Record Details

NHER Number:1733
Type of record:Building
Name:St Mary's Church, Burnham Deepdale

Summary

The Late Saxon round tower dates to between 1050 and 1100. The north aisle was demolished in 1776 but was rebuilt in the 19th century preserving the 14th century arcade and resetting the north door which dates to around 1190. The chancel arch is 14th century. The south porch contains 18th century floor tombs and medieval stained glass. Inside the church is a very rare Norman font with stone panels depicting the twelve months of the year.

Images

  • View of the chancel, showing the Late Saxon round tower and the south porch.  © Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service

Location

Grid Reference:TF 8044 4430
Map Sheet:TF84SW
Parish:BRANCASTER, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK
BURNHAM DEEPDALE, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

St Mary's Church, Burnham Deepdale.

June 1953. Listed Grade II*.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"Parish Church of Burnham Deepdale. 11th-century tower, 12th-century north door, 14th-century interior, late 19th-century exterior details and north vestry. Flint, 19th-century stone dress, tiled nave and aisle roofs, leaded tower roof. West round tower, nave and north aisle, south porch, chancel and north vestry."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current details.
P. Watkins (HES), 21 February 2018. Amended by H. Hamilton (HES), 8 November 2019.

February 1978. Visit.
Late Saxon round tower with round headed bell openings (and a large one blocked to east, cut by nave roof) and triangular headed doorway above tower arch, which is round headed. Formerly a west door but this blocked by restoration and widening of base. In west wall north of tower is a square recess or blocked window. North aisle demolished 1776, rebuilt 19th century preserving 14th century arcade (without marks) and reset north door, Transitional, around 1190. Chancel arch also 14th century. Sedillia in southeast chancel window with petalled piscina; all windows 19th century rebuilds. Tiny window by pulpit. Reset piscina by south door. South porch with 18th century floor tombs and medieval stained glass; latter also in nave - part of a collection of a former vicar. Very fine Norman carved font, very rare, but base partly restored - for long it lay in pieces in Fincham Rectory garden. Brass matrix of three figures. Fragments of alabaster in tower. 14th century bell cast at King's Lynn. Chasuble 15th century Rhenish. 17th century chalice. (S3) dates 1050 to 1100.
E. Rose (NAU), 21 February 1978.

For detailed discussion of the carving on the Norman font see (S5) and (S6). See also drawing (S7) which shows the carved panels depicting the twelve month of labour (related correspondence in file).

This is one of the sixty five Norfolk churches selected for (S8).
D. Gurney (NLA), 17 February 2006.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Late Saxon to 19th Century - 851 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • DOOR (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • WINDOW (Late Saxon - 851 AD to 1065 AD)
  • DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FONT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 84 SW 1b [2].
---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. p 227; Pl 5.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. 1962. North-West and South Norfolk. The Buildings of England. 1st Edition. p 103; Pl 27b.
---Leaflet: 1984. St Mary's Church, Burnham Deepdale..
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2011. Working with saints is both a pane and a pleasure. 21 February.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Late Saxon. Brancaster.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Brancaster.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1237969.
<S2>Publication: Cautley, H. M. 1949. Norfolk Churches. pp 5, 182.
<S3>Publication: Taylor, H. M. and Taylor, J. 1965. Anglo-Saxon Architecture.
<S4>Article in Serial: Clapham. 1934. [unknown]. Vol II p 141.
<S5>Article in Serial: Hill, D.. 1998. Eleventh Century Labours of the month in prose and pictures.. Landscape History.
<S6>Unpublished Document: Norfolk Heritage. n.d.. The Church and the Farming Community, Food from the Land card B25, Burnham Deepdale Church.
<S7>Illustration: Banbury, J. 1978. Drawing of carved details on medieval font at St Mary's Church, Burnham Deepdale (series of individual panels depicting twelve months of labour). Paper. Scale unknown.
<S8>Publication: Jenkins, S. 2000. England's Thousand Best Churches.

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