Record Details

NHER Number:9997
Type of record:Building
Name:St Michael's Church, Flordon

Summary

St Michael's church is constructed of flint with stone dressings and consists of an aisleless nave with a south porch, a vestry to the north, and a chancel. The nave was constructed in the 11th or 12th century, and the north and south walls feature double splayed Late Saxon style windows. Remains of quoins on these walls mark the eastern extent of the nave prior to the 14th century, when it was extended. The porch was added in the 15th century. At one time this church also featured a round western tower, but this is reputed to have fallen and was replaced with a 19th century brick bell cote. Fragments of medieval stained glass have been preserved within the interior as well as a Jacobean pulpit. A false roof was installed in 1908. In January 2009, repairs to the Victorian roof allowed the earlier roof to be examined for the first time. It was found to be very well preserved and has been dated to the early 13th century.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TM 18 97
Map Sheet:TM19NE
Parish:FLORDON, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

November 1959. Listed Grade II*.
Listing Description:
Parish church. Medieval and later. Flint with stone dressings and 19th century brick west wall. Plaintiled roofs. Former round western tower, aisleless nave with south porch and vestry to north; chancel. 11th century or 12th century nave with two double-splayed windows and surviving rubble eastern quoins marking original extent of nave. One 14th century 2-light cusped Y-traceried window to south and a similar 3-light east window. Other windows probably Victorian. Victorian bell-cote. 15th century porch with fine moulded entrance and diagonal buttresses. Surviving rood stair. Jacobean pulpit with blind arcading and carved decoration. Fragments of mediaeval stained glass. Victorian roofs.
Information from (S1).

See (S2) with (S3).
E. Rose (NLA).

No tower. Bell cote brick. In north and south walls of the nave are double splayed Late Saxon style windows and remains of quoins that mark the eastern extent of the nave prior to the 14th century.
Information from (S4).
D. Robertson (NLA), 29 November 2005.

Diocesan Advisory Committee note that there is a Gothick clay lump vestry on a brick plinth and that a round west tower fell and was replaced by a brick wall.
E. Rose (NLA), 2 December 2005.

January 2008. Building recording.
The fabric of the church has been left largely untouched following the 1908 restoration and the medieval and later lime renders still survive on the nave. As the roofs are due to be retiled, recommendations have been made to take samples from the early roof of the nave and the possible original chancel roof for dendrochronological analysis.
See (S5).
S. Howard (HES), 29 October 2010.

January 2009.
The wooden beams of the original roof of the church were exposed during repairs to the false ceiling fitted in 1908. The beams have been dated to the early 13th century and are reported to be in good condition, with few repairs having taken place since its construction. The restoration work at the church has been grant aided by English Heritage, and it is hoped that samples will be taken to obtain a date via dendrochronology.
See (S6) for further details.
H. Hamilton (NLA), 30 January 2009.

March 2009. Building Survey.
An area of masonry immediately east of the south east quoin of the nave was observed to have a thin facing of flint built against a plastered surface, indicating that the earlier face of the wall was recessed by 12cms, creating an offset. The nave quoin formed the west jamb of an opening into a transept arm or chapel which has since been blocked. The arch is expressed on the interior by a central section of the archway left in situ, forming the head of a window. The window is a re-use of a thirteenth century form before the advent of tracery in the 1240's. The blocking of the arch and the demolition of the chapel probably took place in the later middle ages. A second archway to the west is marked in the plaster of both sides of the wall. The opening is much too large for a simple doorway and it is therefore assumed to be another chapel. The presence of these two archways indicates the probable intention of building an aisle, and that the project was abandoned. The area of fallen masonry has allowed the eastern jamb of the former archway to be located.
See (S7) for further details
H. White (NLA), 29 May 2009.

Inspection 2009.
The nave roof proved to be a complete 13th-century roof of the collar and soulace variety with trusses set very close together. Traces of the earlier Norman roof were found also. The timber proved to be unsuitable for dendrochronolgy. However, it can confidently dated to the early 13th century + or - 20 years and contemporary with the lengthening of the nave (see S5).
S. Heywood (HES), 22 January 2014

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • BELL TOWER (19th Century to Early 20th Century - 1837 AD to 1901 AD)

Associated Finds

  • WINDOW (Late Saxon to Medieval - 1000 AD to 1200 AD)
  • WINDOW GLASS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TM 19 NE 10.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Leaflet: Simon Cotton & Roy Tricker. Flordon Saint Michael.
<S1>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1172235.
<S2>Article in Serial: Cotton, Simon. [unknown]. Norfolk Archaeology?.
<S3>Illustration: Ladbrooke. [unknown].
<S4>Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 339.
<S5>Unpublished Document: Heywood, S. 2008. The Church of St Michael and All Angels, Flordon, Humbleyard Deanery: Statement of Significance.. January.
<S6>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2009. Flordon Ancient Church Roof Revealed. 29 January.
<S7>Unpublished Document: Heywood, S. 2009. Flordon Church, Note on recent fall of masonry at east end of south side of nave.. March.

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