Record Details

NHER Number:8829
Type of record:Building
Name:St Nicholas' Church, Woodrising, Cranworth

Summary

A medieval parish church, dating mainly to the 14th century with a ruined west tower. The skeleton of a young man in the churchyard has been dated to the Late Saxon or the medieval period. In the churchyard is a detached bell-cote reusing the late medieval bell-frame from the ruined tower. Inside the church is the 16th century tomb of Sir Richard Southwell, who is immortalised with a full-size alabaster effigy.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 9883 0347
Map Sheet:TF90SE
Parish:CRANWORTH, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK
WOODRISING, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Tower in ruins, bells in thatched hut.
Effigy of knight with two helmets above.
E. Rose (NAU)

(S1) notes the steeple already fallen; only one helmet above the knight then another old tomb between the south aisle and chancel.
Two helmets from tomb of Sir Southwell now on loan to Norwich Castle Museum.
E. Rose (NAU).

January 1980.
Skeleton in churchyard, aligned east to west, dated by a police forensic expert to 900 years old.
Bones seen by P. Wade-Martins (NAU) but NAU not informed before bones had ben removed from context.
E. Rose (NAU)

W. F. Milligan notes; skeleton was 45cm deep, found in digging drain, 1.22m from northwest corner; femur and pelvis of a male, probably in his early teens.
The bones are not of Late Saxon date, and have been reinterred.
E. Rose (NAU).

1970s or 80s. Alan Carter Norwich Survey.
See (S2), which includes (S3).
T.E. Miller (NLA), 19 April 2006.

Has a rare example of a barrel organ, see (S4).
E. Rose (NAU)

Church marked as 'In Ruins' on (S5).
E. Rose (NLA), 6 June 2002.

Church listed grade I, detached bellframe listed grade II.
See (S6).
E. Rose (NLA), 12 July 2005.

Medieval parish church, built in flint with ashlar dressings.
Ruined west tower, the rest of the church is mainly 14th century.
Hammerbeam roof, a double piscinae and a triple sedilia.
Large tomb of Sir Richard Southwell, who died in 1564, with a full size alabaster effigy, Renaissance columns and entablature.
Information from (S6).
S. Spooner (NLA) 12 September 2005.

Monument Types

  • INHUMATION (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • BELL FRAME (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • INHUMATION (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HUMAN REMAINS (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1980. Workmen dig up Saxon skeleton. 22 February.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Evening News. 1980. Workmen find skeleton of Saxon. 22 February.
---Newspaper Article: Norwich Mercury. 1948. Early man settled at Wood Rising. 31 December.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 785-786.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Documentary Source: Martin, T. c. 1700-1799. Collections of Church Notes. Norfolk Records Office. c. 1740.
<S2>Unpublished Document: Carter, A.. Building Survey.
<S3>Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
<S4>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1987. Turn the handle and praise the Lord. 19 January.
<S5>Map: Bryant, A.. 1826. Bryant's Map of Norfolk.
<S6>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entries 1172093 and 1342544.

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