Record Details
| NHER Number: | 1951 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of St Michael's on the Mount Church, North Creake |
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Summary
This medieval church was mentioned in documents dating to the reign of Edward I. Ruins of the church have been identified on south side of the mound on which the school house stands. This suggests these large lumps of building material were probably pushed off the mound when the school house was built. Human remains have been found at the house during gardening and building work and a Roman coin of Constantius II (AD 348) was found close to the ruins in 1933.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 8547 3788 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF83NE |
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| Parish: | NORTH CREAKE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
(S1) says it was mentioned in the time of Edward I, when it was referred to as the older of the two churches in the parish. (S2) says 'All traces have vanished'. However a (S3) R.R. Clarke (NCM) in 1933 refers to ruins being visible. According to the present vicar (1977) the site was at the above grid reference, where the old school house now stands.
Certainly there were no ruins here in 1933, so R.R. Clarke (NCM)'s informant must have been mistaken. There are no other ruined chapels in the parish.
Information via [1].
E. Rose (NAU).
Ruins were observed at the site by E. Rose (NAU) on 7 October 1977. Three huge lumps of masonry on south side of the mound on which the school house stands, probably pushed over when it was built. Occupants of house found human remains here when building an extension. A coin of Constantius II (AD 348) was found close to the ruins in 1933, and shown to R.R. Clarke (NCM), 30 September 1933.
E. Rose (NAU). Amended by A. Beckham (HES), 6 June 2017.
10 November 2015. Field Observation. Site extended 3m to the west.
Human skeletal remains uncovered at [2] by landowner during gardening work.
Norfolk Constabulary CSI requested that NPS Archaeology attend the site and provide an expert opinion on the age of the bones.
The exposed remains were found to consist of two human skulls found adjacent to each other and likely on the same east-to-west alignment. One was probably from a male aged 45-55 at death and the other potentially from a female aged 20-24. It was possible to identify grave cuts and light trowelling revealed at least one other bone, indicating that further, in situ remains were present. The bones were clearly of some age and it was considered highly likely that they represented medieval Christian burials associated with St Michael's on the Mount church that previously stood on this site.
The disturbed remains were reburied.
See report (S4) and correspondence (S5) for further details.
A. Beckham (HES), 6 June 2017. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 11 July 2021.
Monument Types
- BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds
- COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 117; p 53. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Creake (North). |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Creake (North). |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Serial: Blomefield, F.. 1807. An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk.. Vol VII. p 79. |
| <S2> | Publication: Messent, C. J. W. 1931. The Ruined Churches of Norfolk. |
| <S3> | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| <S4> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Bryant-Buck, H. 2015. School House Garden, North Creake, NR21 9JL. Archaeological Attendance. NPS Archaeology. |
| <S5> | Correspondence: Bryant-Buck, H. 2017. Locations of archaeological human skeletal remains in conjunction with Norfolk Constabulary. 18 April. 11-11-2015. |
Related records - none
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