Record Details
| NHER Number: | 12392 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of medieval chapel and post medieval workhouse |
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Summary
This is the site of the medieval chapel of St Dunstan, founded in the early 14th century and used until the dissolution. A workhouse was built on the site in the post-medieval period.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 1168 3021 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG13SW |
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| Parish: | CORPUSTY AND SAXTHORPE, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Acccording to the Index Monasticus (S6), a chapel dedicated to St Dunstan was founded by Aymer de Valentia, Earl of Pembroke, sometime before 1313. It is also listed in the Valor Ecclesiaasticus (S5). Documentary research undertaken in 1990 (S11) notes that it was a chantry and private chapel, but as it is also mentioned in all Institution Books from 1254 to its dissolution in 1547 it appears to have also had a parochial function.
There are no known remains of this chapel, but a survey of chantries in the duchy of Lancaster in 1548 indicates that it was located about a quarter of a mile from the parish church (S10). Blomefield (S4) noted in the early 19th century that it was located in "Chapel Close". Also in the parish of Saxthorpe, a workhouse is known to have been built on a site called "Chapel Close". Evidence tying the site of the workhouse to the chapel may be contained in the Bolingbroke Archive (S3) held by the Norfolk Record Office. Neither the workhouse or "Chapel Close" appear on 19th century maps such as the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S8) or the Tithe Map (S7), but in 1978 (see below) a local researcher communicated that these were on the site of some modern cottages at this location.
Information from HER Record Card (S1) and published documentary research ((S11) and (S12)).
J. Allen (NLA), 2 July 2003. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 24 September 2024.
May 1978. Field Observation.
According to a local researcher [1] who has investigated early Saxthorpe maps, Chapel Close was located on the site of several cottages, including one now called "synnymeade". The site of the above cottages which were part of a workhouse, and are said to have been built on the chapel foundations.
One of these cottages is now called 'Sunnymeade' and another is being rebuilt.
They show no signs of being anything other than 18th century cottages, but villagers confirm this is the site, and it is on the top of a hill looking across to Corpusty Church, suitable for a chapel site.
Information from HER Record Card (S1).
E. Rose (NAU), 11 May 1978.
November-December 1982. Field Observation.
Groundworks in advance of residential development were monitored. No archaeological remains were exposed.
Information from HER Record Card (S2).
H. Hamilton (HES), 25 September 2024.
September 2024. Correspondence[2].
A local researcher has suggested that this chapel may have been located further to the southeast, just east of Monks Lane, at TG 12189 29800. The First Edition Ordnance Survey map (S8) depicts some cottages at this location which have since been demolished.
H. Hamilton (HES), 25 September 2024.
Monument Types
- CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- WORKHOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. NHER 12392. |
| <S2> | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. NHER 6669. |
| <S3> | Archive: Bolingbroke family. 1300's-1960. Bolingbroke Collection. Norfolk Record Office. |
| <S4> | Serial: Blomefield, F. 1807. An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk. Vol VI. p 501. |
| <S5> | Monograph: Record Commission. 1810-1825. Valor Ecclesiasticus temp. Henr. VIII. auctoritate regia institutus: Volume 3. Hereford, Coventry & Lichfield, Worcester, Norwich, Ely. Valor Ecclesiasticus. Vol 3 The City and University of Cambridge. |
| <S6> | Publication: Taylor, R. C. 1821. Index Monasticus. |
| <S7> | Map: Newton and Woodrow. 1842. Saxthorpe Tithe Map. |
| <S8> | Map: Ordnance Survey. 1884-1891. Ordnance Survey Map. Six inches to the mile. First Edition. 1:10,560. Norfolk XXVII.NE (Surveyed 1885, Published 1885). |
| <S9> | Publication: Messent, C. J. W. 1931. The Ruined Churches of Norfolk. p 31. |
| <S10> | Article in Serial: Cozens-Hardy, B. 1946. Chantries in the Duchy of Lancaster in Norfolk, 1548. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXIX pp 201-210. p 205. |
| <S11> | Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 208; p 54; F9/C7. |
| <S12> | Article in Serial: Wood, R. 1999. The Chantry Certificates of Norfolk: Towards a Partial Reconstruction. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIII Pt II pp 287-306. p 300. |
Related records - none
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