James' Church, Bawsey]. 14 July. |
| <S5> | Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1990. [Photograph of St James' Church, Bawsey]. 30 November. |
| <S6> | Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 66; pp 52, 114-116. |
| <S7> | Photograph: BMG1, ELE 20-30. |
| <S8> | Photograph: Edwards, D. (NAU). Bawsey Deserted Church (ALK 15, ELK 10 to 14, ELN 2). |
| <S9> | Unpublished Document: Heywood, S. 1996. The Ruined Church of St Mary, Bawsey St James. |
| <S10> | Unpublished Document: H. Paterson (A&E), MPP. Section 17 Management Agreement. |
| <S11> | Designation: DCMS. 2007. Scheduled Monument Consent. |
| <S12> | Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. 2008-2009. Section 17 Management Agreement. |
| <S13> | Illustration: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Drawing of a Late Saxon stone grave slab from Bawsey. Card. 1:3. |
| <S14> | Article in Serial: Wilson, D. M. and Hurst, D. G. 1962. Medieval Britain in 1960. Medieval Archaeology. Vol IV (for 1961) pp 309-339. p 308. |
| <S15> | Illustration: Ashley, S. 1998. Drawing of a medieval carved stone from Bawsey Church [BP 79 No 7]. Film. 1:2. |
| <S16> | Illustration: Ashley, S. 1998. Drawing of a medieval carved stone from Bawsey Church [BP 79 No 8]. Film. 1:2. |
| <S17> | Illustration: Ashley, S. 1998. Drawing of a medieval carved stone from Bawsey Church [BP 79 No B17]. Film. 1:2. |
| <S18> | Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. 2014-15. Norfolk Monuments Management Project Section 17 agreement. |