Record Details

NHER Number:6120
Type of record:Building
Name:St Peter's Church, Riddlesworth

Summary

Situated just beyond Riddlesworth Hall, this church has an early 14th century west tower with, unusually, a north and a south door, that to the north now blocked. As for the rest of the building, in 1855, Thomas Thornhill, whose family owned the hall for most of the 19th century, paid £900 to have the chancel taken down and rebuilt and the nave doubled in size. The south porch and door also date from then. Most of the internal fittings, including the Royal Arms on the west wall, the tall Jacobean pulpit and the reading desk, are from Knettishall church in Suffolk, which was closed in 1933. The plain octagonal font is perhaps 15th century. There are some good panels, memorials and monuments, including on the north nave wall a fine tablet to Sir Drue Dury (died 1617), which shows a kneeling knight with two angels holding back some curtains. The floor slabs at the east end of the nave tell the sad story of two ladies who were killed in their beds at the hall when a chimney stack fell on them during a 'furious hurricane' in 1703.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 9666 8128
Map Sheet:TL98SE
Parish:RIDDLESWORTH, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

29 November 1979. Visit.
About 1300, 15th century and Victorian. Hidden rood stair shows building much enlarged.
See report (S1) in file. Listed (S2).
E. Rose (NAU).

July 1958. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description:
Parish church. Early 14th century with 18th century repairs and 19th century restoration. Flint with ashlar dressings and plain tiled roofs. West tower, nave and chancel. Three stage tower with diagonal buttresses to west, angle to east. Stilted doorways to north and south with moulded jambs, the south with hood on head stops, the north blocked with lancet window. Above south door one trefoiled ogee niche. String courses define stages. Trefoil light to ringing chamber on south. Restored Y tracery two-light belfry windows below crenellated parapet. Gabled south porch with 19th century cinquefoiled side lights and simple wave moulded inner south door. All windows 19th century of various types between flat buttresses: on south two-light cusped under square hood and two two-light trefoiled with reticulation unit over. One of each type to north nave east of blocked arched north door. Dentil eaves cornice to nave. Diagonal chancel buttresses and three-light Perpendicular east window, the chancel buttresses and quoins in gault brick. Trefoil arched light to north chancel. Gabled 19th century vestry at east of nave north with tall chimney.
Interior. Rood stairs of nave in centre of south side suggests 19th century extension of nave. 19th century roof of two tiers; butt purlins and braces to collars. Chancel roof similar. Late 17th century irontwist altar rails with moulded handrails and a pair of central gates, quadruple irontwist balusters at intervals. Plain octagonal font. Painted Royal Arms of Charles II dated 1666. Early 17th century pulpit panelled with rosette decorated arches and top panels. Tester with frieze and pendants. Fine marble wall monument in nave north wall to Sir Drue Drury 1617. Three scrolled brackets support inscribed tablet and plinth upon which stand two robed angels, each parting curtain to reveal Sir Drue Drury kneeling before reading table. Putto head looks from ceiling of curtained niche under semi-circular projection with Doric frieze decorated with four coloured shields, two further heraldic shields within moulded roundels stand on cornice framing achievement under bow fronted open pediment.
Information from (S2).

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval to 21st Century - 1066 AD to 2100 AD)

Associated Finds

  • DOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WINDOW (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • SHINE

Sources and further reading

---Monograph: Bryant, T. H. 1901. Hundred of Guiltcross. The Churches of Norfolk. Vol VIII. pp 93-98.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 612.
---Leaflet: St Peter's Church, Riddlesworth..
---Photograph: Photographs of St. Peter's Church,Riddlesworth. Colour.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Unpublished Document: Rose, E. (NAU). 1979. Building Report.. Building Report.
<S2>Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1077393.

Related records

30519Part of: Riddlesworth Park and multi-period finds (Monument)

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