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Record Details

NHER Number:8204
Type of record:Building
Name:All Saints' Church, Crostwight

Summary

Set in fields and isolated, this parish church consists of a west tower, pantiled nave, thatched chancel and south porch. Construction is of flint and brick with limestone dressings. The building is largely 14th century, although parts of the chancel show signs of an earlier origin. The south porch is 15th century. The windows are all later replacements, the east one being from a restoration of 1896, when the roofs were replaced. The west tower had its upper part taken down and its belfry lowered in 1910, after ivy had made it unsafe, the stump being capped with a tiled pyramid roof, recently renewed. The square south porch is appealing, with its rough rural outer arch topped with two tiny (empty) figure niches. A holy water stoup in the porch has had a drain added to make it a piscina, possibly indicating that there was once a porch altar here. Inside, the light and airy nave has simple modern furnishings, but the original 13th century octagonal font survives, though much restored. Parts of the 15th century screen also survive, though much of it is probably a later replacement. The most striking internal feature, however, is a series of fine late 14th century wall paintings on the north nave wall, one of the most extensive in East Anglia. These represent the Passion sequence (the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem through to the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven). On either side of the altar in the simple chancel is a heavy re-set 13th century coffin slab. The church has several memorials, including one dated 1604 on the north chancel wall and a relatively grand one for the only man in the parish killed in World War Two, who was lost when The Royal Oak was sunk at Scapa Flow in 1939.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 3339 2998
Map Sheet:TG32NW
Parish:CROSTWIGHT, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
HONING, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Some ironbound conglomerate, but visible structure all of about 1320, possibly with early use of brick; alterations in about 1400.
Top of tower removed in 1910. Contains important wallpaintings, font, rood screen.
Report (S1), architect's plans (S2) and press cuttings (S3) and (S4) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 14 August 1992.

April 1955. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description:
Parish church. Substantially early 14th century, restored in the 19th century. Flint (partly knapped) with ashlar dressings. Nave roof of black glazed pantiles, chancel of thatch. West tower, nave and chancel. Two stage tower, the top stage removed in 1910. Diagonal western buttresses. Pointed lancet west window. Small rectangular ringing chamber windows. Stairs at northwest corner. Triangular headed window on east face below old roof line. Low pyramid roof to tower, tiled, of 1910. Square south porch with diagonal buttresses. Chamfered entrance arch on semi circular responds with crenellated capitals and polygonal bases. This arch of rendered brick. Over the arch a niche on the left and right. Plain parapet with roll moulded top. One arched lancet left of porch. Two restored Y tracery windows to right separated by stepped buttresses, repeated in north nave wall. Brick eaves cornice to nave. Eastern nave gable head on carved heads. South chancel wall pierced by two two light trefoiled square headed windows, between which are an arched priest's door and a wall monument to John Watts 1709. Diagonal east buttresses flank three light reticulated 14th century east window. One two light Y traceried north chancel window. North nave door with roll and chamfer mouldings.
Interior.
Double chamfered tower doorway. Double chamfered chancel arch with polygonal responds and capitals. 19th century scissor braced nave roof and similar chancel roof, but of heavier timbers. 13th century octagonal font with a Purbeck marble column and eight subsidiary stone columns. Excellent late 14th century wall paintings on north nave wall. 15th century chancel screen of three bays right and left of cusped ogeed central opening. Ogeed lights above dado mainly of the 19th century. Dado with quatrfoils in base of each panel and cusped and sub cusped at the top in the spandrels of which are carvings of winged angels, animals, sacred heart and other subjects. Information from (S5).
P. Aldridge (NLA), 21 March 2006.

Describes efforts to raise money needed to re-thatch roof, re-render walls and repair the exterior flint work, windows and lime plaster. Source also gives brief history of church.
See (S6) for more details.
M Langham-Lopez (HES), 05 November 2012.

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CHURCH (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)
  • FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FONT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PISCINA (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOD SCREEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • ROOD SCREEN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WALL PAINTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WALL PAINTING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • Xbell frame (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Article in Serial: Turner, D. 1849. Drawings by Mrs Gunn of Mural Paintings in Crostwight Church. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol II pp 352-362.
---Aerial Photograph: TG3329A-B.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 445-446.
---Website: Knott, S.. 2005. All Saints, Crostwight. http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/crosswight/crosswight.htm.
---Monograph: Mortlock, D. & Roberts, C.. 1981. The Popular Guide to Norfolk Churches, No.1. North-East Norfolk..
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Rose, E. (NLA). 1992. Building Report.. Building Report.
<S2>Illustration: Various. Various. Architectural plans.
<S3>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1993. Church to celebrate. 3 November.
<S4>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. [Photograph of All Saints' Church, Crostwight]. 13 June.
<S5>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1169968.
<S6>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2012. Cash plea to repair medieval churches. 25 October.

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