Norfolk Heritage Explorer

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Full description

St Edmund's Church, Fritton.

November 1954. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description excerpt:
"Parish church. 12th century, with nave enlarged to south [in] 14th century. West tower, nave, chancel and sanctuary. Whole building restored 1855, chancel restored 1927. Flint with ashlar dressings and some brick. Thatched roofs. Three-stage circular tower with a slit lancet to the west. Wide brick lined pointed lancets to ringing chamber and louvred belfry windows, that to west of two-lights and carrying a vesica; the remainder are lancets. Rebuilt plain brick parapet. To south nave is a gabled porch of 1855, matched by a gabled north vestry also of 1855. Three two-light 14th-century nave windows, each light trefoiled and with a pointed quatrefoil vesica. A large sloping brick buttress is attached to east end of north nave wall. Small chancel with round apse. At east end are two flat buttresses. Between them and to either side are three slit lights (three in all). The chancel is lit through two 15th-century two-light windows under square heads.
Interior. Double wave moulded inner south door. Arched tower doorway. Square font of 1855 in Norman style (copied from that of Hartland, Devon). Boarded scissor braced nave roof. On north nave wall a large 14th-century painting of St. Christopher. On south-east window jamb of nave a painting of St. John the Baptist, also 14th century. Plain but intact early 17th-century triple decker pulpit. Mid-14th-century chancel screen of three ogeed bays each side of central opening. 19th-century circular shafts, plain plank dado and frieze of geometric roundels below top rail. Quadruple chamfered chancel arch, rather stilted, leads into a barrel vaulted chancel, divided from apsidal sanctuary by a flat arch on pilasters. In the chancel are plain early 14th-century stalls with vestigial button poppyheads. Chancel arch retains scroll paintings and other non-figurative decoration, repainted 1927 but of 12th-century type. Groin vaulted sanctuary with substantial remains of animal and figurative wall paintings, all 12th century. Central splayed lancet flanked by one order shafts on bases and with scalloped capitals. Zig-zag arch. Remaining two lancets have similar surrounds added 1855. Rare pillar piscina in sanctuary: moulded base but 19th-century bowl."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
H. Mellor (HES), 26 June 2017.

Slide 1982 by J Lodey shows thatched apse of flint with lancet windows, late 12th? Top of apse walls are heightened in ?18th-century brick with small square window - this is said to be a trap door to a loft where contraband was hidden.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU), 8 June 1982. Information from record card (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 October 2022.

Published article (S3) claims "typical Saxon work" at base of chancel and apse. "Above them" are three medieval square-headed windows, one of which was replaced by a lancet in 1855. Nave part of regular flint, part including brick and tile. Suggests east end nave early Norman, west end and tower late Norman. Nave widened and heightened mid 14th century and piscina added for nave altar. South door reopened and vestry made over north door 1855. 12th-century wall paintings found in apse in 1967. Two eastern most apse windows also 'restored' as lancets 1855 to match existing east window. Other 14th-century paintings in nave. However there are some mistakes in this article and it would be best not to rely too much on above dating until church is
visited.
Complied by E. Rose (NAU), 15 March 1983. Information from record card (S2).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 October 2022.

November 1994. Field Observation.
Extremely brief visit by E. Rose (NLA).
Round tower seems to have had west doorway, blocked in medieval brick and flint. Nave windows are 19th century in Decorated style but that in north wall of 19th century, north vestry may be original reset. Nave clearly heightened. Very odd corbel arrangement at south junction of nave and apse. This is cut by brick hoodmould to Perpendicular south chancel windows.
Compiled by E. Rose (NLA), 7 November 2022.
P. Watkins (HES), 25 October 2022.

January 1995. Building Survey.
Examined by E. Rose (NLA).
Norman church of two phases; apsed tunnel vaulted chancel and eastern nave 11th/12th century; west nave, round tower and chancel arch late 12th century, with wall paintings. Nave extended south and tower heightened in the 14th century. Late perpendicular brick windows in chancel.
Alterations in 18th century and restoration in 1855.
See full report (S4) and photographs (S5) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 13 January 1995.

S. Heywood (NCC) notes 12th-century coffin slab reset in the north vestry floor. Confirms north nave wall is original Norman, showing later extension; south nave wall postdates widening.
Compiled by E. Rose (NLA).
P. Watkins (HES), 25 October 2022.

Monument Types

• ROUND TOWERED CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CHURCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• SITE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

• COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ROOD SCREEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WALL PAINTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WALL PAINTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FONT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Fritton and St Olaves (Parish Summary)