NHER 1615 (Building record) - St Mary the Virgin's Church, Sedgeford

Saxo-Norman round tower; otherwise Early English, Decorated & Perpendicular. Chancel part demolished in 18th century.
See (S1).
E. Rose (NLA).

1991.
Cutting of drain trench across site of chancel noted and recorded.
See (S2) and (S3).
E. Rose (NLA), 16 August 1991.

1996. Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project. Church Survey.
Gravestone survey, stone-by-stone record, ground plan and general recording.
Gravestone survey written and visual record of each stone within the cemetery. Those dated range from 1700 to 1890 (after which a new cemetery came into use).
The church consists of many architectural phases mainly high medieval. The earliest feature is the round tower, containing two triangular headed windows, one of which is now blocked off. These may suggest a foundation date in the Late Saxon period, but there are reasons to suspect the tower is actually early Norman (late 11th to early 12th century). Much of the rest dates in style to the 13th to 15th centuries with possible rebuilding in the Tudor period.
See (S4) and (S5).
M. Dennis (NLA), 7 August 2006.

1997. Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project. Church Survey.
Program of photogrammetric recording to provide an accurate record of the building.
See (S6) and (S7).
M. Dennis (NLA), 10 August 2006.

1998. Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project. Church Survey and Resistivity Survey.
Progress was made towards defining a sequence of the stages of the building and repair. A resistivity survey within the churchyard revealed the extent of the east end of the chancel demolished around 1770. It was shown to extend some 6m becoming narrower. The north transcept seems to have fallen into disrepair somewhat earlier.
See (S8) and (S9).
M. Dennis (NLA), 10 August 2006.

1999. Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project. Church Survey and Contour Survey.
This area became the focal centre of Sedgeford in the later medieval period. Conclusion of the first phase of recording the building's fabric. Floor plan and exterior of building have been recorded at 1:50 and the interior studied in great detail using measured sketches, scale drawings, photographs and written descriptions. 450 building elements have been identified and inter-related to create a detailed picture of the building's structural history. A contour survey of the surrounding graveyard and the inscriptions of the gravestones systematically recorded. The church was once a Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of Norwich Cathedral.
See (S10).
M. Dennis (NLA), 10 August 2006.

2001. Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project. Church Survey and Resisitivity Survey.
Outlines of the demolished chancel and north transcept recorded. The lack of solid chalk underlying the eastern end of the church was reponsible for the collapse of the eastern end of the chancel.
See (S11), (S12) and (S15).
M. Dennis (NLA), 11 August 2006.

September 2010. Conservation of Building Research and Analysis Report (COBRAR). Early 14th-century round tower, main arcades and chancel. Transepts added later in 14th centruy. Aisles rebuilt wider and envelopping tower. 15th-century added clerestory. South transept heightened. North transept demolished. 1770 chancel shortened. Confirms in the main Stephen Hart's analysis (S13).
See (S14).
S. Heywood (HES), 8 November 2010.

Just before 14 July 2010.
A post-medieval farthing of Charles I was discovered when a soak-away was dug in the churchyard.
See list and finder's photograph in file.
A. Marsden (HES), 20 October 2011.

May 2011. Excavation.
Details awaited.
P. Watkins (HES), 6 February 2017.

October-November 2015. Watching Brief.
Maintained during internal improvement works and installation of new foul water drainage system within churchyard.
The internal works saw the removal of pews and flooring within the south aisle of the church, which exposed an east-to-west aligned flint and mortar wall foundation associated with the former south aisle. This was preserved in situ as no further excavation was required in this area. The removal of the floor from a square area within the vestry at the western end of the north aisle exposed a void, at the base of which was a dark brown silt sand layer containing frequent fragments of mortar, red brick and chalk. This deposit lay directly above the natural chalk. A flint and wall foundation was exposed in this area which represented the corner of a structure extending to the east and south of the excavated area. This is thought to be part of the original north aisle.
A trench excavated for a new foul water drain to the west of the church was deep but only sporadically exposed natural chalk deposits due to the presence of a thick subsoil layer. No features or other deposits were noted. A total of 303 fragments of disarticulated human bone were recovered in this trench. Excavations for a connecting trench arch chamber were also insufficiently deep to reach the base of the subsoil layer. A further 21 fragments of human bone were recovered in this area. No features were noted.
See report (S16) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 November 2022.

February to May 2016. HLF-funded renovation project.
Repairs to the church will help remove it from the Heritage at Risk register.
Details awaited [1].
H. Hamilton (HES), 05 September 2017.