Record Details
| NHER Number: | 10504 |
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| Type of record: | Building |
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| Name: | St Edmund's Church, Fritton |
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Summary
This is an unusual thatched parish church. The oldest parts are the apsed tunnel-vaulted chancel and sanctuary, and the eastern part of the nave, which date to the 11th or 12th century. The nave round tower and chancel arch are late 12th century. The tower was heightened and the nave extended to the south in the 14th century. Further alterations followed in the 18th century, and the whole church was restored in 1855, when the south porch was added. Inside, there are 12th and 14th century wall paintings, a 14th century chancel screen, a 17th century pulpit, coffin slabs and wall tablets, including one to Knyvet Buxton, who was killed in 1905 while playing polo in Rawalpindi.
Images - none
Location
Full description
November 1954. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description:
Parish church. C12, with nave enlarged to south C14. West tower, nave, chancel and sanctuary. Whole building restored 1855, chancel restored 1927. Flint with ashlar dressings and some brick. Thatched roofs. 3 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 2-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. 3 2-light C14 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 2 flat buttresses. Between them and to either side are 3 slit lights (3 in, all). The chancel is lit through 2 C15 2-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 C14 painting of St. Christopher. On south-east window jamb of nave a painting of St. John the Baptist, also C14. Plain but intact early C17 triple decker pulpit. Mid C14 chancel screen of 3 ogeed bays each side of central opening. C19 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 C14 stalls with vestigial button poppyheads. Chancel arch retains scroll paintings and other non-figurative decoration, repainted 1927 but of C12 type. Groin vaulted sanctuary with substantial remains of animal and figurative wall paintings, all C12. Central splayed lancet flanked by one order shafts on bases and with scalloped capitals. Zig-zag arch. Remaining 2 lancets have similar surrounds added 1855. Rare pillar piscina in sanctuary : moulded base but C19 bowl.
Information from (S1).
H. Mellor (HES), 26 June 2017.
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 (S2) and photographs (S3) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 13 January 1995.
Monument Types
- 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
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: TG 4700A,B. |
| --- | Article in Serial: Beevor, C.. [unknown]. Yarmouth Archaeology. Vol I, no.5. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Leaflet: Wilkinson, M. A.. St Edmund's Church, Fritton. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Radcliffe, E. 1974. Suffolk. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 225. |
| --- | Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service. |
| <S1> | Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1372918. |
| <S2> | Unpublished Document: Rose, E.. 1995. Building Report.. Building Report. |
| <S3> | Photograph: HBM 2-6. |
Related records - none
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