Record Details
| NHER Number: | 6617 |
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| Type of record: | Building |
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| Name: | All Saints' Church, Gresham |
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Summary
Set on a slight hillside to the north of the village, this interesting church consists of a round west tower, nave, chancel, south porch and north vestry. The building seems to have early origins, starting off as a late 11th century church, of which the west wall and probably the tower base remain, together with much material reused in later phases.The round tower was added in the early 12th century, and the rest of the church added to and altered over the next three centuries, including the addition of a 15th century south porch that is rather more elaborate in style than the rest of the building. The north vestry is early 19th century. The top of the tower used to be octagonal, but was rebuilt with battlements in a late Victorian restoration. Inside is to be found an exceptionally well-preserved 15th century font decorated with the Seven Sacraments and the Baptism of Christ, together with some good examples of medieval tomb slabs and a poignant memorial to three sons of the Batt family, all killed during World War Two. The churchyard has some good 19th century memorials, including one in cast iron. Interestingly, in 1886, a Neolithic flint axehead was found built into the tower. The reasons for its insertion are unclear, but may have been superstitious in origin.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 1674 3856 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG13NE |
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| Parish: | GRESHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Round towered church; Saxo Norman west wall, tower base perhaps later.
Church probably early 14th century with later 14th century east wall and 15th century nave windows and porch; but possibly of 16th century work. Nave roof 1856, upper part of tower rebuilt 1886.
Exceptionally fine Seven Sacrament font.
Stocks formerly stood in yard.
See report (S2) and and photographs (S3) in file.
Listed Grade II* in 1960, (S4).
E. Rose (NAU), 16 January 1989.
1886. Stray Find.
Found built into church tower:
1 prehistoric flint "unpolished chisel". Dimensions 5 1/4 inches by 1 7/8 inches. Information from (S5). This was one of a number of prehistoric objects from the parish exhibited by J. Cox (the headmaster of Gresham School) at a meeting of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia in 1911 (S1). Now in the Norwich Castle Museum's Cox-Barclay collection (NWHCM : 1935.57) and identified as potentially Mesolithic by R. Jacobi.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 8 October 2014.
16 November 1990.
Salvage excavation revealed a 19th century heating duct.
E. Rose (NAU), 19 November 1990.
Monument Types
- FINDSPOT (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC?)
- CHURCH (Late Saxon to 19th Century - 851 AD to 1900 AD)
- STOCKS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Associated Finds
- ADZE (Early Mesolithic to Late Neolithic - 10000 BC to 2351 BC?)
- POLISHED AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2351 BC)
- UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
- DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- FONT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- Xbell frame (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: TG1638 M,N. |
| --- | Monograph: Bryant, T. H. 1900. Hundred of North Erpingham. Vol V. pp 25-31. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 529-530. |
| --- | Serial: 1818. Excursions through Norfolk. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service. |
| <S1> | Article in Serial: 1911. Summary of Proceedings. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society of East Anglia. Vol I Pt I (for 1909-1910) pp 109-121. p 117. |
| <S2> | Unpublished Document: Rose, E.. 1989. Building Report.. Building Report. |
| <S3> | Photograph: EQJ 14-16. |
| <S4> | Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1305530. |
| <S5> | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Neolithic. Gresham. |
Related records - none
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