Record Details
| NHER Number: | 372 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Former precinct of St Mary in the Fields, Chapel in the Fields (includes Chapelfield Gardens) |
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Summary
This is the former precinct of St Mary in the Fields. For a full discussion of the medieval secular college and hospital see NHER 618. The precinct incorporates the Chapelfield Gardens, the oldest example of a public park in the region. The gardens have had an interesting history and operated as a reservoir in the 18th century before having extensive air raid shelters dug beneath them during the Second World War.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 226 082 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG20NW |
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| Parish: | NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Precinct number for St Mary in the Fields. See also NHER 69, 700, 443, 618, 371, 229, 87, 128, 228.
The precinct number includes what is now Chapelfield Gardens, which was at one time used as a reservoir. Extensive air raid shelters were made beneath the gardens in WWII and were rediscovered in 1994, also bomb craters.
See plans in file.
E. Rose (NLA) 21 April 1995.
The land was leased by Mr Churchman of Churchman House in the 18th century as a private pleasure ground, but there was also public access. Later in 1740 he leased back the centre to the city as a reservoir. By 1780 this had extended up to the city wall, the spoil was dumped over the gardens; people were annoyed from coming and so Castle Ditches was opened as a public park instead. By the 1830s the water had begun to drain away and in 1840 Heigham and Lakenham water works replaced it. The water company drew up plans for a public park with central pond, and water tower made into a gazebo, but after buying the land back the city went for a cheaper option with intersecting avenues. The plan was spoilt by the 1970s construction of Grapes Hill roundabout.
For the full details of this, and other details, see (S1).
Graded three star, oldest example of public park in region.
E. Rose (NLA) 17 December 1997.
See documentary reference (S2).
See also press cuttings (S3), (S4), (S5) and (S6), along with pamphlet (S7).
T. Sunley (NLA) 2 November 2007.
Monument Types
- CHANTRY COLLEGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- NUNNERY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- AIR RAID SHELTER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- BOMB CRATER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TG 2208ACX - ACZ, ADC - ADE; TG 2308BFL - BFM. |
| --- | Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1999. TG 2208ADF - ADH, ADK, ADT - AEB, AEE; TG 2308BFV. |
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 20 NW 110. |
| --- | Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 318-319. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2009. Alarm over state of heritage jewels. 14 September. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Unpublished Document: Taigel, A. 1997. Norfolk Gardens Trust: Town Gardens Survey - Volume One. Norfolk Gardens Trust. |
| <S2> | Publication: Jeffery, P.. 2004. The Collegiate Churches of England and Wales.. p 237. |
| <S3> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. Getting ready to take cover beneath city park. 13 August. |
| <S4> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1994. Shelters filled in. 13 September. |
| <S5> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. Time's up for that eyesore in the park. 10 October. |
| <S6> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1994. Bomb crater puzzle - Park area close to collapse. 20 October. |
| <S7> | Publication: The Story of the Gurney Clock. |
Related records
| Mon 1308 | Parent of: Agricultural land (former Nestles site) (Monument) |
| 618 | Parent of: Assembly House, Theatre Street (Building) |
| Site 1105 | Parent of: Behind City Wall, Chapelfield Garden (Monument) |
| Site 952 | Parent of: Castle Meadow (Monument) |
| Site 827 | Parent of: Chapelfield Gardens (Monument) |
| Site 405 | Parent of: Chapelfield Road (Monument) |
| Site 950 | Parent of: Chapelfield Road East (Monument) |
| Site 2132 | Parent of: Church of St Stephen (Monument) |
| Site 842 | Parent of: Malthouse Road (Monument) |
| 128 | Parent of: Medieval and post medieval pottery sherds from the car park, Malthouse Road (Find Spot) |
| 87 | Parent of: Medieval and post medieval pottery sherds, Malthouse Road (Find Spot) |
| 228 | Parent of: Medieval lamp (Find Spot) |
| 700 | Parent of: Multi period pottery sherds and human skull, Theatre Street/Chapelfield Road (Find Spot) |
| 409 | Parent of: No finds or features of archaeological interest behind the City Wall, Chapelfield Garden (Find Spot) |
| 443 | Parent of: Post medieval coin and theatre token from Theatre Royal Extension, Theatre Street (Find Spot) |
| 229 | Parent of: Post medieval pottery sherd from The Vicarage, Chantry Road (Find Spot) |
| 69 | Parent of: Post medieval pottery vessel, Chapelfield Gardens (Find Spot) |
| Mon 505 | Parent of: Precinct of the College of St Mary in the Fields (Monument) |
| Mon 1263 | Parent of: St Henry Hobart's Mansion (Monument) |
| Site 2060 | Parent of: St Stephen`s church (Monument) |
| Site 1623 | Parent of: St Stephen`s Church, Rampant Horse Street (Monument) |
| Mon 1483 | Parent of: St Stephen's Church (Early) (Monument) |
| Mon 824 | Parent of: St Stephen's Church (Monument) |
| Site 1927 | Parent of: St Stephen's Church, Rampant Horse Street (Monument) |
| Mon 1433 | Parent of: St Stephens Churchyard (Monument) |
| Mon 882 | Parent of: The Assembly Rooms (Monument) |
| Site 1294 | Parent of: The Assembly Rooms, Theatre Street (Monument) |
| Site 1861 | Parent of: The Assembly Rooms, Theatre Street (Monument) |
| 371 | Parent of: The Chantry, Chantry Road (Monument) |
| Site 1366 | Parent of: Theatre Street / Chapelfield Road (Monument) |
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