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Record Details

NHER Number:1953
Type of record:Monument
Name:St Mary's Abbey or North Creake Abbey

Summary

The standing and buried remains of the abbey, church and related buildings together with earthwork enclosures and water management features. The foundations of this religious site are unclear. It may have been founded as a private hospital or chapel in the 12th century AD. It became an Augustinian priory in 1206 and was an abbey between 1231 and 1506. Part of the church was rebuilt after a disastrous fire around 1484. The abbey was dissolved after an infectious disease carried off all the canons of this small establishment in 1506. In the 19th century a farmhouse was built amongst the ruins. Medieval and post medieval finds have been recovered from the site, and a watching brief in 2011 recorded a layer containing mortar and medieval and post medieval roof tile. The standing remains of the abbey church are managed by English Heritage and open to the public.

Images

  • The ruins of St Mary's Abbey, North Creake © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:TF 8552 3952
Map Sheet:TF83NE
Parish:NORTH CREAKE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1957. Excavation.
Carried out by the Ministry of Works beneath late garden walls on the site. This traced the lower courses of the north wall of the nave, with its buttresses and the north doorway. The plan of the missing parts of the north transept of the abbey church was also recorded.
Information from (S7).
M. Langham-Lopez (HES), 22 February 2013.

Founded as Hospital 1189. Priory 1206. Abbey 1231 to 1506.
19th century house within ruins.
E. Rose (NAU), November 1990.

19 July 1994. NLA air photography.
To the north of the scheduled and surveyed area is a continuation of the earthworks.
Consisting of a rectangular ditched enclosure, with several stretches of ditch coming off the main enclosure.
To the east, within the arable field, the main east to west linear ditch can be seen to continue, sweeping down to the south. At the end of this are the parchmarks of a building with at least three cells.
S. Massey (NLA), 30 April 2001.

1997. Metal detecting. See also NHER 28590.
Six medieval, four medieval/post medieval, two early post medieval, three post medieval metal objects.
Early post medieval body sherd.
See lists in file.
K. Hinds (NLA), 13 March 2000.

1997. Metal detecting.
See also NHER 28590. Includes finds from NHER 28590 not separately recorded.
Medieval: bronze seal matrix.
Two strap ends.
Belt mount.
Two bar mounts.
Medieval/post medieval: four rings.
Early post medieval: mount, buckle frame, bodysherd.
Post medieval: three jettons.
See lists in file.
K. Hinds (NLA), 13 March 2000.

March 2000. Earthwork Survey.
Earthwork survey at 1:10000, recording earthworks to northwest and south of the remains of the abbey and farm buildings. The church and surviving claustral was also surveyed. No convincing earthwork features of medieval date were noted in the gardens of the house. The large pond is 19th century, the western one may be for farm use the eastern one now ornamental.
See report (S1) for full details and plan. Site included in (S5) and work also reported in (S8).
B. Cushion (NLA), April 2000.

May 2002.
Fragment of glazed red earthenware pancheon retrieved from core of internal wall indicating it is 17th century insertion.
See details in file.
See also (S4).
E. Rose (NLA), 5 June 2002.

The standing and buried remains of the abbey, church and related buildings together with earthwork enclosures and water management features. The foundations of this religious site are unclear. It may have been founded as a private hospital or chapel in the 12th century AD. It became an Augustinian priory in 1206 and was an abbey between 1231 and 1506. Part of the church was rebuilt after a disastrous fire around 1484. The abbey was dissolved after an infectious or epidemical disease carried off all the canons of this small establishment in 1506. In the 19th century a farmhouse was built amongst the ruins. The standing remains of the abbey church are managed by English Heritage and open to the public.
Information from (S2).
M. Dennis (NLA), 8 August

July 2007.
Report from English Heritage (see Notes) of clearance works in the two small triangular fields immediately to the west of the Scheduled / Guardianship Monument. Possibly grubbing out of an orchard. Left with EH to investigate.
D.Gurney (NLA), 27 July 2007.

17 October 2008.
Scheduled monument consent granted concerning the repair and replacement of worn stock fencing and installation of new gates.
See (S3) for further information
H. White (NLA) 7 January 2009

October 2011. Watching brief.
A layer containing mortar and medieval and post medieval roof tile was observed during the monitoring of the excavation of postholes for the replacement of an information panel at the west end of the abbey. This material was considered to relate to collapse an repair of the abbey roof at some time, or to the (re-) use of tiles in the post medieval period for farm buildings in the vicinity.
See (S6) for details.
E. Ford (HES), 12 October 2012.

Monument Types

  • BUILDING (Unknown date)
  • DITCHED ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • LINEAR FEATURE (Unknown date)
  • LINEAR FEATURE (Unknown date)
  • RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
  • ABBEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ABBEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOSPITAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOSPITAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PRIORY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PRIORY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WATERMILL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • LAYER (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BUILDING MATERIAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SEAL MATRIX (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SEAL MATRIX (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STAINED GLASS (WINDOW) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BROOCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BROOCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • BUILDING MATERIAL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • FURNITURE FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • HARNESS FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • JETTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • JETTON (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • RING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • STRAP FITTING (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • Scheduled Monument
  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Article in Serial: Carthew, G. A. 1864. A Cellarer's Account Roll of Creake Abbey, 5 & 6 Edward III. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol VI pp 314-359.
---Newspaper Article: Norfolk Advertiser. 1983. [Photograph of Creake Abbey and a plaque]. 19 August.
---Aerial Photograph: Unit AP TF8539 F,J,M,AF-ABG. OS AP 124 74.079.
---Newspaper Article: The Times. [unknown]. 6 December.
---Designation: [unknown]. Ancient Monuments Form. SAM Record. DNF188.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TF8539/ABM - ABN.
---Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
---Photograph: Rose, E.. 2002. KRV 19-20.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 83 NE 1.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Publication: Havlock. 1955. East Anglian Regional Guide to Ancient Monuments. p.26-7.
---Unpublished Document: Rose, E.. 2002. Some notes on Abbey Farmhouse.
---Publication: English Heritage. 2000. Creake Abbey, Norfolk. 19 February.
---Publication: English Heritage Education Service. Creake Abbey, Norfolk.
---Photograph: 1953. KDV 19 and 20 Stripped wall in Abbey Farmhouse.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1942. [unknown]. 1 June.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1998. Abbey in the grand manner. 23 January.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. [unknown]. [Sale advertisement for North Creake Abbey]. January.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2002. A piece of English history up for sale. 1 November.
---Website: Knott, S.. 2005. Abbey church of St Mary, North Creake. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/creakeabbey/creakeabbey.htm. 10 August 2006.
---Documentary Source: Kerrich Add MSS 6757 f44. BM copy in+.
---Publication: Knowles, D. and Hadcock, R. N. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses of England and Wales. pp 142, 168.
---Article in Serial: Carthew, G. A. 1872. North Creake Abbey. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol VII pp 153-168. p 153.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 565-566.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. 1962. North-West and South Norfolk. The Buildings of England. 1st Edition. pp 271-272; Pl 22a.
---Newspaper Article: Opening to the Public.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Explore west to find our treasure. 1 November.
---Serial: 1955. Council for British Archaeology Group 7 Bulletin of Archaeological Discoveries. No 2. p 4.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Creake (North) [2].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Scheduling Notification. Notification. DNF188.
<S1>Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 2000. North Creake Abbey SMR1953. Earthwork Survey Report.
<S2>Designation: English Heritage. 1994? -2011?. English Heritage Digital Designation Record. Record. DNF188.
<S3>Designation: DCMS. [?]-2016. Scheduled Monument Consent. SAM Consent. DNF188.
<S4>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2003. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk, 2002. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt II pp 368-384. p 376.
<S5>Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 148.
<S6>Unpublished Contractor Report: Sillwood, R. 2012. Archaeological Watching Brief at Creake Abbey, North Creake. NPS Archaeology. 2892b.
<S7>Article in Serial: Wilson, D. M. and Hurst, D. G. 1959. Medieval Britain in 1957. Medieval Archaeology. Vol II (for 1958) pp 183-213. p 191.
<S8>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. (eds). 2001. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk 2000. Norfolk Archaeology. XLIII Pt IV pp 707-728. p 718.

Related records

28590Related to: Multi-period finds (Find Spot)
29748Related to: Undated enclosures and medieval fishponds (Monument)

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