Record Details

NHER Number:560
Type of record:Building
Name:St Giles' Church, Upper St Giles Street, Norwich

Summary

This parish church dates mainly to the 15th century. It has the tallest tower of any Norwich church, reaching a height of 37m (120ft). The church has a nave and chancel, north and south aisles as well as a south porch. However, the chancel is a late 19th century addition by Phipson with some of the materials being taken to the Plantation Garden (see NHER 26396). Inside are two eagle lecterns; one is pre-Reformation from St Gregory's, the other is of 1903 and is to be disposed of. There is also a Hill organ which is also to be removed and replaced by an Archway organ from the Methodist Central Hall. In 2004 archaeologists examined an 18th or 19th century brick burial vault that had been exposed by the digging of service trenches. The vault contained three coffins (two adults and one juvenile).

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 22563 08598
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

February 1954. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"Parish Church. 15th century. 1866/67 chancel by Phipson. West tower, nave and chancel. North and south aisles. South porch. Flint with stone and brick dressings. Ashlar faced south wall of porch. Lead roofs. Early 15th-century four-stage tower with set-back buttresses and clasping buttresses on top stage."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 15 January 2018. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 8 November 2019.

1970s or 1980s. Building Survey.
Examined as part of Norwich Survey.
See draft report (S2) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 January 2018.

In existence by 1121-45 (First Register of Norwich Cathedral Priory- reproduced as reference (S3)).
'Was part of the same town' patrimony of Elwynns Priest.
The original chancel, said to be 14th century, was demolished in 1581 to give employment to poor tradesmen, by the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral. Some of the materials were used to block the chancel arch.
When Phipson rebuilt the chancel the blocking materials were taken to the Plantation Garden (see NHER 26396).
Information from (S4).
E. Rose (NLA) 3 April 1995.

In 1999 the church had two eagle lecterns; one is pre-Reformation from St Gregory's, the other is of 1903 and is to be disposed of. There is a Hill organ which is also to be removed and replaced by an Archway organ from the Methodist Central Hall.
Information from Diocese Advisory Commitee minutes of 4 February 1999.
E. Rose (NLA) 1 March 1999.

March-April 2000. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of excavation of cable trench in southern part of churchyard. For the most part the trench was located around the margins of the graveyard.
Occasional patches of post-medieval destruction rubble were encountered, associated with two masonry features. These structures were the remains of footings for upstanding stone tombs that had been removed. A single piece of disarticulated human skeletal material was uncovered.
No other archaeologically significant features or finds were encountered.
No report produced. See notes (S5) for further details.
J. Allen (NLA) 26 April 2000. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 7 February 2017.

See copy of illustration (S6) in file.

March 2004. Watching Brief.
From Context 10.
An 18th or 19th century brick burial vault was visually examined through a breach created by an earlier service trench. The vault contained three coffins (two adults and one juvenile), but it was not possible to identify the individuals.
See report (S6) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S7).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2007.297).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 23 January 2006. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 5 May 2019.

See four sheets of drawings and photographs by member of the public [1] in file regarding repairs to south aisle roof, buttresses and windows.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 17 February 2004.

Monument Types

  • CEMETERY (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
  • CHURCH (Medieval to 21st Century - 1400 AD to 2100 AD)
  • BURIAL VAULT (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1899 AD)
  • INHUMATION (17th Century to 19th Century - 1700 AD to 1899 AD)

Associated Finds

  • HUMAN REMAINS (Undated)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Drawing: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TG 2208ADA.
---Publication: Cox, J. C. 1911. Country Churches: Norfolk. Vol II. p 176.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 236-237; Pl 36.
---Publication: Messent, C. J. W. 1932. The City Churches of Norwich. pp 30-33.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2009. Winning view of old churches. 10 December.
---Unpublished Document: Cattermole, P. 1985. Some Norwich Churches as seen in the Obedientiary Rolls of Norwich Cathedral Priory, 1276-1536.
---Article in Serial: Cotton, S. 1981. Tradition and Authority in Churchbuilding. NARG News. No 26 pp 8-13. p 12.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Norwich - Post Roman.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1051876.
<S2>Unpublished Report: [Unknown]. [unknown]. St Giles [draft report]. Building Report.
<S3>Article in Serial: [unknown]. Norwich Record Society. Vol IX, p 61. p 61.
<S4>Article in Serial: Fenner, G. 1994. An Archaeological Problem. The Quarterly. No 16 pp 17-18.
<S5>Unpublished Document: Evans, H. 2000. [Notes on watching brief at St Giles' Church, Norwich].
<S6>Illustration: Thetford, W. I.. St Giles Church from Hales Court, Chapel Field.
<S7>Unpublished Contractor Report: Crank, N. 2004. The Church of St Giles on the Hill, Norwich. Archaeological Monitoring and Recording. Archaeological Solutions. 1555.
<S8>Article in Serial: Gurney, D. and Penn, K. 2005. Excavations and Surveys in Norfolk in 2004. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLIV Pt IV pp 751-763. p 759.

Related records

Site 2619Parent of: Church of St Giles (Monument)
Mon 1185Parent of: St Giles Anchorage (Monument)
Mon 726Parent of: St Giles Church (Monument)
Mon 1432Parent of: St Giles Churchyard (Monument)
Site 1239Parent of: St. Giles Church, Upper St. Giles Street (Monument)
Site 2378Parent of: St. Giles Church, Upper St. Giles Street (Monument)
Site 2392Parent of: St. Giles Church, Upper St. Giles Street (Monument)
Mon 1480Part of: Bethel Street, Over Newport (Monument)
Mon 1429Part of: St Swithin's Churchyard Beguinage (Monument)

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