Record Details

NHER Number:7611
Type of record:Building
Name:St Michael's Church, Oxnead, Brampton

Summary

A medieval parish church, dating back to the 13th century, with 17th and 19th century alterations. The church contains reused Roman building materials, probably taken from the site of the Roman town at Brampton, see NHER 1124. The tombs of the Paston family, who built Oxnead Hall, see NHER 3552, are inside the church.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 2297 2404
Map Sheet:TG22SW
Parish:BRAMPTON, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Oxnead Church.
R. R. Clarke (NCM) claimed in 1953 that there were Roman bricks, roofing tiles, and tile built into the southwest corner; but in fact the tile quoins here are medieval, with a brick edged putlog hole beside, no other traces.
Church has been much altered; chancel in good flintwork, nave in poor.
On northwest ruined vestry or chapel with Early English lancet, blocked brick west door and blocked door to nave.
Lancets in chancel south wall and 1 in north wall; these have been remade in 19th century, the northern one however set in a blocked lancet only slightly larger, and the southeast one under a brick arch.
The two opposite each other are lowered inside.
In nave north and south walls 19th century windows in Decorated style, set in larger windows blocked in squared flint. East window of same date and style.
Rood door unusually far west of chancel step: site of stair marked by brick patching.
East gable, stepped, 17th century brick with HIS in clampirons; southeast buttress and top of south chancel wall 18th century brick, as is the south porch.
North porch 17th century brick, good Jacobean with stepped gable, but now disused.
Indeterminate plastered tower with blocked round headed window of uncertain date, above these a 17th century brick top.
Old nave roof on solid arched brackets.
In chancel piscina also fine monuments to Sir Clement Paston in 1597 with coronet above: Lady Katherine Paston in 1636 (altered), also alabaster fragments on old vestry door.
16th to 18th century brass plaques, some collected on board.
18th century floor tomb.
2 flagons, London 1637; chalice and paten 1662, alms dish 1687.
See (S1).
Visited E. Rose (NAU) 10 May 1978.

One of the brass plaques, of 1747, is to a papermaker of the parish.
E. Rose (NAU)

The tiles making up to the southwest quoins of the nave are Roman bording tiles.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 24 March 2000.

October to November 2001. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of excavation of drainage trenches.
No archaeological finds or features were revealed.
See report (S2) for further details.
J. Allen (NLA), 28 January 2002.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCH (Medieval to 21st Century - 1066 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BRICK (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • TILE (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TG2224 K,L; TG2324 S-V.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1988. Village of jackdaw legend. 9 May.
---Monograph: Bryant, T. H. 1905. Hundred of South Erpingham. The Churches of Norfolk. Vol XIV. pp 318-329.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. NHER TG 2324W-AE.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. [Articles on the fund raising for restoration of St Michael's Church, Oxnead, Brampton].
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 635-636.
---Unpublished Document: Randall, G.. 2009. Report on St Michael, Oxnead for the WEA Norwich Branch, Practical Church Exploration Course. December.
---Unpublished Document: Randall, G.. 2009. Newton-by-Castle Acre, Great Dunham and Oxnead churches: camparing the plans.. December.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Brampton [2].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1050959.
<S2>Unpublished Contractor Report: Underdown, S. 2001. Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief at Oxnead Church, Brampton. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 678.

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