Norfolk Heritage Explorer

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St Andrew's Church, Framingham Earl
E. Rose (Sa) and Taylor and Taylor (S11) assigns a pre Conquest date to the church, and the Listing description (S1) states that the chancel is Late Saxon, both disagreeing with A. P. Harris (S13). The church is built mainly of flint, with a 12th century round tower and a 13th century porch. Good example of a 12th century Norman doorway. Extensive 19th century restoration.
Two 15th century stained glass figures of St Margaret and St Katherine.
S. Spooner (NLA), 8 December 2005.

November 1959. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description:
"Parish church. Of Saxon chancel (excavations in 1984 revealed apse). C12 Norman tower and nave. C13 Early English south porch and some fenestration. Heavy restoration C19. Flint with some ashlar. Slate roofs. West tower, nave and chancel. 3 stage circular tower lit through a restored western lancet with a continuous roll moulding. Restored plain lancet to belfry stage, also facing west. Plain parapet with string course and cornice string. Sufficient room exists at west ends of nave to accommodate a lancet between tower and corner. Gabled south porch without buttresses. Moulded arched entrance. Side lights are lancets. Statuary niche over entrance. Fine Norman inner south doorway. Round arch formed of a roll moulding, stylised beakhead amounting to a scallop motif and a hood mould with incised decoration punctuated at intervals by a round billet with incised star patterning. West impost formed of a double billet below an incised roll. Eastern impost is a chamfered block covered with carved rectangles with diagonals and cross bars (like the Union Flag). C19 gabled north porch of brick and slate. North doorway also Norman : round arch with decorated capitals and abaci. 2 C19 Norman round-headed south nave windows with colonnettes and zig-zag arch. One similar north nave window. Chancel retains to south one pilaster buttress of Saxon date and a double splayed circular light to north and south. 2 Early English lancets to south chancel with hood mould terminating in leaf stops. One similar window to north chancel. C19 2-light petal tracery east window.
Interior. Semi-circular tower arch partly obscured by C19 timber west gallery. C19 octagonal font in tower. C19 nave roof of principals and purlins. Wall posts drop to C19 non-figurative corbels. Norman chancel arch, the responds now more C19 than C12. To right and left of arch a C19 shouldered opening. Reponds have one order of shafts on plain bases and trumpet capitals above astragals. Southern astragal is cable carved. Square imposts. 2 orders of zig-zag in arch and outer moulding of double chevron, placed back to back. Polygonal C17 panelled pulpit. Scrolled brackets support top rail. Masons' mitre panelling. Chancel roof similar to nave. Under south double splayed Saxon window is a square niche with rounded top. C14 ogeed and cusped re-set piscina. Most chancel details otherwise C19. 2 C15 stained glass figures in chancel side windows : St. Margaret and St. Katherine."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
H. Hamilton (HES), 02 June 2023.

January 1982. Field Observation.
Late Saxon chancel, rest of church altered in Norman, Early English and formerly Perpendicular.
Information from HER Record Card (S4).
1982 version of report not retained. See HER Notes (S5) for earliest version of report and unpublised report () for re-typed version.
E. Rose (NAU), 22 January 1982.

April 1984. Aerial reconaissance.
Aerial photographs of the church were taken.
See Norfolk Air Photo Library images (S12).
H. Hamilton (HES), 02 June 2023.

Summer 1984. Excavation.
A small excavation was carried out at the east end of the church in order to confirm the nature and extent of the remains prior to later rebuilding.
Published report (S13) suggests no Late Saxon work in church but notes earlier burials and Late Saxon sherds.
The finds recovered during this work have been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1999.311)
See published monographs (S13) and photographs (S14).
E. Rose (NAU), 5 June 1987.

February 1987. Field Observation.
A more detailed assessment of the church was undertaken.
See HER Notes (S5) for earliest version of report and unpublised report () for re-typed version.
H. Hamilton (HES), 02 June 2023.

February 2000.
Conservation and repairs to the two bells was approved by the Diocesan Advisory Committee.
Information from correspondence (S19).
H. Hamilton (HES), 02 June 2023.

February 2011. Trial Trenching.
Single trench excavation on north side of church, in area of proposed extension.
No archaeologically significant features were observed. Finds recovered included a single medieval pottery sherd and disarticulated human bone fragments.
See report (S20) for further details.
S. Howard (HES), 17 August 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 6 March 2015.

Monument Types

• ROUND TOWERED CHURCH (Late Saxon to 21st Century - 851 AD to 2100 AD)
• INHUMATION (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• NAIL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WINDOW GLASS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Framingham Earl (Parish Summary)