NHER 10953 (Building record) - St Mary Magdalene's Church, Pulham Market

14th to 15th century, several periods of building, 18th to 19th century rebuilding.
Roman coin found in churchyard.
For full details see secondary file.
See (S1) and (S2).
E. Rose (NAU), 9 June 1980.

A Davison reports no faculties recorded- not even for 1870's work. Churchwarden's accounts too fragile to examine.

December 1959. Listed, Grade I.
Listing Description:
Parish church. Mainly 14th and 15th century. Flint with slate and pantile roofs. Nave with clerestory, chancel, north and south aisles, north porch and west tower. Large four stage west tower with flushwork panelling on battlements, buttresses and base. Perpendicular aisle and clerestory windows. North porch with flushwork panelling. Renewed chancel windows. Five bay arcades. 15th century nave roof with arched braces and collar-beads, the east bay of nave roof is panelled with restored colour decoration, and 15th century aisle roofs with arched braces. 15th century screen in tower arch. Some 15th century bench ends.
Information from (S3).

Dr S Cotton confirms dating of North porch to 1456; bequests also to bells 1438, and to rood beam 1503.

27 April 2001. Site Visit.
Visit during installation of toilets in tower base. It was noted on this occasion that though the north porch stair turret is of brick, above its top there is a small window in the flintwork of the parvis, set at an angle. There are cuts in the west side of the tower arch at the level of the capitals which may indicate a removed ringers gallery or tall screen. The toilet is being installed on top of the 19th century tower floor. A hole for pipes through the north wall revealed that it is constructed of solid flintwork. The external trench from the north side of the tower to the north west corner of the churchyard showed a consistent six inches or so of topsoil above natural. The only finds were 19th century. There were no traces of any features or graves. Another trench running from west of the tower to south of the south porch showed that by the southwest corner of the porch the topsoil dipped down, apparently with tip lines, to a depth of about 18 inches. This appeared as if a hollow had been infilled rather than as if it were a grave. One fragment of medieval brick had been dug up, context unknown.
E. Rose, 27 April 2001.
Updated by H. White (NLA), 28 April 2009

February 2010.
The church features a ceiling painting depicting angels with feathered trousers playing trumpets, created in the 1400s and restored in 1873. The chancel arch features an image of Christ and his disciples painted by J 7 J King of Norwich in 1895. Funding is now being sought for the restoration of these paintings.
See (S4) for further details,
H. White, (NLA), 25 February 2010