Record Details

NHER Number:40581
Type of record:Building
Name:Old Vicarage, Chapel Street, New Buckenham

Summary

This timber framed 15th century hall house was originally a guildhall. The central truss of the open hall was extremely decorative. The building was acquired by the community after the guilds were dissolved in the 1540s and was used as a 'maultery'. The building was reconstructed between 1612 and 1614 when the fabulous stepped gable end and the roof were built. Later the building housed a minister of the parish. The brick front was added in 1867 and the east end was demolished in 1949. Tree ring analysis indicates that this building was constructed in 1452 or shortly after.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TM 08669 90366
Map Sheet:TM09SE
Parish:NEW BUCKENHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Vicarage, now a private house, previously guildhall. Stepped west gable with four small windows in wall either side of a clear chimney, bulging at base behind fireplace. (S1) states that the south range is 15th century timber framed with wattle and daub infill and 19th century brick infill.
See (S1) for further information.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 12 July 2004.

[1] notes that this building is a 15th century hall house with sooted roof, the west chimney is 16th century but the brick gable wall was built out flush with it in the 17th century, It has a 19th century rear wing but the eastern half of the original block was demolished in the 1940s.
See full details of building in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 November 1983.

June 2002. Building Survey.
A survey of the timber frame revealed the remains of a large open hall and possible service room, both originally open to the roof. The central truss of the open hall was of very decorative character, suggesting that identification of this building as a Guildhall may be correct.
See (S2), drawings and photographs in file.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 26th July 2004.

Previously NHER 9200 context 11.

There were two parish guilds in New Buckenham. St Mary's guild is documented by bequests from 1450 and that of St Martin from 1461. It is not known of which guild this was the hall. After the dissolution of religious guilds in 1540 it was acquired by the community. The kitchen is refered to in 1567 and 1571 and by 1605 to 1606 the town had established a 'maultery'. Major reconstruction was carried out between 1612 and 1614, the date of the present roof and spectacular stepped gable end. Later it housed the minister of the parish, a perpetual curate not a beneficed priest. The brick front was added about 1867 and the eastern end was demolished by the ecclesiastical authorities in 1949.
See (S3).
M. Dennis (NLA), 10 May 2006.

May 2004. Dendrochronological analysis.
Six samples were obtained, all of which proved usable. The sample complete to bark edge was felled in the winter of 1451-2 and the other samples appear to be contemporaneous and from a single phase of construction. The timbers were used green, so it is reasonable to assume a date of construction shortly after the felling date. This building has produced the earliest tree ring date obtained within the parish.
See (S4) for further information.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 10 July 2009.

Monument Types

  • (Alternate Type) HALL HOUSE (Constructed, 15th Century - 1451 AD to 1460 AD) + Sci.Date
  • (Alternate Type) HALL HOUSE (In Use As, 15th Century to 17th Century - 1451 AD to 1604 AD? (end date unknown))
  • GUILDHALL (Constructed, 15th Century - 1451 AD to 1460 AD?) + Sci.Date
  • GUILDHALL (In Use As, 15th Century to 16th Century - 1451 AD to 1540 AD? (end date unknown))
  • TIMBER FRAMED BUILDING (Constructed, 15th Century - 1451 AD to 1460 AD?) + Sci.Date
  • MALTINGS (In Use As, 17th Century - 1605 AD to 1699 AD? (end date unknown))
  • VICARAGE (In Use As, 18th Century to Mid 20th Century - 1800 AD? to 1950 AD? (start and end date unknown))
  • HOUSE (In Use As, Mid 20th Century to 21st Century - 1950 AD? to 2100 AD (presumed current))

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 561.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England.
<S2>Unpublished Document: Brown, S. & Brown, M.. 2002. The Old Vicarage - New Buckenham.
<S3>Monograph: Longcroft, A (ed.). 2005. The Historic Buildings of New Buckenham. Journal of the Norfolk Historic Buildings Group. Vol 2.
<S4>Unpublished Document: Tyers, I. with Brown, S. and Brown, M.. 2004. Arcus Project Report No. 783. A Report on the Tree-Ring Analysis of Properties in New Buckenham, Norfolk.. pp 8-9.

Related records

9200Part of: New Buckenham, a medieval planned town (Monument)
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