Record Details

NHER Number:8027
Type of record:Building
Name:St Peter's Church, Spixworth

Summary

This church is a very unusual building. It has a large combined chancel and nave in the Decorated style, but the spindly unbuttressed west tower looks like it might have been part of an older and smaller church. Some of the windows in the south aisle are Decorated, but
two are Perpendicular, as is the arcade to the main church. Inside, there is a cusped pisicina by the south door, a Norman font, superb 18th century floor tombs in the sanctuary and other fine 19th century memorials. The church bells are stated to be of 1350 and 1450, with one inscribed by Walter Blower. In 1950 the coat of arms from the facade of Spixworth Hall was moved to the church.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 2406 1577
Map Sheet:TG21NW
Parish:SPIXWORTH, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Visit by E. Rose (NAU) 3 March 1977.
Very unusual building. Large nave and chancel in one with Decorated windows, some with grotesque headstops. Small south aisle with tiny pointed west door and walls of great thickness, of flint with odd pieces of tile and stone, attached to a square tower with slit windows whose top storey is in brick, which has also been used to patch the lower section. Tower cuts frame of a Decorated south door. Some windows in south aisle are Decorated, including a small one high up on south (renewed 19th century) but two (including the east one) are Perpendicular, as is the arcade to main church. Heavy and crude double stepped sedilia in this aisle. So is it the original church? Cusped piscina inside south door. Chancel has very fine Decorated sedilia and piscina in one, but much recut 19th century. Also low side-window, pointed rood stair and marks of screen. Modern vestry on north has old stone coat of arms set outside. Norman font. Large monument of 1635 to Peck, by Marshall, much cracked (seemingly worse on faces of figures than in Pevsner's photograph of 1957), helmet hangs above. Doorstep to south aisle west door may be a medieval tomb slab. Fine 18th century floor tombs in sanctuary. Good collection of 19th century memorials. Royal arms of George I. Chalice, London 1567, Paten 1721, Flagon 1730.
E. Rose (NAU), 3 March 1977.

See NHER 12271 - Parsonage Farm, adjacent, in which sections of colonettes were found reused, apparently 12th/13th century. Taken with the Norman font, are these part of the older church? However the farm appears 16th century - what alterations were made in the church at that date?
Is the Perperndicular work that late? Or is it a re-reuse?
E. Rose (NAU), 9 February 1983.

Similar material also occurs in Spixworth Hall barns (NHER 8022); could it in fact have come from Horsham St Faith priory?
The Peck memorial was restored in 1992-3. Rector reports that behind it was found a fragment of stained glass, and a sheep bone inside the memorial.
E. Rose (NLA), 26 July 1993.

Bellframe restored 1993, see reference (S2). Photographs suggests it may have been of late date, 18th or 19th century. Bells stated to be of 1350 and 1450, one inscribed by Walter Blower.
E. Rose (NLA), 9 September 1993.

In 1602 the church was recorded as 'greatlie decayed both in ye roof and walls' due to neglect by the patron. The roof collapsed in 1804 and was repaired in 1856 and the nave and aisle were restored in 1866.
In 1950 the coat of arms from the façade of the Hall was moved to the church.
E. Rose (NLA), 22 August 1994.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval to 21st Century - 1066 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Monograph: Bryant, T. H. 1905. Hundred of Taverham. The Churches of Norfolk. Vol XV. pp 128-136.
---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 670-671; Pl 84.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2011. This church flock is far from welcome. 28 May.
---Unpublished Document: Warnes, R.. 1986. St Peter's Church IN A History of Spixworth and Grange Farm. March.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. 1962. North-East Norfolk and Norwich. The Buildings of England. 1st Edition. p 319; Pl 43a.
<S1>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1986. [Photograph of St Peter's Church, Spixworth]. 23 August.
<S2>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1993. Repairs will let the old bells ring out again. 9 September.
<S2>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1992. Family tomb plea to actor. 5 October.
<S2>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1992. Font cover a memorial. 1 October.
<S2>Unpublished Document: 1989. Application for Grant for Places of Worship in Use.

Related records

12271Related to: Parsonage Farm (Building)
8022Related to: Spixworth Hall Cottages, site of Spixworth Hall (Monument)

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