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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	5913
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Site of St Nicholas' Church

Summary

St Nicholas' church was first mentioned in 1291 and repaired in 1528 before being demolished in 1547. However, documents show that the tower was still present in 1740. Some remains of the church survive into modernity but are incorporated into the back garden wall of St Nicholas House. Excavations in this area in 1989 and 1990 revealed part of the burial ground associated with St Nicholas' church, as well as a large number of 11th and 12th century rubbish and cess pits, suggesting this area was occupied at that time.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TL 8680 8326
Map Sheet:	TL88SE
Parish:	THETFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

(S1) says some remains - built into back garden wall of St Nicholas' House.
Tower stood in in 1740 - and in 1718 (S2) noted tower only - what looks like a round-headed window below the old nave roofline on his drawing.
Chancel repaired in 1527 according to (S3).
Church was mentioned in 1291, repaired in 1528 and demolished after 1547.
See extract from (S4) in file showing reused stonework in adjacent house.
E. Rose (NAU).

1920.
Human remains reported from pipe trench.

September-October 1989. Excavation.
Revealed Late Saxon, medieval and post medieval pits showing that the land remained open until the 19th century when the Burrell works were constructed.
Pits contained Late Saxon/Medieval pottery, shell, animal bones, Late Saxon metalwork.
See (S5).
The finds recovered during this work have been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1990.123)
E. Rose (NLA), 24 February 1992.
(S6) states that the 1989 excavations revealed only rubbish and cess pits, and that these dated from no earlier than the 11th century. These features provided evidence of occupation nearby (probably on the Minstergate frontage) from sometime in the 11th century, continuing through the 12th, but declining (or less evident) thereafter. The pits contained a typical urban, mainly domestic, assemblage.
The excavations also revealed some remains relating to the use of this site in the post medieval period, when it was part of the area occupied by Burrell's works.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 20 August 2008.

1990. Rescue excavation during building work.
Thirty-six medieval inhumations above 11th-12th century pits.
Roman, Middle Saxon, Late Saxon sherds found.
E. Rose (NLA), 24 February 1992.

For 1989 and 1990 excavations see (S6) and (S7). The results of this work are also summarised in (S8) and (S9).
There has been some reinterpretation of finds and it appears some previously dated Late Saxon are now dated medieval in the report.
E. Rose (NAU) 4 October 1999.

Photo numbers are part of the excavation record.

Monument Types

PIT (Late Saxon to Medieval - 1000 AD? to 1199 AD?)
CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
CHURCHYARD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
INHUMATION (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
CASTING HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
PIT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
POT (Middle Saxon - 651 AD to 850 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
BROOCH (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
NAIL (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
POT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
CRUCIBLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
FIDDLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
HECKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
KNIFE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
METAL WORKING DEBRIS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
NAIL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
PILGRIM BADGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
PIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
PLATE BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
QUERN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
TOBACCO PIPE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---	Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.. 1989. NHER TL 8683AM-AP (NLA 223/SLIDE) 15-JUN-1989.
---	Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TL 88 SE 61.
---	Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---	Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon. Thetford.
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
---	Slide: Various. Slide.
---	Fiche: Exists.
---	Photograph: DZA-DZD, FVQ, FVR.
<S1>	Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, B. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 704.
<S2>	Unpublished Contractor Report: Bayley, J. 1991. Crucibles from Minstergate, Thetford, Norfolk. Ancient Monuments Laboratory. 15/91.
<S2>	Documentary Source: Martin, T. c. 1700-1799. Collections of Church Notes. Norfolk Records Office. Walter Rye Collection. RYE 17.. c. 1740.
<S3>	Article in Serial: Harvey, J. H. 1973. Building Works by an East Anglian Priory. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXV Pt IV pp 505-510. p 507.
<S4>	Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 237; p 55.
<S5>	Newspaper Article: The Citizen. 1989. Excavation gets under way: History is pieced together. 13 September.
<S6>	Article in Monograph: Penn, K. 1999. Excavations at Minstergate, 1989, Site 5913. Excavations in Thetford, North of the River, 1989-90. East Anglian Archaeology. Andrews, P. and Penn, K. No 87 pp 66-74.
<S7>	Article in Monograph: Andrews, P. and Penn, K. 1999. Watching Briefs and Trial Trenches. Excavations in Thetford, North of the River, 1989-90. East Anglian Archaeology. Andrews, P. and Penn, K. No 87 pp 83-88.
<S8>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D (ed.). 1990. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1989. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt I pp 107-112. p 111.
<S9>	Article in Serial: Gurney, D. (ed.). 1991. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 1990. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLI Pt II pp 240-246. p 244.