Record Details
| NHER Number: | 7741 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Possible site of St Mary's Church, Morton on the Hill |
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Summary
It has been suggested the medieval church of St Mary, Morton on the Hill stood at this site. Low earthworks and features have been identified and these may indicate the church's location. A dowser claims to have discovered a north to south aligned building here.
Images - none
Location
Full description
This is believed to be the site of the original parish church of Morton (S1). Morton is thought to have been a hamlet of Helmingham from the time of Domesday, and St. Mary's is therefore one of the two churches noted in Helmingham at the time of Domesday. While Ordnance Survey maps mark St. Mary's church at a location 250m from the river Wensum (S5), a location on the hill near Morton church may be more plausible (S2).
Sometime between 1974 and 1977. Dowsing.
A plan (S3) of a structure was obtained by dowsing by [1]. A building aligned north to south is allegedly represented.
Information from (S3) and (S4).
D. Gurney (NLA), 25 October 2000.
1978. Field Observation.
A slight mound remains by the hedge in a disused field.
E. Rose (NAU), 14 June 1978.
15 October 1993. NLA air photography.
The field in which the mound is located can be seen, but there is no indication of mound itself within the aerial photographs.
H. Clare (NLA), 19 February 2001.
February 2003.
A low apsidal feature was located by a dowser in the south of the wood and sketched. The feature is ca. 0.3m high in section. Additional slight earthworks were noted in this field.
H. Paterson (A&E), 14 February 2003.
November 2007. Norfolk NMP.
A pair of low earthwork mounds have been identified on aerial photographs in close proximity to this site (NHER 50676). It is possible that one of these relates to the church site, although this is not certain. See (NHER 50676) for details.
S. Massey (NMP), 09 November 2007.
Monument Types
- CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- MOUND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | 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. Morton-On-The-Hill. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Serial: Blomefield, F.. 1808. An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk.. Vol VIII. 548. |
| <S2> | Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 176; p 54. |
| <S3> | Illustration: 1977. St Mary's Church, Morton. |
| <S4> | Correspondence: 1977. Correspondence regarding NHER 7741. |
| <S5> | Map: Ordnance Survey. 1824-1836. Ordnance Survey First Edition 1 inch.. |
Related records
| 50676 | Part of: The earthworks of two possible medieval building platforms (Monument) |
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