NHER 26585 (Monument record) - Old School, The Glasshouse and Saxon features, 11 to 13 Wensum Street

April-December 2001. Building Survey.
Recording of the Grade II listed Glasshouse and an adjacent former schoolhouse.
The recording describes the main complex as C17, raised in the C18 and with a C15 undercroft. Examination of the main complex revealed that the undercroft had barrel-vaulted extensions and blocked or disused former entries and stairways. Although it has been previously claimed that the original superstructure above the basement was destroyed in the Norwich fire of 1507, the recording suggests that the street front hall had survived at least in part. However, most of the ground and first floors were a rebuild, forming a partially-timbered, jettied structure of C17 date, set around a small courtyard. Alterations made in the C18 including insertion of windows and doors and increasing the height of the building by the addition of another storey. Recording of the old school revealed it to be a two-cell brick structure that had survived with minimal changes since it was designed and built in 1890 by local architect George J. Skipper.
See report (S3) for further details. The results of this work are summarised in (S4).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.427).
J. Allen (NLA), 11 March 2007. Amended by D. Holburn (HES), 26 September 2011 and P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.

July-August 2001. Trial Trenching. Contexts 1-217.
Evaluation revealed a building, undated but possibly Middle Saxon, and other floors and pits from Late Saxon onwards.
Well preserved waterlogged deposits.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.499).
D. Gurney (NLA), 5 October 2001. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.