Record Details

NHER Number:3503
Type of record:Monument
Name:Medieval stone crosses

Summary

Four medieval stone cross shafts that have been re-set at a gateway to Hillington Park (NHER 21255). The cross shaft remains are set into piers of carstone and quartzite (Sandrigham Sandstone) symmetrically arranged with positons of piers and curvature of boundary walls repeated to the south side of the main road. Three may originally have come from either King's Lynn or a route to Walsingham. The fourth is thought to have been moved from Hillington village (NHER 3560).

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 7178 2555
Map Sheet:TF72NW
Parish:HILLINGTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Four medieval crosses on modern bases around former entrance to park moved to this site by Ffolkes family - where from?
R. R. Clarke (NCM) 25 March 1955.

(S1) says that three of these are said to come from either King's Lynn or 'the Pilgrims Way to Walsingham'. Bryant (S2) also says Lynn. The fourth is said to have been moved only 400m (0.25 miles) west from Hillington village (NHER 3560).
E. Rose (NAU), 3 January 1985.

The crosses are set on square plinths of flint and stone, part of Donthorne's main park gate of 1830 (see NHER 21255). The northwest of these bases seems to have reused Barnack stone quoins. The crosses are set at the angles of a square, one side of which is the main park entrance, two others are the Lynn road, the fourth is now a modern estate but was previously blank - was it planned to extend the park drive south of the road?

Context 1 (Northwest cross): Very fine full height (about 2m) shaft with tenon for crosshead; triangular projection at lower end; base with rounded stopangles and moulded edge. Is this the one from site NHER 3560?
Context 2 (Northeast cross): Base, heavily damaged on north, with 1m high fragment of octagonal shaft.
Context 3 (Southeast cross): Rectangular base and about 1m of shaft, covered in ivy.
Context 4 (Southwest cross): Apparently base and tiny stub of shaft only, but concealed by ivy.
E. Rose (NAU), 17 April 1985.

Two northern crosses alone listed grade II 1988, the other two were added in 1998.
E.Rose (NAU/NLA) 12 July 1989 and 25 September 1998.

June 1994.
The two southern crosses were seen to have been removed and the walls rebuilt with stone coping instead. Location of crosses unknown.
E. Rose (NAU), 24 June 1994.

Source [1] local historian, corrects this to say that the southeast pier was rebuilt when the road was realigned about 1991 (despite Norfolk County Council Highways Department saying they knew nothing of this) and the cross base has been reset on top of the new pier on a slightly different location. The southwest pier is still there but hidden by vegetation.
E. Rose (NLA), 12 August 1994.

August 1994. Visit.
Information provided by [1] confirmed.
E. Rose (NLA), 18 August 1994.

Press cutting (S3) in file.

Visit at Request of Parish Council November 2014.
Of the four crosses only two are visible to the nw and the se. The other two are covered in ivy. The lodge is not shown at all on tithe map. Appear on 1885 OS map with curved walls on north side only connecting with the lodge. The crosses on the south side of road just connected with a straight wall. The matching walls to the south side must have been added as part of the housing development in the 1950s although the crosses were already there. All the crosses in need of repair except for at the south east.
S. Heywood (HES), 3 November 2014

Monument Types

  • CROSS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • GARDEN ORNAMENT (19th Century to 21st Century - 1824 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • Listed Building
  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1999. Hall is testament to colourful past. 28 February.
---Photograph: Photographs of four Medieval Stone Cross shafts, at gateway to Hillington Park, Hillington. Black & white.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Hillington.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Listing Notification. Notification. DNF4981.
---Designation: NCM Staff. 1950?-1960?. Data submitted with sheduling request. NHER 3503.
<S1>Article in Serial: Cozens-Hardy B. 1934. Norfolk Crosses. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXV Pt II pp 297-336. pp 313-314; Pl 6.
<S2>Serial: Bryant, T. H. About 1900. Hundred of Freebridge Lynn.
<S3>Newspaper Article: Lynn News. 1994. hunt for the 'lost' crosses. 16 August.

Related records

3510Related to: Site of medieval cross (Monument)

Find out more...

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service