Record Details
| NHER Number: | 10884 |
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| Type of record: | Building |
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| Name: | St Nicholas' Church, North Lopham |
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Summary
This peaceful parish church consists of an early 14th century chancel and nave, a mid 14th century south aisle and porch and a big sturdy west tower that was built in three stages and completed in 1526. The tower retains its massive dedicatory inscription to the soul of John Caley, above which are the initials of other donors to the tower's construction. Later alterations to the building include the 19th century north vestry and all the roofs. The chancel was restored in 1862. The interior is also largely Victorian, though there is a fine 14th century octagonal font with lightly cut tracery motifs, a painted Royal Arms of George III on the south aisle wall and an 18th century lead plaque on the back of the south door recording the names of churchwardens. The churchyard has some good gravestones, though there are no memorials visible in the church itself.
Images
Location
| Grid Reference: | TM 0363 8255 |
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| Map Sheet: | TM08SW |
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| Parish: | NORTH LOPHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
July 1958. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description:
Parish church. Early 14th century chancel and nave, mid 14th century south aisle and porch, western tower of about 1470 to 1500. Partly rendered flint with ashlar dressings with plain tiled roofs and slate porch. Chancel restored 1862. Tower in three stages. High flushwork plinth with monograms on south face : crowned T (Trinity); crowned MR (Maria Regina); crowned A (St. Andrew a previous dedication). Arched west door below two-light Perpendicular window. Diagonal buttresses also with flushwork. Two-light Y ringing chamber and belfry windows. Crenellated parapet. South face has ashlar inscription panels representing donors and saints reading from the top : MRA (Maria Regina and Andrew); PD RD (unidentified); W. A (William Aleyn, donations 1500); JB (John Barker, donations 1486); MB (Marion Bussle); RB (Robert Bolle, donations 1500); Pray for the soul of John Kailli. Crenellated south aisle with diagonal buttresses and four alternating windows, either two-light reticulated or two-light with flower motif, the east window being the latter and of three lights. Lancet to west of chancel, arched priest's door and two-light flowing window of 1862. Three-light restored reticulated east window. Slate lean-to 19th century north vestry and one restored two-light window to north chancel. Two stepped brick buttresses support north nave wall pierced two two-light Perpendicular panel windows, one restored Y window and arched north door. Interior. Four bay arcade on bevelled elongated piers with demi-shafts east and west carrying polygonal capitals. Sunk quadrant arch mouldings. Tall tower arch. 19th century aisle, nave and chancel roofs, the latter scissor braced. Fine 14th century octagonal font, the bowl tapering and with lightly cut tracery motifs, the stem cut with rolls and flutes, some with wave mouldings. Early 17th century crown cover with ball finial. Painted Royal Arms of George III on south aisle wall. Lead plate to church wardens hangs on south door dated 1795. North door blocked, as is chancel priest's door. Bench sedilia and trefoil piscina in chancel.
Information from (S1).
P. Aldridge (NLA), 5 October 2006.
Early English to Perpendicular (13th to 15th century). 19th century additions.
Fine documented west tower.
Report (S2), press cutting (S3), architectural plans (S4), correspondence (S5) and (S6), together with extract from (S7) in file. Listed (S1).
E. Rose (NAU), 21 October 1980.
Monument Types
- 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
- DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- DOOR (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
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: TM 0382A-C. |
| --- | Monograph: Bryant, T. H. 1901. Hundred of Guiltcross. The Churches of Norfolk. Vol VIII. pp 72-78. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Website: Knott, S.. 2005. St Nicholas, North Lopham. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/lophamnorth/lophamnorth.htm. 5 October 2006. |
| --- | Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 571-572. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2017. Help us to put a stop of 'cowardly desecration' of our local church heritage. 3 August. |
| <S1> | Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1077430. |
| <S2> | Unpublished Document: Rose, E. (NAU). 1980. Site report. |
| <S3> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1996. Dry rot chaos. 6 July. |
| <S4> | Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans. |
| <S5> | Correspondence: Halfacre, E.. 2003. Email to E. Rose (NLA). 14 April. |
| <S6> | Correspondence: Gurney, D. (NLA). 2003. Letter to Wearing, Hastings and Norton. 15 April. |
| <S7> | Article in Serial: 1998. Proceedings of The Suffolk Institute of Archaeology. Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History. Vol XXXIX, 2. |
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