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Historic England Research Records

Burnham Norton Whitefriars

Hob Uid: 358469
Location :
Norfolk
King's Lynn and West Norfolk
Burnham Norton, Burnham Market
Grid Ref : TF8389042780
Summary : The friary was the earliest Carmelite house to be established in Norfolk. It was founded in 1242 by Ralph Hempnale and William Calethorpe on a site at Bradmer, east of Burnham Norton village, and was moved to its present site in 1252. The friary was enlarged in 1298, and again in 1353. The friary was dissloved in 1538 and the land was eventually sold in 1544 to Lady Anne Calthorpe. It later passed to the local branch of the Pepys family, relatives of the diarist Samuel.
More information : TF 8384 4277 Remains of St Mary's Friary (NR) (Carmelite) (1)

House of Carmelite Friars at Burnham Norton founded 1242-7 and dissolved in 1538. At their foundation they occupied a site called Bradmer from which they moved in 1253 (2).

Ruins of a friary, dedicated to St Mary, consisting of a gate-house and a portion of the west end of the friary. The foundations of the whole building can be easily traced. (3)

Large quantity of friary building material re-used to build house north of the ruins (TF 83834282)

West end of church with 14th century doorway. Cottage to north ?17th century with some 14th century stone work included. Ruins and cottage Grade I. (4)

Extant remains of the Friary comprise a small buttressed gate-house, to the immediate east the entire west wall of the church is standing to its original height, architecture is contemporary with the gate-house; the plan of the church can be clearly traced as grassed walling varying in height from ground level to 0.7m; the plan shows the church to have originally had a narrow south aisle. (5)

Ancillary buildings can also be traced by either solid or grassed over walling, now portrayable as a bank. The site is under a thick and high nettle growth, perhaps obliterating other building lines. A fragment of the perimeter wall is extant adjacent to the gate-house and other stretches can be traced to the north-east and east of the building complex. The area contained by the perimeter is under pasture, there is an abundant nettle spread but no further buildings could be traced nor are there contemporary earthworks; and the wall, in places, achieves a max height of 2.4m with a general width of 0.6m. Friary Cottages are constructed primarily with material filched from the Friary, in themselves they are not outstanding. See photographs. Resurveyed on MSD.

Carmelite Friary ruins. First Carmelite foundation (1241) after expulsion (1238) from Mount Carmel in Sinai. Detached gable wall. C14, decorated flint with cut stone dressings. Grade II* (see list for details) (6)

Scheduled listing (7)

Sources :
Source Number : 1
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Source details : Ordnance Survey 6" 1959
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Page(s) : 233-4
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Source Number : 2a
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Source details : Carmelus 16 1969 (K Egan)
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : Messent CJW 1934 Monastic Remains of Norfolk and Suffolk p 14
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : DOE (Historic Houses Record) Docking Rural District Sept 1947
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : First OS Archaeology Field Investigator 12/05/1976
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest Kings Lynn and West Norfolk 01/03/1985
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : English Heritage SAM List Norfolk 1987
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Source Number : 8
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Source details : English Heritage Schedule Entry 22/07/1995
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Monument Types:
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Founded in 1242
Monument End Date : 1242
Monument Start Date : 1242
Monument Type : Carmelite Friary
Evidence : Ruined Building, Earthwork
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Moved in 1253
Monument End Date : 1253
Monument Start Date : 1253
Monument Type : Carmelite Friary
Evidence : Ruined Building, Earthwork
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Extant
Monument End Date : 1538
Monument Start Date : 1253
Monument Type : Boundary Wall, Church, Cloister, Building, Infirmary, Guest House
Evidence : Structure, Ruined Building, Earthwork, Conjectural Evidence
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Enlarged in 1298
Monument End Date : 1298
Monument Start Date : 1298
Monument Type : Carmelite Friary
Evidence : Ruined Building, Earthwork
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Enlarged in 1353
Monument End Date : 1353
Monument Start Date : 1353
Monument Type : Carmelite Friary
Evidence : Ruined Building, Earthwork
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Dissolved in 1538
Monument End Date : 1538
Monument Start Date : 1538
Monument Type : Carmelite Friary
Evidence : Ruined Building, Earthwork

Components and Objects:
Related Records from other datasets:
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : NF 202
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Norfolk)
External Cross Reference Number : 1738
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 21389
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 416550
External Cross Reference Notes :
External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : TF 84 SW 6
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :
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Related Activities :
Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1976-05-12
End Date : 1976-05-12