Record Details

NHER Number:378
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of St Paul's Church, Norwich

Summary

St Paul's Church was situated on the current site of St Paul's Square - indeed the trees that line St Paul's Square once lined the graveyard. Photographic evidence shows that the church had a long squat Perpendicular style nave and a round tower. This round tower was the largest of the five in Norwich, and was probably built in the early medieval period. The church itself was less than 70m from St James' Church (NHER 415), now the Puppet Theatre, and less than 140m from St Saviours' (NHER 669), though it had a larger parish. In World War Two St Paul's was hit by an incendiary bomb, and lost the roof and internal fittings, although photographic evidence shows that the walls and round tower remained. However, the massive works undertaken by Herbert Rowley for Norwich City Council saw the demolition of the whole church and its churchyard. The site looks completely different, now lying partially beneath the footings of the St Crispin's Urban Clearway route, which takes the inner ring road up above the level of the surrounding terrace houses and cuts off the top quarter of the medieval city. No remains of the church survive above ground, and that part of the site not buried beneath tarmac and concrete is now a children's play area. The nearby St Paul's (or Norman) Hospital (NHER 379), founded in 1119 by Bishop Eborard/Herbert, presumably takes its name from this church.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 2331 0935
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

Site of St Pauls Church.

St Paul's Church was situated on the current site of St Paul's Square - indeed the trees that line St Paul's Square once lined the graveyard. Photographic evidence shows that the church had a long, squat Perpendicular style nave and a round tower. This round tower was the largest of the five in Norwich, and was probably built in the early medieval period. The church itself was less than 70m from St James Church (NHER 415), now the Puppet Theatre, and less than 140m from St Saviours (NHER 669), though it had a larger parish.

In World War Two St Paul's was hit by incendiary bomb, and lost the roof and internal fittings, although photographic evidence shows that the walls and round tower remained. It is clear from costings produced in 1948 (S4) that the intention had originally been to rebuild St Paul's. An axiometric sketch that accompanies this document shows the ruinous state of the church at this date, although it is clear that all walls and the tower were still standing. Ultimately, however, the massive works undertaken by Herbert Rowley for Norwich City Council saw the demolition of all of the whole church and churchyard. The site looks completely different, now lying partially beneath the footings of the St Crispins Urban Clearway route, which takes the inner ring road up above the level of the surrounding terrace houses and cuts off the top quarter of the medieval city. No remains of the church survive above ground, and the part of the site not buried beneath tarmac and concrete is now a children's play area.

Information from (S1).

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Late Saxon to Late 20th Century - 851 AD? to 1969 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Article in Serial: Boileau, J. P. 1864. Returns of Church Goods in the Churches of the City of Norwich, 6 Edward VI. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol VI pp 360-378. p 371.
---Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No N41; p 175.
---Unpublished Document: Cattermole, P. 1985. Some Norwich Churches as seen in the Obedientiary Rolls of Norwich Cathedral Priory, 1276-1536.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Norwich - Post Roman.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. Photograph of St Paul's Church Norwich before it was demolished.
<S1>Website: Knott, S.. 2005. St Paul, Norwich. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/norwichpaul/norwichpaul.htm. 24 November 2006.
<S2>Publication: Cox, J. C. 1911. Country Churches: Norfolk. Vol II. p 185.
<S3>Publication: Messent, C. J. W. 1932. The City Churches of Norwich. pp 64-67.
<S4>Unpublished Document: Chaplin, J. P. 1948. Norwich, St Paul [details of proposed repairs].

Related records

Mon 687Parent of: St Pauls / Norman's Hospital (Monument)
Mon 686Parent of: St Pauls Church (Monument)
Mon 788Parent of: St Pauls Churchyard (Monument)
669Parent of: St Paul's Churchyard, Barrack Street (Monument)
Site 1340Parent of: St. Pauls Church and Churchyard, Barrack Street (Monument)

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