Record Details

NHER Number:1757
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of St Peter's church, Burnham Thorpe

Summary

Cropmarks of a medieval two celled church are visible on aerial photographs of this area. Finds include human skeletons, flint and chalk walls and medieval pottery. These suggest this is the medieval church of St Peter.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 8471 4175
Map Sheet:TF84SW
Parish:BURNHAM THORPE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1952.
548.5m (600 yards) west of All Saints Church.
Flint and chalk walls and human burials located by ploughing. Inspected by R. R. Clarke (NCM) February 1952. Early medieval pottery found. Probably is site of St Peter's Church and graveyard with traces of other buildings. Church around 15m (50 feet) east to west chancel around 5m (17 feet) north to south. St Peter's church consolidated to All Saints around the reign of Edward I (S1). Glazed fragment of roofing tile and pottery.
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

Is this the same as 'foundations of monastic chapel founded 1229' mentioned by (S2)?
R. R. Clarke (NCM).

1978.
Found on this site: medieval coarse ware, tile and one sherd resembling a Thetford type ware rim, but probably medieval. I.D. A. Rogerson (NAU).
Also a portion of an Roman flue tile with ridges.
E. Rose (NAU).

August 1980.
Probable site of St Peter's Church found by potato lifting machine.
Bones possibly human. Not seen by Museum or Unit staff.
A. Gregory (NAU), 15 August 1980.

During World War Two found while ploughing probable site of St Peter's Church.
Human skeleton with finger ring.
A. Gregory (NAU), 15 August 1980..

2000. Field Observation.
Site examined as part of archaeological assessment of Holkham Estate.
Arable, ploughed, no extant remains visible.
See report (S3) for further details.
D. Gurney (NLA), 22 August 2002. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 April 2015.

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
(NGR amended from original TF 8470 4174).
Cropmarks of church visible on 1974 OS aerial photograph (S4), which correspond to location and size of foundations viewed on ground. The structure is centred on TF 8471 4175 and is approximately 15m long, east to west, although it looks like there has been some disturbance of the wall material. The chancel is approximately 5m square within the interior, with the walls being between 0.5m and 1m wide. The nave appears to be 7m long. To the north of the join between the chancel and the nave, there appears to be a possible north door or porch.
S. Massey (NMP), 4 October 2002.N

October 2013
Visit to the site of St Peters Church, Burnham Thorpe to mark the position of the church in advance of the land being removed from cultivation under HLS.
K. Powell (HES), 7 January 2014

Monument Types

  • INHUMATION (Unknown date)
  • BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • FLUE TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 152; p 53.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 84 SW 11 [2].
---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 - Medieval. Burnham Thorpe.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Serial: Blomefield, F.. 1807. An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk.. Vol VII. p 14.
<S2>Publication: Messent, C. J. W. 1931. The Ruined Churches of Norfolk.
<S3>Unpublished Contractor Report: Penn, K. 2000. The Holkham Estate, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Archaeological Survey (Final Report). Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 532.
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1974. OS/74079 142-3 27-MAY-1974.

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