NHER 2284 (Monument record) - Ruins of church of St Peter, Wiggenhall St Germans

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Summary

St Peter's church as it stands today is believed to have been primarily constructed in the 15th century and was still largely intact as recently as the 1920's. The roof, window glass and the majority of the tracery are now missing, but all of the brick, flint rubble, and stone walls are intact and details such as the human and animal corbels and headstops, window seats, sedilia and piscina and aumbries all survive. There is evidence of an earlier phase of construction, as the tower (which was struck by lighning in 2013) has been unusually located in what appears to be an earlier nave, creating a vaulted room in the resulting space.

Protected Status/Designation

Listed Building (II*) 1152777: RUINS OF CHURCH OF ST PETER

Location

Map sheet	TF61SW
Civil Parish	WIGGENHALL ST GERMANS, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

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Full Description

In ruins. All datable visible work is 15th century, but the tower is set inside the earlier nave at the west end in a very unusual fashion with a vaulted room made in resulting space.
See report (S1) and press cuttings in file.
E. Rose (NAU), 3 December 1984.

See (S2) photos in file.

December 2010. Building recording.
The building recording undertaken at St Mary's Church (NHER 2254) and the ruin of St Peter's Church revealed that both were constructed from the same red brick of varied sizes and that both probably date to the early 15th century.
See (S3).
S. Howard (HES), 5 July 2011.

August 2013.
The ruins were struck by lightning, causing damage to the tower (S4).
D. Gurney (HES), 15 November 2013.

Associated Sources (16)

--- SNF84732 Illustration: Print of pencil drawing of the Church of St Peter, Wiggenhall St Germans.
--- SNF4921 Monograph: Bryant, T. H. 1902. Hundred of Freebridge Marshland. The Churches of Norfolk. Vol X. pp 140-143.
--- SNF7576 Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, B. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. p 780.
--- SNF94473 Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1976. Making landmark out of ruins. 2 September.
--- SNF10367 Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF6013/A-B; 30-JUL-1975 (HES 22/ADW 54-55).
--- SNF10367 Oblique Aerial Photograph: Various. ? - 2020. Norfolk Air Photo Library: Oblique Collection. TF6013/C-E; 09-FEB-1984 (HES 139/AUC 1-2, 30).
--- SNF84653 Photograph: 1994. Photographs of the ruins of Church of St Peter, Wiggenhall St Peter. Black & white and Colour.
--- SNF8850 Photograph: BDC 1-6.
--- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
--- SNF57204 Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 61 SW 13.
--- SNF8804 Secondary File: Secondary File.
--- SNF8807 Slide: Various. Slide.
<S1> SNF56264 Unpublished Document: Rose, E.. 1984. Building Report.. Building Report.
<S2> SNF4550 Monograph: Batcock, N. 1991. The Ruined and Disused Churches of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 51. Microfiche 5:G12. No 63; p 51.
<S3> SNF80718 Unpublished Contractor Report: Peachey, M. 2011. Building Recording at Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen's and St Peter's Churches, Norfolk. Archaeological Project Services. 12/11.
<S4> SNF90102 Unpublished Document: Ruth Blackman. 2013. The ruined church of St Peter at Wiggenhall St Peter, Norfolk. Inspection report following a lightening strike..

Site and Feature Types and Periods (2)

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Record last edited

Mar 14 2025 10:35AM