Record Details

NHER Number:10540
Type of record:Building
Name:St Andrew's Church, Raveningham

Summary

Set within the grounds of Raveningham Hall, seat of the Bacon family, this medieval church is hard to date accurately, as over-enthusiastic Victorian restoration has left it almost completely covered in concrete rendering. The earliest part is the 12th century round tower, which has a 13th century octagonal belfry topped with 15th century battlements. The chancel is 14th century and the nave 15th century, as is the south porch. Through the iron gates in the porch is a south door with very fine ironwork in the form of three foliate crosses. Immediately to the left inside is a large marble monument with an urn on top, which commemorates Major Edmund Hodge, who fell at the battle of Waterloo in 1815. The chancel is very interesting. On the south side there is a large early 14th century recess lavishly sculpted with foliage, the style of which is the theme for the rest of the chancel, in which which similar arches frame memorials to the Bacon family. There is a brass at the west end of the chancel to Margaret Castyll (who died in 1483), wife of one of Richard III's squires.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TM 3979 9639
Map Sheet:TM39NE
Parish:RAVENINGHAM, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

July 1978. Visit.
Unfortunately covered in cement and viciously 'restored' in 19th century, so hard to date accurately as a whole.
Round tower with round-headed west window and slits above; octagonal Early English top with lancets, and Perpendicular flushwork battlements. Nave has north arcade, looking as though it might have been Decorated, with clerestory of Perpendicular hoodmoulded windows above, now half blocked by heightening of aisle roof. One clerestory window over south door also. Other south windows tall Perpendicular. North aisle windows look like restored Decorated or early Perpendicular. Blocked 14th century north door. South porch undatable.
Decorated chancel arch. Chancel was Early English: see lancets on south (one blocked) also blocked Y-tracery window between two huge later buttresses, and blocked priest's door. Cusped-intersected east window, another blocked lancet on north. Remarkable ornate Decorated niche on interior south wall; this is copied in 19th century arcading over walls blocking most windows and surrounding Bacon tablets; probably from about 1820.
Odd piscina on floor level probably reset; crude Decorated piscina in north aisle. Stone coffin lid with foliate cross. Perpendicular carved font.
13th century south door with wrought ironwork, called important Romanesque in (S2). Brass 1483, and plaques of 1593 and 1623. Good 17th to 19th century floor tombs. One fragment of old stained glass in north window. Chest dated 1668.
Royal arms. Good memorial of 1815 now banished to a corner. Paten, London 1798; chalice, London 1810; patens on feet 1818 and 1833.
Communion cup of 1568 was sold; appeared later at Christie's then vanished.
E. Rose (NAU), 20 July 1978.

Copy of (S1) in file.

See (S3). Listed (S4).
E. Rose (NLA), 27 September 2004.

Monument Types

  • CHANTRY COLLEGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROUND TOWERED CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCH (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • SITE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds

  • COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FONT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TM3996 C-E,K,L,Q,W,Y.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1995. TM3996/AL - AQ.
---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. pp 598-599.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Slide: Various. Slide.
<S1>Article in Serial: AJSB. 1993. [unknown]. Round Towers Churches Soc. Newsletter. Vol XX, no 3, March.
<S2>Article in Monograph: Geddes, J. 1996. The Medieval Decorative Ironwork. Norwich Cathedral: Church, City and Diocese, 1096-1996. Atherton, I. et al (eds.). pp 431-442. p 442.
<S3>Publication: Jeffery, P.. 2004. The Collegiate Churches of England and Wales.. p 238.
<S4>Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1050483.

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