Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

December 1959. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"C12 central tower with original small north and south windows. Early English bell openings with 2 pointed lights under one round arch. Chancel and nave. Norman south doorway with one order of shafts with volute capitals. Early English north doorway with arch mouldings, and C19 north porch. Heavily restored in 1869. Flint rubble with stone dressings and with machine tile roofs."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 07 August 2023.

Tom Martin (S3) notes a central steeple and a carved rood loft when writing in the 18th century. The carved roof loft also noted in Cromwell and Cotman (S4) in the early 19th century.
South doorway inspired by Norwich Cathedral (S8).

1988.
Bells restored and tenor bell from Forncett St Mary installed. See newspaper article (S7), copy in file.
Church heavily restored 1869. Some of the Norman details of the tower are original, most are restored. Good Norman south door. Rood loft retained but not the screen itself; internal rood stair. [1]
E. Rose (NAU), 5 October 1998.

2004.
Church deemed unsafe due to falling masonry.
See (S10) for details.
H. White (NLA), 24 February 2010.

Photographs of southern respond of west tower arch under repair.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 9 June 2008.

2009.
Church re-opened after restoration work.
See (S10) for details.
H. White (NLA), 24 February 2010.

2009. Dendrochronological Survey.
Analysis of timbers from the Belfry Stage, door and door frame.
Three timbers from the belfry stage representing two trees were dated. One joist was most likely felled in the late 16th or early 17th century, whilst the other two main beams were felled in the early to mid-17th century. The timbers from the potentially original Norman door and its frame contained too few rings to be dated dendrochronologically.
See published monograph (S10) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 31 August 2011.

May 2010.
Church rededicated after restoration work above.
See (S12) for details.
E. Whitcombe (NLA), 4 August 2010.

June-November 2015. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks associated with internal floor refurbishments and external drainage works.
The reduction of an area to the north of the central aisle within the chancel exposed a curvilinear flint and mortar wall footing. This was likely to represent the remains of an original apsidal east end to the church, although it is unclear when exactly this was demolished. The exposed remains were preserved in-situ beneath the new floor. Excavations towards the west end of the nave revealed a surviving patch of an earlier tiled floor. The exact date of these undecorated tiles is uncertain but they are most likely medieval. They are now preserved beneath an area of glass floor. No finds were recovered during these internal works.
Trenches excavated within the churchyard for the new surface water drainage system and a new mains water connection revealed no archaeologically-significant features or deposits. It should though be noted that none of these trenches were sufficiently deep to reach the base of the thick subsoil layer present. Finds were limited to small amounts of disarticulated human bone.
See report (S13) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 July 2025.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Unknown date)
• CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FLOOR (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

• HUMAN REMAINS (Unknown date)
• DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Ashwellthorpe (Parish Summary)