Record Details
| NHER Number: | 6354 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of St Mary Magdalen's Church and leper hospital |
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Summary
This is the supposed site of St Mary's Church. The church, which may be a Late Saxon foundation, lost its parochial status in 1232 and became a leper hospital; it was relocated (see NHER 5890) before 1272 because townspeople objected to the proximity of the lepers. This leper hospital is not to be confused with St John's leper hospital (NHER 5755).
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TL 8727 8306 |
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| Map Sheet: | TL88SE |
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| Parish: | THETFORD, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Site of church. Castle Street was Great Magdalen Street, Magdalen Street was Little Magdalen Street.
The grid reference is the site given by (S1) who claimed to see masonry remains in standing buildings here around 1870 (information from R.R. Clarke (NCM)). But (S2) marks it further north; this is followed in (S3) but as A. Rogerson (NAU) remarks, this map is diagrammatic and contains errors.
The church, which may be a Late Saxon foundation, lost its parochial status in 1232 and became a leper hospital; it was removed to NHER 5890 before 1272 because townspeople objected to the proximity of the lepers.
Correction to previous information which had confused this with St John's leper hospital, NHER 5755.
E. Rose (NAU), 24 March 1986.
The confusion was due to the existence of a separate leper hospital of St John the Baptist, founded in the 12th century, which (S1) suggests was suppressed and annexed to St Mary's. Its site is debatable; informant [1] suggests it may be the remains usually thought to be St Lawrence's (NHER 5910).
E. Rose (NAU), 7 April 1986.
Monument Types
- CHURCH (Late Saxon to 13th Century - 851 AD? to 1232 AD)
- LEPER HOSPITAL (13th Century - 1232 AD to 1272 AD?)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TL 88 SE 59. |
| --- | 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. Thetford. |
| <S1> | Monograph: Leigh-Hunt, A.. 1870. The Capital of the Ancient Kingdom of East Anglia.. |
| <S2> | Map: Burrell, G. B.. 1807. Map of Thetford. |
| <S3> | Monograph: Dunmore, S. and Carr, R. 1976. The Late Saxon Town of Thetford: An archaeological and historical survey. East Anglian Archaeology. No 4. |
Related records
| 5890 | Related to: Site St Mary Magdalen's leper hospital (Monument) |
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