NHER 226 (Building record) - The Cathedral of the Holy and Undivided Trinity (Norwich Cathedral)

The Cathedral was officially started in AD 1096 but preparations and acquisition of land were taking place as early as AD 1084 when the Domesday Book refers to a gift of 14 houses to Bishop Herfast 'for the principal seat of the bishopric'. By the death of the founding bishop in 1119 the eastern arm, the crossings, transepts, four bays of the nave and the bishop's palace to the north had been completed. Bishop Eborard completes the building of the church and conventual buildings around the cloister to the south between 1121 and 1145. Major fires are recorded as having taken place in 1171, 1272, 1463 and 1509. A tempest in 1361/2 blew down the 12th century spire onto the presbytery clerestory and caused enough damage to require its rebuilding.
See (S1) for further details.
S. Howard (NLA), 16 June 2010.

Cathedral Priory, Benedictine. Founded 1096; additions and remodelling up to mid 19th century. See notes in file.
1895. Sherds found.
1865. Cauldron found.
1867. Late Saxon sherds found.
1889. Chapter house excavated.

1899. Field Observation and Stray Find.
Observations and discoveries made during repair work.
Various features and details were exposed during the unflaking and cleaning of the nave. A medieval stone mortar was also found within one of the Norman piers, which is now held by the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 1963.132).
A series of sondages were also excavated in the central aisle of the nave, in the two bays west of the pulpitum. These revealed the vault and body of Bishop Lyhart at the west entrance to the pulpitum but not the expected grave of William of Norwich. Several other brick graves were also observed.
Other discoveries included remains interpreted as the foundation of a mid 15th-century timber roodscreen.
See published report (S45) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 August 2019.

1934, 1937, 1969. Excavations on west cloister range.
1972. Roman brick found.
1976. Human skeletons found.

(S46) discusses the dating of the circular double-splayed windows in the Cathedral Cloisters.
A. Beckham (HES), 18 January 2020.

April 1992. Building Survey.
Survey of niche in south wall of south cloister walk.
See report (S26) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S27).
P. Watkins (HES), 13 February 2017.

June 1994. Building Survey.
Recording of Romanesque pier exposed by missing stone panel in the east side of Prior Bozoun's tomb. It was possible to determine the probable sequence of alterations to the Romanesque fabric.
See notes (S20) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 October 2015.

1995. Architectural Survey.
Drawn archaeological survey of the north face of the tower undertaken in order to calibrate and detail a previous photogrammetric and architectural survey.
This work is noted in (S28).

1995. Geophysical Survey.
Resistivity survey located the structural remains of the west wall of the Hostry in the west range.
No report received. The results of this work are summarised in (S30).
P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2017.

September 1996. Test Pit and Borehole Survey
Evaluation work in the south and west cloister ranges.
This work revealed evidence of deposits associated with the demolition of the refectory and subsequent post-medieval foundation levels. A plan of the library stairs was also drawn.
See report (S25) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S29).
An archive associated with this work has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2022.83).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2017 and 6 December 2022.

See full details, architects drawings, surveys, references in file.

December 1998. Excavation.
Hand excavation of small trench over leaking water stop valve on west side of cloister. The material encountered was principally made ground and backfill around service trenching. The base of the trench did however penetrate beneath the disturbance associated with the modern services. Archaeologically significant deposits encountered included a compacted mortar layer that covered a similarly-compacted light grey, charcoal-rich ashey deposit.
Information from file notes. No report was produced and the excavation is amongst the work listed in (S32) as having had largely negative results.
P. Watkins (HES), 26 January 2017.

For the most comprehensive and recent account of the building, archaeology, history, topography etc. see (S2).
For other references, see file.
E. Rose (NLA), 20 January 1997.

1970s or 1980s. Norwich Survey.
See (S2), including (S3).
T. E. Miller (NLA), 7 July 2004.

2000.
Survey continued, concentrated mainly on the cloister which is due for conservation and restoration work as part of the new visitors' centre. Plans produced in 1998 are being supplemented by stone-by-stone elevations of both the interior and exterior, and by a three-dimensional vault plan of all 49 bays.

The south elevation of the south transept was in urgent need of stone replacement. By means of a relectorless EDM survey and recified photography a stone-by-stone elevation record was produced, which was then enhanced once caffolding had been erected. The vast majority of the stonework is Salvin's work of 1831 (as confirmed by a date on the string course), but a couple of courses of original medieval ashlar survive behind one of the low blind arcades.

The cathedral's roof vaults were surveyed for the installation of fire detection equipment. The intention was to identify the position of joints in the webbing, and use this information to excavate accurately down from the topside of the vault and locate the joint with detriment to the surround fabric. Once the joint was located the tiny clear pipe of a Vesda fire system was installed.
See (S19).
D. Holburn (HES), 14 November 2011.

July-October 2001. Excavation.
Excavation on the refectory.
Excavation for the Dean and Chapter revealed little evidence of the expected medieval structures except for a sunken masonry 'tank', but recorded several Late Saxon features pre-dating the Norman cathedral. These included a NorthEast-SouthWest street, evidence of timber buildings, and rubbish pits. Dissolution debris produced window glass and architectural fragments, whilst later activity was represented by the cellar of the prebendary's house and horticulteral works.
See published report (S21) for further details. See also draft publication report (S22) and assessment reports (S23) and (S24). The results of this work are also summarised in (S18).
The associated archive has been deposited with Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2012.263 and NWHCM : 2013.376).
D. Holburn (HES), 21 October 2011. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

2001.
The measured survey of the cathedral complex continued for a fifth year, the main focus being the cloister where conservation and restoration is scheduled. To aid this work, the elevations (both internal and external) and vaulting are being surveyed to supplement the floor plans made in 1998. Further detail has been given to the elevations by incorporating recified colour photographs. This method alows each stone to be identified for conservation or replacement, and its dimensions taken.

The major stimulus for the measured survey is the new Visitors' Centre due to be built on the site of the medieval refectory and hostelry. The refectory was excavated by the NAU in 2001, and a great deal of information previously hidden by garden deposits was exposed. By reducing the whole surface level by about 1 metre, a 46 metre long strip of the North and South elevation was revealed, and around 10 metres of the East 'high end'. These areas had escaped modern re-pointing work and thus held information about construction techniques. A series of rectified photographs were taken to capture this. Various features, including a plinth that ran the length of the North and South walls, and the bases of an East arcade, were also revealed. These were surveyed to enable the architects to allow for them in their design, but this recording will also aid future interpretation. A number of vertical sections were also taken through the site to give cross-sections through the cloister and dark entry, providing information about wall and vault thickness.
See (S17).
D. Holburn (HES), 21 October 2011.

2002.
Further excavation recorded Late Saxon features including a road, and Dissolution rubble including painted limestone blocks.
See (S16).
D. Holburn (HES), 14 October 2011.

2003. Rectified Photographic Survey.
Rectified photographs and elevations produced for a bay of the Locutory and the corresponding bay in the south aisle to aid the redesign of an existing doorway for disabled access.
This work is noted in (S31).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 March 2017.

November 2004.
See file for list of Norwich Cathedral archives (S4) and (S5). Press cuttings (S6) and (S35)-(S43), architectural plans (S7) and correspondence (S8) in file.
See listing description (S9).
J. Allen (NLA), 18 November 2004.

2008. Norwich HEART. (S11, S12)
Described as an iconic Norman Cathedral and one of the most complete major Romanesque buildings in Europe
The Cathedral is the most complete Norman Cathedral in the UK and boasts a wealth of Romanesque features with later Gothic additions to create one of the most atmospheric sacred spaces in Europe.
The Cathedral has the second tallest spire (at 96m or 315ft, only Salisbury is higher) and the largest surviving cloister in England.
Norwich Cathedral also has the largest collection of decorative roof bosses in Christendom, 1,106 in total. They provided one of the earliest forms of theological education, at a time when illiteracy was common.
D. Gurney (NLA) 27 January 2009.

For the legend of St William, who is said to be buried in the Jesus Chapel, see (S13).
D. Gurney (NLA), 2 February 2009.

2010.
Hostry visitor centre and refectory due to be opened by the Queen in May 2010.
See (S14) for further details.
H. White (NLA), 31 March 2010.

January 2018. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of works associated with creation of new access to cloister garth.
Report awaited. See archaeological assessment (S34) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 22 January 2018.

See (S44) for archaeological assessment of Norwich Cathedral and Close.
P. Watkins (HES), 19 August 2019.

May 2021. Air Photo Interpretation.
Oblique aerial photographs taken by Historic England in 2014 (S47) show cropmarks within Norwich Cathedral cloister which resemble those relating to a formal garden. Dr Roland Harris, Cathedral Archaeologist, was able to confirm that the marks were recent, created by a filmset (for ‘Tulip Fever’) which had been dismantled a short time before the photographs were taken. Coverage of the filming in the Eastern Daily Press (S48) shows the set being constructed. This note has been added to the record to avoid any future confusion.
S. Tremlett (Norfolk County Council, Historic Environment Service), 14 May 2021.