Record Details

NHER Number:2235
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of South Clenchwarton Church

Summary

The site of South Clenchwarton church, a medieval church destroyed by flooding by 1368. Nothing remains of the building, but limestone fragments have been found, and metal detecting has recovered large quantities of window lead and a roofing tile. In 1907, two medieval decorated stone coffins were found in a brick vault.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 5840 1860
Map Sheet:TF51NE
Parish:CLENCHWARTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

1907. On Pullover Farm.
Found in '20 Acres' on Mr Brown's land by a hedge dividing it from the late W. E. Baker's land; on a very slight hill; the Pullover or Old River banks are between the site and Tilney church.
Two decorated stone coffins found in a brick vault with chalk, flints and carstone.
See letters (S1), (S2), and (S3) to Sir Williams Ffolkes. Transcript in file.
Photograph made from slide.
(Card by R. R. Clarke (NCM) with other details inserted from letters (S1) to (S3). R. R. Clarke gave grid reference as about 585 180).
E. Rose (NAU).

19 March 1984.
Messrs R & S Brown (son and grandson of finder) indicated correct findspot is rather 5840 1860.
At this point numerous fragments of limestone, all rough with no indication of working, other fragments ?oolitic rock, abundant gravel lumps and some larger lumps of flint. Little bone but no pottery.
Apparently on slight knoll about 0.3m high. Whole concentration covered about 60m north to south and about 20m east to west from edge of field.
R. Silvester (NAU) 20 March 1984.

Nothing on tithe map but field not named.
E. Rose (NAU), June 1984.

See NHER 14902. Any connection?
E. Rose (NAU).

A stone coffin, with fragment of lid bearing wheel cross lying nearby, now in undercroft of Clifton House King's Lynn but property of KLM, is thought to be from this site.
E. Rose (NAU), 17 January 1986.

An inventory of church goods from the time of Edward III (reprint Watkin 1948; copy in File) refers to a church of South Clenchwarton 'which is now destroyed by the sea'. Author of (S4) believes this refers to this site.
E. Rose (NAU) 13 August 1986.

1992.
Large section of tooled Barnack door jamb, with marks from fittings, post Norman but not strictly dateable.
Lumps of limestone and knapped building flints.
Finder unknown, given to source [1].
Identified by E. Rose (NLA), 13 May 1992.

Appropriate section from reference (S4) in file.

October-November 1999. Metal detecting.
Much lead. Sample of nine small pieces of no obvious interest.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 30 November 1999.

Before 30 September 2002. Metal detecting and surface collection.
No significant finds apart from:
Fresh edge fragment of ceramic roofing tile. At one end is the beginning of a curve, suggesting this may be a ridge tile.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 1 October 2002.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • VAULT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Undated)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Undated)
  • COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Clenchwarton.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Brown, C.. 1907. Letter from Charles Brown to Sir William Ffolkes. 20 December.
<S2>Unpublished Document: Plowright, C.B.. 1907. Letter from C. B. Plowright to Sir William Ffolkes.. 20 December.
<S3>Unpublished Document: Plowright, C.B.. 1907. Letter from C.B. Plowright to Sir William Ffolkes. 30 December.
<S4>Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 159; p 53.
<S5>Monograph: Watkin, A. 1947-8. Archdeaconry of Norwich: Inventory of Church Goods, temp. Edward III (Parts I and II). Norfolk Record Society Publications. XIX.

Related records - none

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