| Summary : Former priory church of the Trinitarian Priory (remains of) 1340-1536, and present parish church. Prior to its suppression, the person wishing to purchase the property alleged that it was of Crutched Friars, thus placing it outside the statute of suppression in 1536, with which the commissioners agreed. However, it was Trinitarian. Chancel circa 1340-44, founded by Sir Oliver de Ingham. 1360 Sir Miles de Stapleton (Sir Oliver's son-in-law) founded Trinitarian Priory to north of church and rebuilt nave and aisles (licence to rebuild church, Calender Patent Rolls, 1358-61, 163, 435). 1456 tower commenced, 1533 battlements of tower completed (wills, Norwich Record Office). South porch 1440. 1875-76 church restored by J.P. Seddon and Ewan Christian : clerestory stage entirely of this period, and south aisle remodelled. Minor restorations 1969, tower restored 1986. Flint with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs. |
More information : (TG 39102605) Site of (NAT)
St Mary & Holy Trinity Priory (NR) (Trinitarian Founded AD 1360) (1)
A Trinitarian Priory dedicated to St Mary and Holy Trinity was founded in 1360, became the head house of the kingdom, and was dissolved in 1536. Its remains including cloisters stand north of the present parish church which was itself partly conventual. (2,3)
A quarry, now a landscaped garden, on the north side of the church has accounted for most of the priory buildings. But part of the south arcade of the cloister can still be seen together with several adjacent fragments. See photographs. (4)
Parish church. Well documented building history. Chancel circa 1340-44, founded by Sir Oliver de Ingham. 1360 Sir Miles de Stapleton (Sir Oliver's son-in-law) founded Trinitarian Priory to north of church and rebuilt nave and aisles (licence to rebuild church, Calender Patent Rells, 1358-61, 163, 435). 1456 tower commenced, 1533 battlements of tower completed (wills, Norwich Record Office). South porch 1440. 1875-76 church restored by J.P. Seddon and Ewan Christian : clerestory stage entirely of this period, and south aisle remodelled. Minor restorations 1969, tower restored 1986. Flint with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs. 3 stage tower supported by flushwork diagonal buttresses. Flushwork plinth course with ogee arcade. 3-light Perpendicular west window. Square traceried ventilation panels to ringing chamber. 2-light belfry windows now without tracery. Double crenellated flushwork parapet angle finials standing upon octagonal turrets. 3 light cusped reticulated aisle west windows. Square 3 storey south porch with diagonal buttresses. Sunk quadrant moulded entrance arch leads to lower porch chamber stone vaulted in 2 bay tierceron rib vault. Double wave moulded inner south doorway. 2-light first floor window to porch of 1969. Blocked 2-light mullioned second floor window. Polygonal stair turret to north-east. South aisle supported on stepped buttresses, angled to east. 3 3-light flowing aisle windows by J.P. Seddon. 4 Flamboyant circular clerestory windows to south and north also by Seddon. South aisle east window blocked. 3 3-light chancel south windows, restored but still mid C14. Centre window early Perpendicular, of lozenge type. Others with tracery of 2 4-petalled flowers. To west end of chancel under eav es a 2-light rectangular window to south and north sides. Stepped side buttresses and Priests' door. Buttresses diagonal to east. Fine 5-light flowing east window. One 3-light C14 vesica window to north chancel. North side of church given up to priory buildings, now ruinous and fragmentary. Walls and staircases rise and cross each other. Parallel with north aisle remains of south walk of cloisters, the arches blocked. Interior. 5 bay arcade consisting of lobed piers with filleted rolls between lobes. Round moulded bases on polygonal plinths balanced by round moulded abaci under polygonal capitals. Double wave moulded arches. String course below clerestory windows. C19 King post nave roof on false hammerbeams. King posts with arched braces to collars. Tall tower arch on 2 orders engaged columns. Plain chancel arch, double hollow chamfered. Octagonal Cl3 Purbeck marble font with 2 incised arches to each facet of bowl. Stem and 8 orbiting marble columns 1876. Aisle roofs of plain rafter type and C19. No north aisle windows but at east end a blocked segmental doorway below a chamfered window arch, both originally opening into Priory buildings. 4-centred wave moulded recess to east. At east end of south aisle a blocked doorway. Central piers of stone chancel screen survive. Late C15 chancel stalls heavily restored. C19 hammerbeam chancel roof. Vestry entered through arched door in square surround. In spandrels encircled quatrefoils. Immediately east of vestry door wall monument to Sir Oliver de Ingham, died 1344. Stone. Originally a tomb chest with reclining effigy beneath elaborate vaulted canopy. Of canopy only western piers remain and fragment of vault. Plinth of tomb chest with row of encircled quatrefoils. Above an arcade of 12 weepers each in cinquefoiled niches. On tomb chest an effigy of Sir Oliver lying on bed of pebbles with crossed arms. 2 angels hold helmet behind his head. To west are remains of buttressing of canopy, elaborately fitted with subsidiary vaulted statuary niches. Cusped tracery under nodding ogee arches with crockets and finials. Vaulting springers of canopy remain, cusped. Nave south aisle altar tomb to Sir Roger and Lady Margaret de Bois, died 1300 and 1315 respectively but costume details are circa 1340. Rectangular tomb chest with alternating large and small panels, the large with quatrefoils enclosing shields, the small with figures under canopies. At west side scene of Resurrection of Christ.
Effigies of Sir Roger and Lady Margaret badly weathered and of rigid pose, not cross legged. 2 indents of brasses survive, one to Sir Brian Stapleton under canopy with some brass work remaining, the other to a Knight and his wife, equally fragmentary. Brass inscription to Lady Elizabeth Calthorpe died July 33 1536 (sic). (5)
Additional information. (6,7) |